I just purchased a pair of convicts. Unfortunately despite there being 2 obvious breeding pairs in the tank as soon as the net hit the water I had to settle for 2 random fish from the school of 20 or so. They placed the fish in the same bag and I drove home (2 hrs). When I put the fish in my tank the female was missing most of the scales on the rear third of her body and the male is still mecilessly picking on her (I am getting a tank divider as soon as I post this but she may not make it anyway). Is this normal for cons? I thought that as long as one was male and the other female they would pair off, or so I have been led to beleive. What happened here?
Kubli con!
- Thread starter Diamondhitch
- Start date
I'd not heard of it happening too often, but at the stores around here, if you're getting two cichlids that may be sexually mature, they would have put them into seperate bags...especially if the store keeper didn't think that they were a mated pair. Sorry to hear about your troubles, good luck with the divider, and the waterchanges and melafix. Hope we see pic's of two happy healthy cons soon.
Oh, ps, nice topic name. I had a female that I named Shaka Con, and as an old fan of mortal combat, I have thought of naming my fast growing male Shao Con...or maybe Genghis Con
Oh, ps, nice topic name. I had a female that I named Shaka Con, and as an old fan of mortal combat, I have thought of naming my fast growing male Shao Con...or maybe Genghis Con
tripped out. long ride. tough luck really.
not to be harsh or anything but i would always make sure to get the fish i want out of a sales tank at the lfs, especially if it's a two hour trip. hope the divider makes it in time, things get sorted out between the two.
not to be harsh or anything but i would always make sure to get the fish i want out of a sales tank at the lfs, especially if it's a two hour trip. hope the divider makes it in time, things get sorted out between the two.
For the record I always choose my fish for myself but in this case picking out the mated couples was not going to happen after they all schooled together. I know I got one of the 2 females that was preparing to spawn, she had lots of red in her dorsal fin and no other female did. the males however all looked the same so I just took one that looked healthy.
Anyway, she seems to be doing OK now. melafix & isolation to the rescue! I didnt think she would pull through, when I originaly posted she was having some balance issues in the current from the filter. She still looks rough but she is agressively feeding now anyway.
As for the future husband he has stripped the fins and scales off of the last remaining feeders and is starting in on the 9" Pleco (who is just there for quarantine)! I think he may just be a very agressive natured fish. The problem that still remains is how do I go about reintroducing these two without having a repeat performance? (after a complete recovery that is).
Well I guess he isnt all bad. I was set on taking him back after work the day after the female was introduced the second time. I left the divider with the hole in it in the tank for the day and to my suprise when I got home they were getting along just fine! I left the divider in but now the female spends most of her time with him and he courts her constantly and they have dug a nest!!! So I guess I may have overreacted a bit on this one. (the divider is still staying in the tank until after they raise their first batch of fry though!) She is getting realy vibrant red on her belly and vibrant red and green on her dorsal and anal fins now, does that mean she is getting close to being ready to spawn?
IME the more colorful the female the more likely she will be laying eggs immediately.
Good luck bro!
Good luck bro!