black convicts lay eggs

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

Justice.

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 30, 2008
45
0
0
36
Los Angeles CA
i got 2 black convicts male and female i got them from petsmarts and i got 2 that are the most aggresive ( alpha male & alpha female the male i think is fully grown already and its beautiful with very vivid colors same with the female the female has some nice vivid blue on its fins top and bottom. very beautiful with alot of characteristics i just love them ok now getting to the POINT
tongue.gif


i got them a week before and about the 3rd day the male started making a lot of nests and finally at the 5th day the mama found a nice place to lay her eggs... on the driftwood when i first saw it yesturday i didn't notice till after i cleaned out my filter. i saw the eggs and was really excited and honestly the convicts arent even that aggresive even after they layed eggs my bichers are free to swim around that area. i want to know.

Question 1

when will the eggs hatch?

Question 2

can i feed it frozen brine shrimp when the newly frys hatch

Question 3

should i do water change ? and when ?

Question 4

is it ok if i leave the frys with the parents?

Question 5

should i turn powerhead off?
 
1) Usually 3-4 days, depends based on a lot of factors.

2) Yes, but I would start with something smaller for the first few days (Infusoria, Hikari First Bites, etc). If you start making infusoria now, it should be ready by the time they consume their yolk sac. To make infusoria, just crush some hay, alfalfa, lettuce, etc and put it in a glass of water on a window sill. When the water turns green, you have infusoria. (Should take a day or 2).

3) I would do about 10-15% a day, no gravel vac, and make sure the water going in is as close to the water coming out as possible. I just stick a utility pump in the very top and then put the pump in the water going back in, this makes it fairly gradual and gentle.

4) You can leave them with the parents, who will guard; or you can take them and put them in a tank by themselves. I have found that artificially raised fry seem to have a higher survival rate (about 90%) as opposed to leaving with parents (40-50%).

5) Can't hurt anything. They need some current, to build up muscles, but not a lot seeing as their muscles aren't very big.

Personally, I would take the eggs out before they hatch and put them in a 10g or 20gL. Barebottom with an air-pump driven sponge filter. This way you can keep accurate counts and clean up everything. Start feeding infusoria 2-3 times a day (not much, remember how small these guys are) about 24hrs after birth (they won't eat it before that), then BBS and First bites (it has more veggie matter in it) for the next few weeks. Then when they get big enough feed them like your other fish... just less.

ps, your pic code is mistyped.
 
To make infusoria can you just put like lettuce in water and keep it out side for couple days would that work? should i leave the top open or closed too?
 
I have never put a top on, as long as the whether is semi warm you should be fine. If it is cold leave it inside on a window sill.
 
Convicts do better when kept with thier parents. Watching the mum and dad heard the fry around the tank is one of the many joys of fishkeeping. You'd be suprised when I say that convict fry will eat crushed flakes and frozen baby brine shrimp from thier first day of free swimming. They eat it no worries and I feed it to every single one of my convict batches. The infusoria idea is just a waste of time when the fry could be feeding on something more nutritious for them.
 
my pair also laid eggs last night i just put in some rosy reds as food should i remove them prior to the hatch

i have a 55g lightly planted tank
 
ha aint that a *****? after the 3rd day my eggs disapeared im assuming that male convict ate them the female is making a new nest
 
i have baby convicts too, so to make infusoria you just put lettuce in a jar of water and let it sit in the sun ?
 
ha i thought they have ate thier eggs but after the eggs where gone for a day the mom was digging a nest on the corner of my tank and then i put a vace in because the nest aint working good so the nest day i see her inside the vace and i see little fry eating thier yock sack ha! gotcha im happy with the outcome it was a success the next day the parents let the frys out of the vace but at night when they know im gonna turn off the lights they put them back in the vace ill let you know the progress of the frys
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom