What can I keep with Convicts?

[BlueIce]

I'm sorry...this is just MY opinion as someone who has been keeping fish since the age of 8 yrs (now 39)


You can id many fish...wonderful.
You know about water params and cycling etc...wonderful.

My issue is that you don't have a clue what can be put together SAFELY and what size tank is needed.
Those are not small issues...they are HUGE.
There was for instance at one of the lfs a boy of about 12 working..he could id every single fish in the place ,mostly central and african fish in this store...but he had no clue what could be kept together...
I acted like I had no clue what was what...in the end he had me putting together tilapia,livingstoni ,fronts and green terrors...seriously...all were adults btw...
Can you even imagine the disaster that would have been? I went to management and complained...
People that don't know any better trust in the persons working the fish dept..
you,as someone who claims to love the hobby and love fish,will need to do a lot of studying before you can guide these people.I am in no way knocking what you do know...it's wonderful that you've learned as much as you say you have...
BUT
would you want a someone working on your car just because they could name all the parts? uh...no.
Sorry that's the way I see it...

as well,you ask for advice,then you don't want to take it and on top of that use the claim of "I'm a fish specialist" like that should exempt you from following tried and true advice given by people who have experience...

again IMO

even with what you say is in that tank now..it is a disaster waiting to happen...it's a combo that a conscientious,experienced fish keeper would not attempt...

Sorry again if you find this offensive...sometimes the truth isn't easy to hear...
Hopefully you will see the good points as well as the negative in my post and hopefully you will take it to heart and do what needs to be done...

 

[lucky62]

I'm sorry...this is just MY opinion as someone who has been keeping fish since the age of 8 yrs (now 39)


You can id many fish...wonderful.
You know about water params and cycling etc...wonderful.

My issue is that you don't have a clue what can be put together SAFELY and what size tank is needed.
Those are not small issues...they are HUGE.
There was for instance at one of the lfs a boy of about 12 working..he could id every single fish in the place ,mostly central and african fish in this store...but he had no clue what could be kept together...
I acted like I had no clue what was what...in the end he had me putting together tilapia,livingstoni ,fronts and green terrors...seriously...all were adults btw...
Can you even imagine the disaster that would have been? I went to management and complained...
People that don't know any better trust in the persons working the fish dept..
you,as someone who claims to love the hobby and love fish,will need to do a lot of studying before you can guide these people.I am in no way knocking what you do know...it's wonderful that you've learned as much as you say you have...
BUT
would you want a someone working on your car just because they could name all the parts? uh...no.
Sorry that's the way I see it...

as well,you ask for advice,then you don't want to take it and on top of that use the claim of "I'm a fish specialist" like that should exempt you from following tried and true advice given by people who have experience...

again IMO

even with what you say is in that tank now..it is a disaster waiting to happen...it's a combo that a conscientious,experienced fish keeper would not attempt...

Sorry again if you find this offensive...sometimes the truth isn't easy to hear...
Hopefully you will see the good points as well as the negative in my post and hopefully you will take it to heart and do what needs to be done...

I agree , I could never have put as well .

These days people can learn so much about fish they may never keep . But can advise people by with a the information available to them[ The internet , public library's are full of books ] , making it possible for one person to inform another about a fish they themself have never even saw , let alone kept .

Also back in the stone age , and at least this was my exp . There wasn't much in the way of literature , not as much as now , no internet, so information I got was pretty much limited to whoever I bought my fish from , my friends that also kept fish , Or the occasional visit to someone that had managed to keep 1 fish alive for like 5 years , or one or 2 books at the Public library [ usually about fish ponds or guppies ].

I usually bought Juvi [ young ones ] fish , aggression isn't quite detrimental at that point , So It took me a while[ months , years sometimes ] to sort out what fish were compatible or not , what fish I would no longer be interested in keeping , and wanted to keep. It took a few years , it also took a few years to get that water change thing down too

I took me quite a while is what I'm saying , and I would have trouble knowing right away with some fish , but that's what reading is for .

Tell people what you don't know about a fish as well , don't be afraid to say you haven't had much experience with a particular fish , That can make people feel less intimidated [ newbies anyway ] , and most I'm sure would appreciate your honesty , and trust you not to mislead them .


And the analogy made about the gold fishbowl and the fish tank , sorry but , I really see no difference either .

 

[freddyk]

Some people I think don't quite realize just how big convicts should get, because they're so often not given the proper conditions to thrive. Anyone who actually thinks more then one pair can fit in a 29 gallon tank is obviously one of these.

Cheers

 

[digital_run]

Some people I think don't quite realize just how big convicts should get, because they're so often not given the proper conditions to thrive. Anyone who actually thinks more then one pair can fit in a 29 gallon tank is obviously one of these.

Cheers

I feel bad sometimes because i only "have" a 29 for them...I'd love to devote somin a little bigger to them because im sure they would appreciate it.

I'd like to put money on the fact that you couldn't/can't/don't know every species of fish. Thats a broad statement to make. You could very likely keep something else in that tank...and maybe not all cons will "kill" the other tank mates due to a passive nature...BUT...I'm willing to bet that all cons would be agressive during a spawn and would stress/attack anything else given the small amount of space a 29g provides. I always thought the point of fish keeping was keeping them happy..and healthy...Not packing as many fish as i can into one tank.

But its your call...you asked a question...you were given replys from current experienced owners.

 

[Jezah]

OMG. I never said I was a "fish specialist" to in any way imply I was better then any of you. Check my title, I have been posting here for a long time and half the reason I got this job is because of what I learned here. I said I was a fish specialist in a fish store to explain that the convicts breeding wouldnt be an issue as I pretty much am running the fish dept. and any fry I want to donate to the store...I can. I also never said I WASNT going to listen to your opinions. I came here because I had several people whom I didnt exactly trust tell me Convicts could be kept with other fish. So I came here to ask people I KNOW have extensive knowledge on fish if it is true. You said it wasnt a good idea, I didnt like hearing it...but I listened. So now I am going to ask another question. I know the cold hard facts, but i want people who have KEPT cichlids, to tell me. What cichlids CAN be kept with other fish in a 29 gallon tank. Keep in mind I am looking for color, activity level(no angels) and intelligence. I love convi's cause they are intelligent...if I cant have them in a community cichlid tank...then I want something as intelligent.

 

[nc_nutcase]

Convicts can be kept with other cichlids very peacefully and happily... but a breeding pair is a whole other story. Also if you have a large enough aquarium, you can keep a breeding pair with other fish. I had mine hatch their first litter in my 125 gal with quite a few other fish. The fry will have to be removed as soon as safely possible though.

It was the confined space you are working with that caused the discouragements of exceeding one pair of convicts. You do still have that space limitation though. You could easily get away with two dwarf cichlids, maybe 3 (if there is no mating pair). Most of the fish that can go along with convicts will outgrow a 29 Gal rather quickly.

 

[PUDincONE]

You can try some German Blue Rams, they are active and bring alot of color to the tank...They should get along with most other fish of the same nature...I haven't had any other fish that would go in a 29 gallon community tank so I can't really comment any any other fish...hope this helps

 

[Jezah]

I was looking for variety however. Would severum's work? I know they recomend at least a 30g for them, but a 29g is not much different. If so how many could I keep? I like rams, but I prefer bigger fish.

 

[PUDincONE]

If you want bigger fish I would definitly purchase a bigger tank...if you were to get sevrums then I woudl start savin up for a bigger tank down the road...they say thats the smallest you shoudl really keep them in but that doesn't mean it's ideal for them...Mine grew slow but they grew big, so if you descide on the sevs then i would definitly think abotu saving up for a bigger tank in the sumwhat near future...thats just what i can say from my experince with them.

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

A severum should be alright, but as an adult it would cramped... firemouths could also work, but again, would be somewhat cramped... Apistos (Apistogramma) should do great, just about any species... and you could have 2 or 3 pairs in there.

 

[Jezah]

That is just depressing. I spent over 100$ on a 29g so I could keep bigger fish...now you are saying a 29 is not big enough for anything? I am not made of money, and I really am quite p/oed that I can only keep mollie sized fish in a 29g. Why does the fish index here say a 30g is suitable for a severum if it isnt true? I am confused and massivly upset. I dont like wasting my money.

 

[nc_nutcase]

You've by no means wasted your money and you do have options. Often fish profiles will say something like "this fish requires 30 Gal with a 40Gal aquarium minimum." This means 30 Gallons per fish... and for one fish 40 Gal is the minimum. I used these numbers because that's what is commonly stated about Oscars, my fish of choice (I don‘t necessarily agree with this 100% but that‘s what is commonly said)...

There are several Cichlids that are aggressive/tough that grow large, but slow. Green Terrors are one of my favorite fish and they fall in this category. You could put one small Green Terror and one small Convict in a 29 and raise them together. The Green Terror will eventually out grow the 29 Gal but you will have some time (1 - 1 1/2 years probably). Also remember, the more decor you have with hiding places the less likely territorial battles will occur.

Lastly, a 29 Gal is not a good size when your intention is to raise large cichlids. 55 Gal is about the minimum for large cichlids and personally I think it is unfair to put a fish that will grow to 12 inches in a tank that is 11.5 inches front to back (picture him doing a U turn). With that thought 75 Gal is the smallest common (to my region) aquarium that is 18 inches front to back. I would suggest this as a good starting tank for raising large Cichlids. If you go with the smaller tanks, just accept you can only keep a couple fish in it and there are many fish you simply cannot house, at least not house without neglecting your fish.

 

[Jezah]

I will be making more money soon...with my new job. I will most likely be getting a bigger tank...75g or maybe bigger in the next few years. I had a idiot once sell me a green terror for my 10g when I was just a noob. He seemed to grow fast though...3 inches in 3 months. I also have a question about angelfish. They seem to me to be very inactive blah fish...is this true? I have never raised them, and I cant seem to find any info on their activity level. I love their looks, but I dont want a fish that simply sits in one spot all day. Oh, and I do want to breed whatever cichlids I am getting. One of the best things about cichlids is their parenting behavior. Um, also, I dont like ordering fish online, so I am limited to the variety of my LFS. They only have these kinds of cichlids

Electric Yellow
Cobalt Blue
Socolofi
Green Severum
Gold Severum
Black Convicts
Green Terrors
Firemouths
Jewel Cichlids
Turquoise Jewel Cichlids
Oscars
Keyhole Cichlids
Blue Rams
Angelfish
Asst. African Cichlids(dunno...)
Kenyi Cichlids
Auratus Cichlids
Livingstoni Cichlids
Venustus Cichlids
Blood Parrots
Baby Jack Dempsys
Johanni Cichlids
Red Devils

So those (right now) are the ones I have to choose from. I may be getting a couple diff. kinds at my new store that I am gonna be working at. I dont know yet, as they havent even set up their fish dept. yet. They are a brand new store.

 

[sylvia]

Keyholes are surprisingly peaceful considering they are larger than similarly calm cichlids. You could probably keep a few quite happily and you could keep some apistos or rams with them too.

You could also manage a few yellow labs with a bristlenose plec and/or some synodontis catfish and make it a small malawi tank.

If you aren't too caught up in keepng only big fish and could get hold of them, shell-dwellers are wonderful when it comes to color, behaviour and persnality. Many are easy to breed and sell and they are small so you can keep a pretty large number.

If you want to breed cichlids, you're going to need a grow-out tank for the fry of most species. If you went for rams, keyholes, apistos or most shellies, you could probably raise them in the tank to a certain size. The shellies usualy do fine as long as there are enough shells while the neotropical cichlid fry should do well in a densely planted tank.

Could I also say that I HAVE known people to keep 2 pairs of convicts successfuly in a 20 gallon. Each pair would set up and deffend opposite sides and with dense planting and thought-out aquascaping, they managed to co-exist. When they bred, however, things did become quite violent as the pair with fry would try to take over the whole tank. The remaining pair would spend most time hidden in an upside-down ceramic pot and would mainly defend this. That is until they bred and then both pairs would begin fighting for the whole tank and so on. Either way, they did survive and did breed. I still wouldn't reccomend this - even if you do have a larger tank - as the fish won't be happy and your aim as a responsible and knowledgeable fish-keeper should be to provide your fish with an environment in which they can thrive.

Are you set on cichlids BTW? There are other fish out there. Many have similar behavioural patterns and just as wonderful characters or colors. Many can present a nice challeng to breed but are very rewarding when they do. The best thing is that many of these, whilst growing to a good size, are also peaceful enough to be kept in a community. Think about it.

 

[Jezah]

I am definalty not "set" on cichlids...however they are usually the most brightly colored and intelligent freshwater/brackish fish. Shelldwellers? Have any common names...? I know of them but have never run across any in any LFS around here. The rams and keyholes actually sound like a interesting tank. Mixed with some non-aggressive catfish they sound mighty attractive to me. However, in my experience keyholes are rather bland colored...that may just be because I saw them at petco...and petco is not known for healthy fishies.