Convict Babies

[sic0198]

How do I clean the sand if my convicts have babies, just clean around them?

 

[Ripley]

Yeah just be careful. I usually just put the hose/siphon on the opposite end of the tank.

 

[sic0198]

OK Another question...or two.

I don't wanna have so many babies that I can;t deal with them. So how often do they have little ones? They don't have 100 or so one day and 3 days later they have a hundered more, do they?


When should I seperate the babies from the parents?

 

[Mandrake]

Convicts breed like mad, you can expect at least a brood a month for as long as the breeding pair are kept together, and quite possibly more.

 

[Ripley]

If you take out the parents once the fry are free swimming they will breed twice a month. I would take out the male once the fry are free swimming which will be around 3-4 days. You can leave the female in there for another 2 weeks, then take her out. I have left the female in there forever and she still takes care of them, but I have had that plan bit in the backside time to time. So the safe bet is to take her out after a month with the fry.

 

[sic0198]

Why take her out after 2 weeks? Will she breed with her babies?

 

[Mandrake]

Certainly not at 2 weeks old, no. She might lose interest in mothering and eat them though.