Breeding Convict Cichlids
and How to Raise the Fry
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This page contains information about how to breed Convict Cichlids and raise the baby fish.
Click
here to go back to
the first page in this
discussion about how to
breed tropical fish. |
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Reply. Hello Robin.
Thank you for sending us
these pictures and
giving us your
permission to use them here. |
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The advertisement, shown below, links to
this advertiser's web site. |
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1. Breeding Pink Convicts
Another good fish to breed is the Pink Convict. Like mollies they are very easy to breed and the babies are hardy and easy to raise. But Pink Convicts are an aggressive
fish, and the details of their breeding are quite different from livebearers such as the Mollies discussed above.
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This is
a Female Pink
Convict that lived
in our facilities for many years. Female Convicts have red on their bellies. This female
has much more red than most Convicts. Male Pink Convicts are usually pink with no red markings.
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A
male and female Pink Convict form a lasting pair and work together to chase the other fish out of their territory. They'll dig in the gravel to form a
pit, or sometimes they'll dig a cave out from under a rock. In the pit or in the cave on the side of a rock they'll lay their eggs, and then carefully protect their eggs from other fish. After
three or four days the eggs hatch into tiny fish fry.
The
best way to get a pair of Pink Convicts is to get six or eight Pink Convicts about 1" to 1.5" long. Put them in an aquarium with at least 20 gallons of water and raise them up. Usually
by the time they have grown to 2", one of the males and one of the females will pair off, work together to establish a territory, chase other fish out of that territory, lay eggs, and raise
their babies. |
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Customer Comments |
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David sent us this picture of one of his pairs of Convicts living in his 44 gallon tank. Looks like a male on the left with a bump on his
head. |
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This picture shows hundreds of eggs that were laid on both the big rock on the left and the smaller red rock on the right at the tip of
the white arrow. |
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I was reading your page on convict cichlids ... and thought I might have a picture you might find fitting for that page.
I have 3 breeding pairs of convict cichlids in a 44 gallon tank -- 2 pairs are nesting fry right now . .and the 3rd pair are guarding a
bed of eggs. Today I snapped a picture of the eggs, as they're layed on a rock right at the front of the tank.
I've attached it and you have my permission to use it on your cichlid page if you see fit. Also attached is a photo of the proud mom
& dad. If you do decide to use it, I'd appreciate if you let me know so I can check it out :))
Take Care
David
G. |
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2. If your Convict Cichlids do not
Spawn.
Here are three things you can do to encourage them.
(1) Change 20% of the water in their aquarium each day. Click
here
for more about changing water in aquariums.
(2) Increase the temperature of the water by 2 degrees F. So for example, if the
temperature is 78, increase it to 80 degrees. This requires only a very slight turn of the dial on the aquarium heater. Do not increase the temperature above 82 degrees F. Click
here
for more information about adjusting aquarium heaters.
(3) Feed more good food to your adult Pink Convicts. Feed them floating flake food and freeze dried blood worms. If you can obtain live or
frozen brine shrimp, feed a few of them each day to your Convicts. If you can get Live Black Worms, feed each of of your Convict Cichlids about 3 worms each day. Click
here
for more about feeding fish. |
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The advertisement, shown below, links to
this advertiser's web site. |
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3. Feed Baby Convicts ...
the very finely powdered fish flake food like the baby Mollies eat. You can make this powered food the same way that was described for baby Mollies. Click
here
for more about making powdered food to feed baby fish.
But
the Convict babies are smaller than Molly babies and will grow faster if fed freshly hatched brine shrimp.
The
adult Convicts are very attentive parents. You'll enjoy watching them care for their babies. Convict Cichlids are members of a group called Neotropical Cichlids. Click
here
for more about Neotropical Cichlids. |
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Click
here
to listen to a discussion titled "Breeding Pet Fish" by
Tom and Nevin Bailey and
professional fish breeder, Steve Corandan. |
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The advertisement, shown below, links to
this advertiser's web site. |
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Click
here to read Customer Comments and our Replies about breeding Convict
Cichlids. |
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Click
here to continue on and read about breeding Mouth Brooding Cichlids.
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