Convict Breeding

[Vicious_Fish]

I recently aquired a free 29 gallon aquarium with all the accessories. I decided that I want to breed convict cichlids to use as feeders and to sell to the LFS's in the area. I bought a male convict and a friend of mine gave me a female offspring from his breeding pair. They seem to be hitting it off pretty good and have already excavated a cave. I have a striped anostomus as a dither fish. My temerature is 80 degrees and my water chemistry looks great. I've never breed cichlids before. So how is my set up? And how many clutches of babies can I expect a year?

 

[MDH]

You'll likely have fry in under a month. The only thing I might add if I were you is a pot turned on it's side, my breeding pair use their's exclusively... I'd expect anywhere from 50 to 200+ eggs their first time around. They could breed as often as every 2-3 weeks (might want to have an action plan for your fry if you plan on selling them to your LFS, as the parents will kill most of them off once they start breeding again). Mine breed once every 2 months or so, every pair is different. Hope that helps!

Other than that, the tank looks great!

 

[Bizzaro]

Hmm i like your male. really light pair tho I'm still hunting down a dark male for my dark female... no luck around town.

 

[Bderick67]

If you siphon out the fry after they are free swinning, and seperate the male and female for about 2 weeks. You can get a clutch about once every 4 weeks.

 

[jusmad]

how can you tell the difference between a male and female convict cichlid? i too would like to breed them to feem my pbass.

 

[AnDr3w]

me too!

 

[Darudist]

Thats a good idea vicious. I used to do that and got .75 a piece from my old lfs. I also think you should throw a half of a clay pot in there for them to breed in. The female convicts have the orangeish sometimes blueish coloring on the belly.

 

[evilxyardxgnome]

thats a huge female.

 

[dougefresh]

thats a huge female.

that female does have some size on her....I think your tank is fine.....maybe add a couple of plants but thats just my taste......I don't think you need anything else, my cons always used to find a place to spawn whether it be on driftwood or on turned rock.......

 

[Vicious_Fish]

The female is only about 2.5 inches long and the male is a little smaller then that.