convict cichlid pair?

[sweetness85]

i bought 6 convicts and have had them for about 4 months since they were babies.  i have read up on how to tell the difference between a male and female but still have no idea.  i also have read up on the breeding of them(just incase).  so now i find in the past 2 days there are 2 that are digging a hole under a piece of driftwood and chasing all the other fish away.  going from what i read i am guessing i now have a pair.  is it possible at all that these 2 could be of the same sex?  i got them as my first fish because they are so easy to care for.  if these are a pair i'd like to get rid of the rest as i have learned more and don't want too many of these fish(they are boring) but i will keep the pair if that's what they are.  i love the baby fish idea no matter what type they are.  also if they are a pair then i'll likely just give the other 4 away(but one seems a bit tipsy in the last few hours so i'm not sure about it) so if you want them you can have them, or maybe trade for some other type of cichlid or angel.  thanks in advance.  p.s.:i'm a bit new to the fish world...lol...please be patient with me.

[dpatte]

yes, they are probably a pair, but no, im not looking for convicts. they are atractive though.

[catfishsteve]

I'm in the same boat as you
at least you got one thats "tipsy" back home that means babies are coming for sure!

[cory]

convicts will breed in a wet paper towel. They are the mice of the fish world.

[oenology]

They may breed easily but they are still nice looking fish and a great choice for someone new to the hobby. It's tons of fun to watch the development of the babies.

[cory]

Thats how i started

[speckledmind]

Hi sweet,

Here is some info on Convict Cichlids.

The facts.
Size: 5-6 inches (15cm) full grown males; females an inch or two smaller
Tank: At least 20 gallons, 25 per mated pair (24 inches)
Strata: Lower middle
PH: 6.0 to 8.0 (very wide range tolerated if kept stable)
Hardness: Soft to neutral
Temperature: 68°- 80°F (20° to 27° C) (wide range tolerated if kept stable)
Sexing : Female convict cichlids have orange on the belly
Breeding convicts : "just add water and fish" lol
Food : Pellet or low cost home recipes

A few words on this species.
These are the most versatile and easy Cichild to have, because they can be kept in a regular freshwater environment, and without fuss, a normal 6.7 ph with a temperature of 24 C. will be great.
These fish are always active, simply put them in groups and let nature take it's course, supply them a few hides and watch them play " King of the Mountain ".
A few years back when the Cichild mania started, a lot of people enjoyed these fish because they where easy to breed, but as time went by, other species became available with more vivid coloration, and the Convict was put aside.
Although some could not care less for this fish, I love them because of there ease to keep, and pleasure to breed if that is what makes you happy.
They display there best coloration when they are in breeding mode : )

I have had them for a while and enjoy them very much.

Edit : You don't buy Convicts, you get them for free.
I gave away a good 42 of them before X-mas, they where the size of a loonie ; )

Enjoy,
Denis

[sweetness85]

convicts will breed in a wet paper towel. They are the mice of the fish world.

well as i said these were the first tropical fish i bought so i didn't know the difference between good fish to buy or fish that you can barely get rid of by giving away.  i guess they saw me coming...lol.  but i do think they are very pretty(noy as much as my other cichlids i have now but still pretty)  i know all the basics about what to feed them and everything like that i just got excited when i saw 2 of them digging together and chasing everyone away.  so i guess they likely are a pair even if they are 'the mice of the fish world' i am excited and can't wait to have tons of babies to give away to whoever might be as silly as me to get them.  i might even try to sell them...lol.  i paid 1$ each so someone else might.  i have 3 yellow labs i'm trying to get rid of too if anyone is interested...lol.  maybe for 1$ each or trade for something interesting.  i guess i will post an ad and see what i get.  btw the fish stopped digging so far...i'm a little dissapointed...lol

[AdamR]

When I had a pair of convicts people were more interested in the babies for live food.

[dpatte]

I seem to remember that convicts where the first cichlids i ever bred. It was interesting to watch their behavior.

Later i got pink convicts and bred those as well.

They would still be very popular if they werent so prolific.

A couple of years ago I had a large midas cichlid ('Rufus') that was constantly digging up the tank - so i got about 4 convicts to add to the tank and it calmed rufus down significantly.

[babblefish1960]

Don't feel bad about having Convict cichlids, they are a great little fish with a ton of personality, breeding notwithstanding, they are a friendly little fish that should keep you amused for a very long time.

[speckledmind]

As I wrote, I have them and enjoy them a lot 

At $1 per fish ( Convict ), it's not that bad.
I just hope the person who sold them to you, is not the same one that got them off me for free 

Here is a picture of one of my set ups with convict.
If you want to supply them hides, head out to Dollorama and buy these small vase, or regular clay pots, position them as you like and let them have fun claiming there piece of the land. lol

I found that keeping them in groups in a tank, keeps them well behaved, opposed to having only two.

If ever you need info in the future, feel free to ask.
There is a lot of networking on the Forum, plus we do some buying / selling / trading, if you go to the regular monthly meeting, you will find a lot of stuff there also at the mini auctions, a whole lot of things that cost mini dollars, $10.oo will usually go a long way from what I have seen. lol

Enjoy your fish.

Cheers,
Denis

PS : I'm not sure what the going price is on Yellow Labs, buty I'm pretty sure you can get more than $1 each, or a good trade.

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[sweetness85]

yep my tank looks pretty much the same.  i get vases and pots from the dollar store too.  they have like half pots(looks like they're cut in half) and they are actually better than full size ones because they actually look like a cave.  when is the next mini auction?  i was at the big one and spent 60$!  i didn't even plan on getting anything.  i may have to go to the mini one to see what i can find.  without the kids this time...lol.  thanks everyone so much this group of people are the best ever.  i've told so many people about ovas and there are more people i am telling every day because i love it so much.  i actually got rid of all the fish i wanted to get rid of.  next on the list are the baby demansoni which i think will go fast.  well thanks again everyone and good luck with all your fish out there, may they be goldfish or convicts good luck with them all.

[sweetness85]

ok these 2 have a wall built around their little 'cave' and are still digging!  no sign of eggs yet...i'm so excited!  i can't wait to see little fry swimming around.  i know that will take a while but i'm still excited.

[sweetness85]

ok so i think i have some viagra or x in the water because i have some labs defending a patch of territory and some jewel cichlids digging and chasing anything that comes close away!  what am i going to do will all these fish?!?  i am beyond excited now!!!!  i'll keep updating yous on the progress.  oh btw the convict female isn't eating anymore...holding?  i can't tell yet so i don't want to take her out.  either way i'll keep updating for anyone interested.

[BigDaddy]

Convicts aren't mouth brooders

[sweetness85]

Convicts aren't mouth brooders

ok i read somewhere they were?  oh well maybe she is sick then...lol

[sweetness85]

    AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!  ok so i just looked in the tank and looked real close at the convict's spot they have and there are eggs!!!  i tink?  there are white ones and grey ones though?  i'm guessing there are some that aren't fertilised?  and one of them is like cleaning them or something.  looks like it's trying to eat them but it's not eating them so i guess just cleaning them?  either way i'm extatic!!  so if anyone can tell me anything i need to know please do!  the whole baby brine shrimp thing is not possible for me to do so can they eat crushed flakes when and if they survive?  i mean really crushed like almost powder.  i'm off to go see how long it will take to have some free swimming babies..........ok done reading and may have a problem...when these babies are freeswimming they will be eaten.  these convicts are great but i do have some other fish that will swin right by and do what they want.  should i move their home to a smaller tank and just wait?  the eggs are in a crack in a pretty big ornament but i am willing to move it if there won't be too much stress for the parents.  if you think they will all survive and be ok with the bit of stress then i will do it right away!  please let me know asap!  i read that fry take less than a week to become free swimming!

[sweetness85]

ok so all the eggs turned white except 2...=(  but i guess that's ok seing as this would be their first spawning.  but wait i have more news!!!  i have a pair of jewel cichlids and they have eggs all over the place!  they were in a 55g with some mean cichlids so i gave them their own tank.  i moved the parents then the eggs and out of about 200 i think there are 10 that are white.  so....my jewels will have tiny fry son and i just can't wait.  i have had molly and platy fry before but i guess it's different for me because i get to see the egg stage and all that jazz.  i'll keep posting!!!!

[aroc]

I seem to remember that convicts where the first cichlids i ever bred. It was interesting to watch their behavior.

Later i got pink convicts and bred those as well.

They would still be very popular if they werent so prolific.

A couple of years ago I had a large midas cichlid ('Rufus') that was constantly digging up the tank - so i got about 4 convicts to add to the tank and it calmed rufus down significantly.

as I recall, I sold you those convicts at super pet