What To Add With My Convicts?

[mattb22]

Hi,
I have a 4 ft tank tank with 2 adult convicts in and just wanted to know what other cichlids that I can add to this, the full dimensions are 48"x18"x12". Looking for any suggestions please. I recently found a brilliant new LFS nearby and the red devil cichlid caught my eye but i hear these grow to 14" the one in the shop was around 10".

Thx mattb22

 

[Dany]

you cant keep a red devil cichlid in this tank! with convicts you choices are limited as they are very aggressive and will probably kill any other that enters the tank. really your looking for a fish 8" + with convicts but you cant do this your size tank. if you were to rehome your convicts you could possibly get flyer cichlids or firemouths,possible a pair of discus (IM TALKING ABOUT SEPERATLY AND NOT ALL OF THEM,PICK ONE.) or a few dwarf cichlids like german blues,balovians..? or just keep the convicts with maybe a plec or something.
dany

 

[vancouver]

If the convicts aren't a pair and spawning, you could try a parrot cichlid, or a severum. If you were to get a parrot or sev, be sure to get one that is larger then your convicts. Jewel cichlids are pretty aggressive (like convicts), and I've had them in a 55g tank without problems. If either decide to spawn, you will run into aggression problems for sure. When 2 of my jewels paired up and spawned in my 55g tank, the convicts' fins and tail had nips out of them.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Your tank works out to just over 40 UK gallons. With that In mind I wouldn't recommend adding anymore Cichlids, especially a Red Devil. The only thing I can think of even possibly trying, and this would be a long shot, would be some fairly fast, decent sized Tetra - Columbians, Bueno Aires, Black Widows, Serpae Tetra. A good sized shoal of them might be ok, but I can't promise anything. Certainly no more Cichlids though.

 

[vancouver]

Convicts dont like black skirts... I know from experience.. I had probably 20, and in about a month I ended up with 1. That was in a 55g tank with 1 2'' convict that was in there temporarily.

 

[freddyk]

If you add another cichlid one of two things can happen - the new one will take over and make it a lousy home for the convicts, or the convicts will kill whatever is introduced. Unfortunatley one of the sacrifices of having a pair of convicts is that you're giving them the tank. If you would like a community with more types of fish they were the wrong choice.

 

[mattb22]

Well I was sort of hoping for a tank with a few varieties of new world cichlids ... but from what you guys have told me it aint lookin good

 

[AngelicGreenTerror]

Well I was sort of hoping for a tank with a few varieties of new world cichlids ... but from what you guys have told me it aint lookin good

You can, but I'd add tons of decorations and hiding spots and add in possibly a firemouth or another species of cichlid that doesn't grow large. You could also add another pair of convicts if you wanted to.

 

[Spencer Pike]

You could keep severums, blue acuras, jack dempseys, green terrors, pikes, firemouths, red terrors, oscars, and parrot fish (not the hybrid kind). Those are some good fish to look at.

 

[Rust]

I have 5 blood parrots in a 60g with my BREEDING pair of 4-5" convicts, they are all tough fish and as long as they keep away from the convicts log ever thing is fine. so a blood parrot could be and option.