Growth Of Pink Convicts

[Athena]

Just wondering if anyone knows whether Pink Convicts take a long time to grow... I think mine are the short-bodied type (as in their bodies are sort of a round shape rather than elongated oval shaped). Sorry I can't post pics of them.

I've had a pair for 10 months now and they are the same size as when I bought them - the female is about 2" and male half inch or so bigger. They are fed well on a variety of both live, frozen and dried foods, plus squashed peas.

Other fish I bought at the same time have doubled in size but these two just look the same.

Is that normal? Or is there a dwarf version of convicts that I'm not aware of?

Thanks - Athena

 

[jayjay]

Are the fish breeding? If you allow fish to breed at such a young size, often most of their energy goes into that, producing eggs, guarding the fry etc. Rather than growing.

How often are the doing water change?
What size is the tank?
Temperature?

All of the above questions can limit/hinder growth. Also the fish could just have poor genetics which would mean they won't grow large. They could also be "jelly bean" convicts like you've mentioned.

 

[Athena]

Thanks Jayjay

I didn't know there were "jelly bean" convicts - perhaps they are... but, yes, they seem to be in a constant cycle of spawning, having fry, guarding them 3-4 days then eating them and then they start all over again. I do sometimes think the female looks a bit worn out from it all!! I don't really want to separate them, though, as they've been a pair for 10 months. I didn't realise that spawning affects their growth rate. Aha, maybe I need to feed them more during spawning, eh? If they are burning off the calories (if fish burn calories like us LOL?) too quickly.

They are in a large enough tank for their small size - they have the run of a 3ft tank with only one other inhabitant (a rainbow shark 4") and he completely stays out of their way when they are spawning.

Water changes are done every 7-10 days - as there are only 3 fish in a 3ft tank the water condition stays good for longer.

Anyway, thanks for the input - has given me food for thought.

Cheers - Athena

 

[jb12288]

When I had convicts and they paired off and started breeding, both the male and the female grew like weeds non stop. I would say in about 2 months my male convict grew about 3"

female convict before pairing off

this is the male convict after pairing off

I did not have a photo of my male convict before he paired off with the female so I put a photo of the female, but they were both the same size as in the female photo before they paired off.

Timeline is about 2 months from top photo to bottom photo.

 

[jayjay]

Breeding can hamper growth, from what you've said I would think the breeding is why they aren't growing so big. Especially if they are laying eggs every few days, that would really take it out of the female compared to the pair protecting one brood for a couple of months, which would only require the female to produce one set of eggs.

 

[Athena]

Thanks, JB and Jayjay.

I've found a few old posts on the forums that discussed these pink short-bodied convicts and it seems that they don't grow the same size as true convicts. It all depends on what mix they are and the genetics involved as to how much they will grow but I read that some of them do stay fairly small (under 4").

When I bought them I was told they were Pink Severums! It was only in recent months that I found out from on here that they were actually Pink Convicts - and then even more recently read that they are Short-bodied pink convicts LOL - and now I've learned another new name for them - Jelly Bean Convicts (I think??). I have a feeling mine are a cross between a Convict and a Severum, but that's just a guess based on the fact that my LFS is still insistant that they are pink severums (according to her supplier) - so I think her supplier has mated severums with convicts and she probably doesn't even realise. They do have a look of a severum about them but prettier. They are NOT dyed pink, by the way. They are naturally that colour (a pale whitish pink and the female gets an orange tummy when spawning).

Anyway, whatever they are, I don't think they are going to be growing to the size I was expecting them to.

If anyone else on here has experience of owning these Short-bodied Pink Convicts, how large did they grow?

Thanks again - Athena

 

[jb12288]

I don't think sevs and convicts can hybridize.

 

[jayjay]

And I have no proof of this; but I'd assume that a severum X convict, would grow fairly large instead of small.

 

[jb12288]

yea, i am with jayjay, if sevs and cons can hyrbidize then it would be a fish of about 6-9" and very agressive