Hybrid,
Have you tried cutting a wax worm into 4-8 pieces for feeding fry? With my convicts, 2-8mm wrigglers would actually drag around the chunks. They break down into perfectly sized filaments, and are full of fats and protein. (Read - a bit messy) What didn't get attacked, the parents would chew and spit, or just eat - provided the fry were in a cloud of food.
I always started my fry by shaking a small amount of flake in a water bottle with tank water, and pouring it into a 1/2" cpvc water line approximately 2ft long directly in the fry group. You then just pour a bit more tank water into the pipe slowly, and it puts a cloud of food directly onto the fry. (It also keeps the parents happy - they attack the pipe) I've never fed my fry brine shrimp, so I can't compare growth rates there.
To anyone with picky fish - Let the parents raise a brood to an inch or so. My convicts were initially so picky about food I could drop in a different brand, and they'd sit at the glass looking at me like I'd worn a GWAR t-shirt to church. The moment their young started attacking anything and everything in the tank - they dropped pretenses and started eating like they lived for it. Competition brings out the best in them.
vnzlnboardguy;3945202; said:
I am planning on breeding some convicts. I have never raised any fish, but I feel that the fry shouldn't be in a tank with the filter. My question is can I have a filter running with new fry in the tank? I think the answer is no but I'm not sure.
It's more a question of preference. In a tank where the filter intake is a few inches from the bottom, you might not have issues. Convicts are serious about parenting - they'll keep their fry in tight groups at the bottom. If you're worried - take a spare filter sponge/pad, and tie/zip tie it to the intake. Out of several spawns, I've rarely found any fry on the intake or stuck to the media. (This is in a well planted/decorated 29 with plenty of areas away from the intake - a bare 5-10gal wouldn't work out as well.)
n0n4m3;3960327; said:
Would I be able to raise convicts in simple plastic containers. Just bare containers, no sand, plants or would they need hiding places to lay eggs?
Knowing convicts - they'll probably breed just to overstock the containers and piss you off.
A fish safe ceramic saucer/pot/rock/decoration with a tunnel is the most they'll require. In a bare tank, you might want to place them in an area they won't see much movement - the lack of cover will keep them anxious.
sashimimaster;4053270; said:
Can I just remove the eggs from the parents before they're hatched and into a grow out tank? It would be a lot easier than trying to suck up babies.
A cycled 5-10 gallon tank with a spongefilter, parent tank water, and gentle water movement would likely turn out just fine. If you want to remove the spawn area, consider keeping several identical pots/saucers/etc. That way you can put a fresh one back in the same place to maintain their territory.
If you screw up - They'll quickly provide you with a new batch to try out.
scottswald;4072093; said:
i only have 1 small tank spare, a 22.5 gallon. i would really like to do convict cichlids but i was wondering what i would do with just the 1 tank?
also, do you guys put the correct amount in for 1 serving or is it possible to put more in and let them pick them off 1 by 1 as they want?
The 22.5 will get crowded quickly. To get a breeding pair, you might need to start with a female and 2-3 slightly larger males to encourage competition. Once they're paired and defending a spawn, consider feeding the other males to your predators. The young will grow slowly in the crowded tank, and you'll need to do more water changes to maintain water quality - but they'll still grow out.
Throwing in a few more than the normal feeders isn't out of the question for either if you stay on top of water changes/tank cleanings. Convicts are survivors. Odds are you'll accidentally toss in a 1" male and female and wind up wondering why in the world your pirahna are cowering in a corner while their dinner spawns on the other side.
Sorry for the Wall o' Text.
