How should I thin down the herd?

[Mythic Figment]

Thanks for the input guys. When I initially bought all these, I was hoping to make kind of a biotope nicaraguan crater lake tank. I was also hoping to get a pair. Until yesterday I was pretty sure all the fish, besides 2 convicts were male. I was wrong.... I now have black belt eggs and a pair of fish. Here is what I am currently doing. All the bigger fish, devils, jags, b. belts, are roughly 5-6". The cons are about 2-4" and there are two pairs. I am currently taking to the local fish store 2 of the jags and 2 of the black belts. Ultimately, if I had just the breeding pair of Black Belts and a few cons I think that would look awesome. I want to leave the cons in there for a bit of a breeding food source and if they can hold their own (so far so good) I like the size difference/contrast with the cons against the bigger cichlids. So Currently in the tank I have what I believe to be 1 male 6" jag, 2 male 5" devils, 3 Black belts (2 male 1 female), 4 cons (2 male, 2 female). I am prepared to thin down the heard down the road as they grow. This should hopefully buy me some time though.

Breeding cons have absolutely no problem trying to take on a fish 3-4 times their size. It's the fact that the fish they will be going up against is also breeding and of a similar mentality that will be the cause behind the deaths of all your cons. If you want to breed them for a feeder fish source, rehome a pair to a 20 gallon tank and remove any possible cause for stress.

With your reduced stock, you may be able to maintain them for another month or two before you will need to get rid of more of them. My opinion would be to rehome the third black belt and either the jag and a devil or both devils. If the black belts are really breeding, they will start beating the crap out of the others with your current stock. My option will give them some temporary "peace" until the black belt pair puts on more size and will eventually own that whole tank.


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[SePPii]

BlackBelts are VERY aggressive. Just one is bad enough, can't imagine a breeding pair. Good luck to you but I would get the BBs their own tank, put the 2 reds evils n the jag in the 125. And IMO even the jag and 2 RDs would be pushing it for me.


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[SePPii]

Also agree you should put the breeding pair of cons in their own tanks. They can kill fish triple their size.


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