Convict Cichlid Breeding Help?

[Psingh]

Hey there, Nice forums first off.
Secondly i just have had a new pair on convicts recently the convicts seem to have paird up now and are moving together around the fish tank ect as i only have them in there anyway but the first week they were not that friendly but now they are ok, Last week i noticed they started digging all over the fish tank i have a few plant pots in there too, But i just wanted to know how long should it take for a pair to start breeding with no problem? there food is good temp is good, alls good so i think. But theyve just been digging and i was thinking maybe sometink is wrong why they wont breed? Aquarium information below.


180Ltr/48Galllon tank
Jewel rio 320 filter
jewel rio 320 heater
Gravel
3 flowerpots.
1 air pump with air wall.
2 convicts
Male - around 4 inch
Female around 2 inch

 

[the biffster]

they need a cave or a plant pot
on it side or a large flat stone
to spawn on they will normally spawn
about a week to a fortnight after they
paired off if you use a flat stone put
it in one corner off the tank make sure
the pot is big enough for them to get in to

 

[Psingh]

they need a cave or a plant pot
on it side or a large flat stone
to spawn on they will normally spawn
about a week to a fortnight after they
paired off if you use a flat stone put
it in one corner off the tank make sure
the pot is big enough for them to get in to

I have a few pots in there i think they have chose 1 as it is half a pot becuase i cut the botom half of it off made it into kind of a cave,
They seem to have removed all the gravel from under the pot and inside, Hopefully they will breed so im guessing the eggs will b laid on the floor of my fish tank right? Thanks for the reply

 

[star4]

Patience, convicts breed really easily, you will have eggs soon enough

 

[Psingh]

Patience, convicts breed really easily, you will have eggs soon enough

Ahh yeah i know , but this is the first time ive bred fish.. so im exited ;D Is pots ok? i was thinking maybe i should buy some slate rocks to put in there ? or will that make it to packed?

 

[Wills]

If you have convicts the best way to get them to breed is too add water and wait If you make more and more caves it will help the female after breeding it will also help the fry escape the parents when the next batch is created

Good luck!

Wills

 

[Psingh]

If you have convicts the best way to get them to breed is too add water and wait If you make more and more caves it will help the female after breeding it will also help the fry escape the parents when the next batch is created

Good luck!

Wills

Thanks for the reply, Do you think a jewel rio 180ltr is good enuf for 1 pair of convicts? im hoping that i can get loads of conivcts in the tank make it look all nice

 

[Wills]

Yeah a 180 is a great tank for them to breed in

 

[Timmy_Bee]

sorry to highjack, but i am thinking about Convicts myself (also a Rio 180) - i know they are aggresive fish, but are there any 'community' fish that would be OK with them? At the mo, i have got a tank of barbs. would these get bullied? (im thinking they would)

 

[the biffster]

well lest put it this way anything that
comes in to the breeding area
is chased away and it doesn't matter
how big it is it will be nudged bitten
till it moves out of the ares they make
good parents and look after there fry
.i used to hatch baby brine shrimp
to feed them

 

[Timmy_Bee]

is that a 'no' to the convict + barb setup then? or is that just for breeders? can convicts be kept in a group (2/3/4?) males?

 

[star4]

Patience, convicts breed really easily, you will have eggs soon enough

Ahh yeah i know , but this is the first time ive bred fish.. so im exited ;D Is pots ok? i was thinking maybe i should buy some slate rocks to put in there ? or will that make it to packed?

I know its exciting but dont panic I had a pair of cons in a tank with just gravel a couple of stones and a glass jar, they used the jar to spawn in, the kids loved watching them lay the eggs and tend the young. So long as you have a male & female they will breed.

 

[Psingh]

sorry to highjack, but i am thinking about Convicts myself (also a Rio 180) - i know they are aggresive fish, but are there any 'community' fish that would be OK with them? At the mo, i have got a tank of barbs. would these get bullied? (im thinking they would)

Im not sure about that as all i have is just 2 convicts in mine, Btw just a little question as you have the same tank lol...
Does your heater have a temp dial? mine is just like + and - ? how do you set the temp? what i have to do is put it on full + and then each day it goes down few degrees i have to put it on for abit..., i know this is not ideal for the fish, so i might be buying a new heater if i can now fix this problem.

Patience, convicts breed really easily, you will have eggs soon enough

Ahh yeah i know , but this is the first time ive bred fish.. so im exited ;D Is pots ok? i was thinking maybe i should buy some slate rocks to put in there ? or will that make it to packed?

I know its exciting but dont panic I had a pair of cons in a tank with just gravel a couple of stones and a glass jar, they used the jar to spawn in, the kids loved watching them lay the eggs and tend the young. So long as you have a male & female they will breed.

Ok thanks lol ill post up a pic or something if i see any eggs

Yeah a 180 is a great tank for them to breed in

Ok thanks for the help

 

[Timmy_Bee]

no my heater has a dial between 20 - 32 (i think) even though it is not trust-worthy! (usually have it set to 30 to get a temp of 26) the tank is 2nd hand so am not sure if its the original, but it fits perfectly in the slot in the filter box, so im guessing it is?!

 

[star4]

I take it you have a juwel heater? pain to play guess the temperature When you turn it right down to the - it should keep the tank around 18c right to the + would be 32 (some heaters go up more some only go to 30, with the juwel is a bit of a guess) in the middle is around 25c. Set it in the middle position and monitor your thermometer, you can always turn it up a little if its not at the right temperature