Help With Feeding My Convict Cichlids!

[Psingh]

I have 2 Convict cichlids, 1 is about 4inches other is about 2inches, at the moment i am feeding them "Nutrafin max flake food" i am feeding them 2 times a day with medium portions. i was wondering if i could feed them with algea tablets that i have left over from my plecs food.. but im not sure they will eat it or if its even good for them.. so i was going to throw them away but just thought id double check. Also many flakes should i feed the fish and how many times a day. just need a little help on that Thanks!

 

[england]

I would get some cichlid pellets, something like hiraki, look for the small pellets, also frozen bloodworm, frozen prawns, but dont worry about feeding twice aday, feed randomly, for example one day yes/one day yes, miss a day,one day yes,miss a day, only feed once a day, only small wht would be eaten in a couple of minutes, alternating the food aswell, so pellets one time, blood worm another and so on, this way they become used to eating different foods, carry on with the flake aswell, you could try the plec food but unsure if they will take it, also deshelled peas work as a treat once a while

 

[Athena]

My short bodied convicts eat algae wafers. In fact if I plop one in the tank it's quite hilarious as one convict will grab it, the others will swim after it and snatch it away and so it goes on, the wafer being snatched and chased, like they are in a relay championship LOL. Each fish that takes it gets a few nibbles of it before the next one gets it. Sometimes I'll put two wafers in but I prefer to let them share rather than littering the tank with lots of algae wafers.

They love live baby brine shrimp, I think that's their fav food, as well as the bloodworms. I feed mine twice a day, small amounts. They get a good quality flake or crisp food (like Tetra crisps) in the morning and then I vary their evening meal.

As for spawning, gosh, they do it every couple of weeks! Yes, they lay their eggs directly onto the tank floor, which is why they remove the gravel and build a nest. Sometimes they move the nest if they feel threatened (e.g. if you're staring too much, or unsettled them with a gravel vac, or if there are other fish annoying them).

They don't need a cave or slate at all to spawn, although if you have one they will more than likely use it.

They often eat their fry after a few weeks, though (the male is the usual culprit) but when they are producing so many fry on a regular basis you kind of hope that this will happen, anyway, because there isn't a great demand for convicts. I have them in 3 tanks now and have no room for more tanks at the moment.

If your convicts are happy and healthy and being fed good quality foods, they will spawn regularly, no worries.

Athena

 

[Psingh]

My short bodied convicts eat algae wafers. In fact if I plop one in the tank it's quite hilarious as one convict will grab it, the others will swim after it and snatch it away and so it goes on, the wafer being snatched and chased, like they are in a relay championship LOL. Each fish that takes it gets a few nibbles of it before the next one gets it. Sometimes I'll put two wafers in but I prefer to let them share rather than littering the tank with lots of algae wafers.

They love live baby brine shrimp, I think that's their fav food, as well as the bloodworms. I feed mine twice a day, small amounts. They get a good quality flake or crisp food (like Tetra crisps) in the morning and then I vary their evening meal.

As for spawning, gosh, they do it every couple of weeks! Yes, they lay their eggs directly onto the tank floor, which is why they remove the gravel and build a nest. Sometimes they move the nest if they feel threatened (e.g. if you're staring too much, or unsettled them with a gravel vac, or if there are other fish annoying them).

They don't need a cave or slate at all to spawn, although if you have one they will more than likely use it.

They often eat their fry after a few weeks, though (the male is the usual culprit) but when they are producing so many fry on a regular basis you kind of hope that this will happen, anyway, because there isn't a great demand for convicts. I have them in 3 tanks now and have no room for more tanks at the moment.

If your convicts are happy and healthy and being fed good quality foods, they will spawn regularly, no worries.

Athena

Thanks for the reply, im soon getting brine shrimp eggs and making a hatchetry.
but are you sure that "algea tablets" are right for the fish? i thought only plecs eat aglea tabltets.

 

[star4]

Most cichlids love algae wafers I have found. Tetra prima is also another good one, cons like that too, prawns, brine shrimp, bit of cucumber even, I found cons will eat almost anything, the more varied the diet the better

 

[Psingh]

I would get some cichlid pellets, something like hiraki, look for the small pellets, also frozen bloodworm, frozen prawns, but dont worry about feeding twice aday, feed randomly, for example one day yes/one day yes, miss a day,one day yes,miss a day, only feed once a day, only small wht would be eaten in a couple of minutes, alternating the food aswell, so pellets one time, blood worm another and so on, this way they become used to eating different foods, carry on with the flake aswell, you could try the plec food but unsure if they will take it, also deshelled peas work as a treat once a while

Thanks for your reply!. at the moment im not sure if i should buy all these diffrent foods as im not sure if i can afford buying all these. But i dont really know the prices anyway so ill take a look into that. i feed them peas once every 1-2 weeks this clears there imune system. But i dont think i should be feeding them flakes 2-3 times a day should i? at the moment im using flakes only. how many flakes should i put in? until they stop eating? i put about 10 flakes in they will eat them all in a 1-2 min but the thing is the female always looks very fat/ bloated but that usualy goes after a few hours.

Most cichlids love algae wafers I have found. Tetra prima is also another good one, cons like that too, prawns, brine shrimp, bit of cucumber even, I found cons will eat almost anything, the more varied the diet the better

Are algea wafers good for them tho? it may be bad for them?
Thanks for the reply

 

[star4]

Algae wafers are ok they contain minerals, vegetable extracts, crustacuans as well as algae

 

[Psingh]

Algae wafers are ok they contain minerals, vegetable extracts, crustacuans as well as algae

Ok thanks for your help

 

[Athena]

...peas don't "clear their immune system" - they just help prevent the fish getting constipated if they've had a high protein diet, like bloodworms. Any vegetable matter will help do this, which is why I give mine the algae wafers occasionally.

It can be quite an expensive hobby, keeping fish, there's not only the set-up cost and initial stock, but also the various foods, dechlor, sometimes medications that are needed. I think for convicts you do need to have 2 or 3 varieties of food, at least.

So, as you already have flake food and algae wafers, all you need now is to buy some frozen bloodworms and frozen daphnia (or whatever other frozen foods they have) and that will last ages as you only need to feed half a frozen cube every 2-3 days (alternate between the varieties). They don't cost much.

Athena

 

[Psingh]

...peas don't "clear their immune system" - they just help prevent the fish getting constipated if they've had a high protein diet, like bloodworms. Any vegetable matter will help do this, which is why I give mine the algae wafers occasionally.

It can be quite an expensive hobby, keeping fish, there's not only the set-up cost and initial stock, but also the various foods, dechlor, sometimes medications that are needed. I think for convicts you do need to have 2 or 3 varieties of food, at least.

So, as you already have flake food and algae wafers, all you need now is to buy some frozen bloodworms and frozen daphnia (or whatever other frozen foods they have) and that will last ages as you only need to feed half a frozen cube every 2-3 days (alternate between the varieties). They don't cost much.

Athena

Ok thanks, lol i was told is does clear it oh well. Thanks anyway aslong as peas do something lol

 

[Athena]

Perhaps whoever told you meant to say "digestive system" rather than "immune system?" LOL

Well, imagine if you were being fed a steak every day without any veggies, you'd soon have problems "going" haha!

 

[Psingh]

Perhaps whoever told you meant to say "digestive system" rather than "immune system?" LOL

Well, imagine if you were being fed a steak every day without any veggies, you'd soon have problems "going" haha!

Lol they probably said 1 of them not sure LOLL, However... i eat steakks, chicken burgers and loads of fatty crap LOL i dont eat any fruit or veg hardly But am a nice build not fat not skinny , ive got to start eating healthy lol