Convict Babies - Advice Please

[james1971]

I have 2 convict cichlids in a 260 ltr community tank.

I knew there was something going on because the convicts have digging in the gravel for the last few days.

Today I came to feed them and there is a little batch of about 40 convict fry all huddled together in a little dent where they were digging in the gravel.

One of the convicts is being very attentive and is staying right next to them all time warning off the other fish.

I dare not attempt to move them because they will end up all over the place. I have some fearsome predators in the tank in the form of silver dollars, some small some large, and a fully grown Angelfish and I don't know what to do for the best to avoid them all being eaten.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[lil.guppy]

Hmmmm Im not sure on this one. I personally strip the fry from my females before they spit them out. If you try and slowly move a net towereds them they might run back into the mothers mouth and you can catch her. Thats what I would do, or just try and catch as many as possible. Maybe move the other fish out first.

 

[james1971]

I know - it is a tricky one this.

Does the mother keep them in her mouth then?

Sorry to be such a dunce but I am new to convicts, I have have only had these two since February this year.

I do have another fry tank but there are 5 small guppy fry in that which are not big enough yet to run the gauntlet in the main tank with the big boys..

If I was confident of catching all the convict fry I might give it a go but I have visions of them scattering all over the tank and then being picked off one by one by all the other fish.

 

[shroob]

Nah, convicts are not mouth brooders. I would have expected the parents to look after the fry (though some first time parents eat their young, takes time to get it right, its natural so dont worry too much if it happens).

 

[james1971]

I have now moved the babies into another tank because one of the parents started to eat them.

We have counted about 80 odd

Will be interesting to see how they get on !

 

[jb12288]

good luck with that. I have a breeding pair in my tank and they have had 2 sets of fry now. The first set was eaten by the parents and the last set and the most recent set i removed from the tank and but them in my hold tank. I let them grow a bit and used them as feeders. Yes I know, sad, but my LFS won't take convicts because they are so common they always have them. Right now they are working on their third set . I guess it is good to have them constantly spawning, I dont have to go the the LFS for feeder fish, LOL!

 

[james1971]

Well they seem to be doing fine - fingers crossed.

I now have all the Convict fry on their own in a small nursery tank. I removed the handful of guppy fry that were in there because they are bigger and were chasing them around the tank.

What is best to feed the little guys on?

Am I ok powdering flake food up really fine?