125 gallon reorganization ?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
G

GoneHuntin

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 2, 2011
32
0
6
texas
Ok so my 125 gallon currently has the following in it.
1 - 5 inch male jack dempsey
1 - 3 inch female? green terror
1 - 4 inch tiger oscar
2 pictus cats
1 bristlenose pleco
1 auratus
1 ice blue zebra cichlid
1 bumble bee cichlid

The filtration is eheim 2217 classic, hot magnum pro, penguin biowheel 150.
I am running undersand jets to keep things moving around.
I tested the water before my water change yesterday which are normally 10-12 days apart with change of around 25%.
ammonia - essentially 0 definitely below .25
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 5 ppm

I am considering moving 2 of the 3 africans back into other tank and moving my female convict to the 125.

I would then like to add a male convict to the 125 and let them breed. I dont really expect the fry to survive as i figure the pictus cats, oscar, and dempsey would take care of them. I read horror stories of cons taking on larger fish so I was wondering if the 125 was big enough for them to pair and still leave room for whats already there.

thanks
 
You would be surprised just how mean a breeding pair of Convicts can be and how many of their fry can survive to breed as well. I have seen breeding Convicts take over larger tanks with more aggressive cichlids than you have. Not saying that will happen in your case, but it has happened to others before including myself. Your fish are still small and still have a lot of growing to do. Be careful how much you stock while they are small. Unless you just want to experience having a breeding pair, I think two Cons of the same sex would be much better.
 
I would like to have the experience of a breeding pair, but if things got too crazy in the tank then I would be more than willing to break the pair up and rehome the male. My female is pretty small at the moment at around 2 inches and is living in my 55 with my Africans and couple of pictus cats.
 
Like gruff said, it could work, but I too have seen a breeding pair convicts end up taking over an entire tank because certain fry do not get eaten, which then go on to breed themselves, and so on and so forth.

Just a small observation though--your ammonia readings should never be anything other than zero, not even an extremely low number.
 
well with the ammonia readings...i didnt want to say it was absolutely zero as when i held it up to the paper i couldnt say it was exactly the yellow color of zero but was very very close ....could have been the light. If I see the fry starting to live I will take them out and use as feeders. I am more concerned of the aggression of the original pair and my other inhabitants.
 
I agree with Gruff Master. Inch for Inch, cons are pretty hardcore, specially when they're breeding. I agree with your decision to take out your 2 of your 3 african cichlids, but I would just go and take all 3 out. My preference is that of a purist. All new world cichlids, or all old world. Not that it wouldn't work either but just would be my recommendation. Just be careful in having that pair of cons. A 125 would be worth a shot to do that in.
 
AcsFoolMike;5140775; said:
Like gruff said, it could work, but I too have seen a breeding pair convicts end up taking over an entire tank because certain fry do not get eaten, which then go on to breed themselves, and so on and so forth.

Just a small observation though--your ammonia readings should never be anything other than zero, not even an extremely low number.
Click to expand...

What kind of fish is that in your avatar? Very beautiful BTW
 
Does it have to be convicts? You could still experience a breeding pair of cichlids with something less aggressive.
 
doesnt have to be convicts...if someone can suggest another pair that would work with current stock that would be great
 
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