55 Gallon Cichlid Suggestions

[Slickmullet]

Considering starting another cichlid tank...would a pair of mated convicts and fire mouths work? I'd like the potential for feeders as well?

 

[Gourami Swami]

a pair of each could work, might have some aggression issues but if you do it right with open space in the middle and décor on each side so that one pair claims each side it is worth a shot. Feeders are always a bad idea, they carry diseases and are not a healthy diet anyway, mostly consist of fat.

 

[Slickmullet]

I meant the convicts and fire mouth fry would be feeders.

 

[tlindsey]

I meant the convicts and fire mouth fry would be feeders.

A pair of Convicts will breed like rabbits lol.

 

[Slickmullet]

I know they will just curious if any of the fry will survive long enough to be feeders.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

A pair of convicts in a 55 would slaughter a pair of firemouths.

 

[MrsE88]

Since cons are so prolific, why not just keep a pair and call it good? That should give you plenty of fry for feeders. Right?

 

[Slickmullet]

Sounds good. Any other tankmates that will leave the fry alone?

 

[Gourami Swami]

The convicts will force the other fish to leave the fry alone. I would take the fry out once they are free-swimming if you want them to survive and grow to feeder size, the cons will eat them to clear room for a new batch pretty quickly. I think your best bet for tankmates would be very fast fish like giant danios. Stanzz is right, convicts are brutal. You would have better luck as far as tankmates go if you were to keep Honduran red points instead of common convicts. in my experience they are less aggressive

 

[cichlidfish]

A pair of convicts in a 55 would slaughter a pair of firemouths.

Agree with this.

OP if you are breeding for feeders why do you want firemouths and convicts?

Just do convicts, firemouths are harder to breed. Maybe add some swordtails and let them breed too.