i want to breed convicts in a 20L, ive never bred anything before...

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loyaluntodeath

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 25, 2006
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bowie maryland
i need all the info i can get! i love first hand experiance so im here asking ya'll! :)

Alrighty, i have a 20L a 20 standerd and a couple 10's i can use for breeding, all have bioweel filters only one of the tanks is set up at the moment, i realy have no idea what im doing or what the tank should be like before i breed convicts, so any advice?

here's the basic information im looking for:
Tank setup IE. what decorations, do i use decorations? Live plants or nothing? Barebottom or gravel? Fine gravel or big gravel? if live plants what kinda live plants? is driftwood good to have in the tank? should there be fake plants instead of live plants? is java moss good? caves? lots of hiding spots or none?

What kind of filtration is best? Over filterd or under filterd? do you do water changes when u have fry in the tank? if so how offten\how much?

What kind of food is best for the parents? What should i feed the fry? how long does it take for the female to get pregnant and lay her eggs? how manny eggs at a time? how many fry do you usualy get? how long does it take for the eggs to hatch? what temperature is requierd to induce breeding?

should i just buy a male and a female about 2" or do i need a larger convict? should i get multiple convicts or just 1 male 1 female?

if i think of more to ask i'll add to it...to any who respond thank you very much for your time and information! :)
 
Hi.

Are you sure it was liters rather than gallons? 20 liters=5 gallons is far too small for a breeding pair of cons.

Convicts are one of the most prolific cichlids and in a community, you'll always find them spawning alot hence my resentment to even buy them again.:D They also often reach 4 inches although many of the adults cons I see are barely 4 inches.

You'll need 20-30 gallons if you want to breed them along with a divider in case fights break out between the pair.

You might want to start buying a male and a female(distinguishable with orange belly) and try to place them in your breeding tank. Be sure to monitor them closely. If they start a fight, put a divider between them and observe them further.
Another option is to buy a group of juveniles and allow them to pair. This is only if you have several times to accommodate the extras.
I must admit I did not always have the time so I buy only a male and a female and place them in my tank with other cichlids. They just spawned right away.:)

You will need to have your tank bare-bottom for hygiene and safety reasons(unless you use sand instead). Sponge filter is your best bet as sponge filters don't suck the eggs or fry so their safety may not be much of an issue. Claypots and fake plants/javan ferns would serve as good items for the breeding tank.

I don't think Javan moss would last long in your tank. I often find cons destructive to live plants so javan ferns are your options.

Cons don't get pregnant. They are egg-layers and will never drop fry like livebearers do. As for the number of eggs, I cannot say how many exactly although from experience, I often have 200-300 eggs as much as I can count. Don't expect this one too much. It will always be different.:)

You may want liquid feed for fry or try this method.
Get a hard-boiled egg. Scrape small bits of egg yolk. Suspend it in a jar of water(about 1/4 filled). Then get a medicine dropper and get some of the water(with egg yolk) and squirt it to a shoal of fry. Be careful not to overfeed. Feed them only when they are free-swimming.
As for the rest of the hard-boiled egg, you have to eat them or it will be a waste of money.:D Of course, you use the clean spoon when scraping them or just your hands(wash them before you touch the egg).

I would only recommend the temp should be 26-28C. Cons will still spawn no matter what your temp is although you should not lower the temp by 24 as cons are tropicals.

The time they hatch depends. Just be patient with them.:)

Good luck.:)
 
20l is a little tight,get a young pair.
sand or gravel doesnt matter.
plastic plants theyll destroy live.
a few rocks here and there to make caves and hiding spots.
keep itclean change 50% of the water once or twice a week
 
20L = 20 Gallon Long, i have a 20 Gallon long, a 20G standerd and a couple 10 gallon tanks, make more sence now? and i am worthless when it comes to converting Celcious to Farenheit, i'll assume you mean 74-82 degrees, or atleast around there... can convicts breed at 2-3 inches? my store gets them in around that size and i could just grab a couple... i think i'll use very fine gravel and stick with regular water changes and a sponge filter

--- just to be 100% sure, when you say sponge filter do you mean those discard-a-filters? the ones where you connect them to an airpump and throw the little sponge thingy in the tank? or one of those aqua-clear sponge filters that cost $40 and are basicly powerheads with sponges attached to them....
 
Convicts were my first fish to breed. I have them running out my ears. I used them for feeders all the time. My parrot cichlids love them, as do many others. Just throw a pair together, they will do the rest.
 
your 20 gallon long will work fine. set up with small size gravel, some plastic plants and 3-4 caves or hidding places. I wouldn't worry to much about the sponge filter right now your bio wheel will do fine also check your LFS you can find some type sponge matrial to put over the intake. Buy a pair of convicts they'll need to be 1-1 1/2 inches the males will have longer fins and the females will show orange coloration on her belly. I you observe the fish at the store you may be able to pick out some that are starting to pair up. Feed good quality flake and some frozen brine and blood worms. do weekly water changes about 20-25%. Also keep your temp about 78-80 dgrees, but add cooler water (65 degrees) with the water changes. This will sometimes get them spawing. Once thy do spawn you may lose the first couple of batches, but this is just them learning to be parents.

Once they spawn put up new posts for more advice.

Good luck and have fun.
 
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