Preparing for convict babies, what must I know?

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Dormy

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 8, 2011
29
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South Windsor, CT
My convicts laid eggs sometime while I was on vacation (just got back today). There look to be about 100, and this is their first spawn. A few questions for ya.

1. When will they hatch?
2. when free swimming?
3. can I keep feeding the adults cichlid food and count on them to mush it up for the babies or something.
4. If not, what can I get to feed them soon?
5. When do I start feeding them?
6. Must the water be pristine? It is kinda nasty now so should I risk changing it?
7. The parents are hoarding food in a pile near the eggs which is contributing to the bad water quality, scoop out or not?
8. I have 2 pairs in this tank (half of a 55, green terror is on other half) will the second pair of convicts go after the fry of the first pair?
9. Will my filter chew the babies up? (it's a whisper 60)
10. How long should I leave them with parents (I mean to feed them to my pacu and red devil) and will they grow at all in a 5 and 6 gallon tank?
11. Will the wireless signals from my internet inter fear with the babies brain development>??!?!?

TELL MY EVERY FKING THING YOU KNOW ABOUT CONVICT BREEDING!!!
 
Keep an eye on the other fish in the tank as convicts are some of the nastiest fish when they have babies. They are small but they are mean little fish.
 
Other fish will eat the fry. I used to feed mine the baby fish flakes by mixing some with water and then using a turkey baster to get it right by the fry. They should be moving on to baby brine shrimp in a couple weeks though. They will get sucked to the filter tube too. I'd try to get a sponge or something and stick it over the end of the filter so that the fry don't get stuck to it.
 
1. When will they hatch? 2-3 days within being laid........
2. when free swimming?Within 5-7 days.............
3. can I keep feeding the adults cichlid food and count on them to mush it up for the babies or something.NO....Feed baby brine shrimp 3-4 times everyday for the first 5 weeks.............
4.
5. When do I start feeding them?Start feeding BBS(baby brine shrimp) after the yolk sack is fully gone and they start swimming.......
6. Must the water be pristine? It is kinda nasty now so should I risk changing it?50% water changes everday for the first 3 weeks...........
7. The parents are hoarding food in a pile near the eggs which is contributing to the bad water quality, scoop out or not?Yes.....
8. I have 2 pairs in this tank (half of a 55, green terror is on other half) will the second pair of convicts go after the fry of the first pair?Yes...........
9. Will my filter chew the babies up? (it's a whisper 60)Wrap a sponge around the intake...........
10. How long should I leave them with parents (I mean to feed them to my pacu and red devil) and will they grow at all in a 5 and 6 gallon tank?Leave them with the parents and purchase a 20-30g.......The new tank will be used to growout upcoming spawns...........
11. Will the wireless signals from my internet inter fear with the babies brain development>??!?!?No........
 
importracer said:
1. When will they hatch? 2-3 days within being laid........
2. when free swimming?Within 5-7 days.............
3. can I keep feeding the adults cichlid food and count on them to mush it up for the babies or something.NO....Feed baby brine shrimp 3-4 times everyday for the first 5 weeks.............
4.
5. When do I start feeding them?Start feeding BBS(baby brine shrimp) after the yolk sack is fully gone and they start swimming.......
6. Must the water be pristine? It is kinda nasty now so should I risk changing it?50% water changes everday for the first 3 weeks...........
7. The parents are hoarding food in a pile near the eggs which is contributing to the bad water quality, scoop out or not?Yes.....
8. I have 2 pairs in this tank (half of a 55, green terror is on other half) will the second pair of convicts go after the fry of the first pair?Yes...........
9. Will my filter chew the babies up? (it's a whisper 60)Wrap a sponge around the intake...........
10. How long should I leave them with parents (I mean to feed them to my pacu and red devil) and will they grow at all in a 5 and 6 gallon tank?Leave them with the parents and purchase a 20-30g.......The new tank will be used to growout upcoming spawns...........
11. Will the wireless signals from my internet inter fear with the babies brain development>??!?!?No........
Click to expand...

Thanks, but when you say they'll be free swimming in 5-7 days, do you mean 5-7 days after they're wrigglers? Or 2-4 days after they hatch and just wriggle around?
 
If your tank is somewhat decorated, I wouldn't worry. I started with 2 pairs of convicts in a 100 gallon ca/sa setup with oscars, JD, GT last thanksgiving...now there are 20+ of them. I never did anything for them(no special feed, no separation, etc) except my tank decoration was a left over from my mbuna tank(holey rocks).

What are you going to do with the little fish anyway? Most of the stores won't take them...those that do they'll most likely end up as feeders.
 
importracer said:
1. When will they hatch? 2-3 days within being laid........
2. when free swimming?Within 5-7 days.............
3. can I keep feeding the adults cichlid food and count on them to mush it up for the babies or something.NO....Feed baby brine shrimp 3-4 times everyday for the first 5 weeks.............
4.
5. When do I start feeding them?Start feeding BBS(baby brine shrimp) after the yolk sack is fully gone and they start swimming.......
6. Must the water be pristine? It is kinda nasty now so should I risk changing it?50% water changes everday for the first 3 weeks...........
7. The parents are hoarding food in a pile near the eggs which is contributing to the bad water quality, scoop out or not?Yes.....
8. I have 2 pairs in this tank (half of a 55, green terror is on other half) will the second pair of convicts go after the fry of the first pair?Yes...........
9. Will my filter chew the babies up? (it's a whisper 60)Wrap a sponge around the intake...........
10. How long should I leave them with parents (I mean to feed them to my pacu and red devil) and will they grow at all in a 5 and 6 gallon tank?Leave them with the parents and purchase a 20-30g.......The new tank will be used to growout upcoming spawns...........
11. Will the wireless signals from my internet inter fear with the babies brain development>??!?!?No........
Click to expand...

My Carpintis just had fry and they are about 2weeks old and I moved the fry to a 20g. Should I have left the fry with the parents longer? Will the fry Die now?
 
Dormy said:
11. Will the wireless signals from my internet inter fear with the babies brain development>??!?!?
Click to expand...

wait, what?

don't use a cell phone, it will give the fry brain cancer...make sure they use a headset.
 
HackJob said:
wait, what?

don't use a cell phone, it will give the fry brain cancer...make sure they use a headset.
Click to expand...

Lawl. :D Oh, and will brine shrimp hatch fine in an old half gallon OJ container? I know you're suppose to airate it but I don't really care so long as they hatch in the next day, my 100 grandfishkids are starting to swim!!!

And if my shrimp plan falls through will raising babies on guppy flakes be sufficient?? lawl.

PS: They are for feeders
 
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