what are some good tank mates for a male convict cichlid in a 55 gallon?

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seriously the supposed fish keeper or breeder of 22 years would have known this or said something unless he was just trying to pawn his mistakes on me.
a normal pleco in a 55 and he can live in there his whole life....yaaa
all these fish are peaceful,yeah until the caes get bigger or the blue gourami doesnt like a new fish like my convict.
yeah theyll all get along.dont worry the gourami will hold his own with the convict.yaaaaa


x2 on the warning labels
 
Community Disorganizer said:
IMO, every LFS that sells CAEs, should attach a warning label on the tank. Kinda like a CD with expletives, or a cigarette package. To many unsuspecting fishkeepers purchase these creatures and wonder why some of their fish die. I mean, a CAE is a living organism; a pet. If you were to buy a dog, you'd want to know if it was mean or aggressive. The same thing for CAEs. You can't count on everybody using the internet to do their homework.
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+1 Pacu
+1 Common Pleco
+1 Red Tail Catfish
... list goes on... lables would reduce sales... just how things go. Best tank mate would me a Female con... its awsome
 
well, off the start you have alot of fish that you shudnt have with a convict, and in a 55, what goes great with convict cichlids is other convicts and dwarf plecos... like a bristle nose
 
jvai said:
lables would reduce sales... just how things go.
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Maybe, maybe not. Do vulgar cd's with parental warning labels reduce sales of them? Do the warnings on cigarette packs reduce sales? If you want something bad enough, you will defy all warnings. If an LFS actually cared about its stock, it would quit selling them or at the very least warn customers about their potential aggression before they buy it. Most chain stores have labels on the red devils that state they are aggressive, has that reduced sales of them? Why can't they do the same with CAE's?
 
jabbajikk said:
well, off the start you have alot of fish that you shudnt have with a convict, and in a 55, what goes great with convict cichlids is other convicts and dwarf plecos... like a bristle nose
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i originally bought the 55 gallon specifically just for the male convict i had and was planning on getting a female.i knew very little of fish when i adopted the rest of the cast of fish that he claimed would do ok with the convicts.i now realize he was just trying to get rid of the fish because he only had a 30 gallon that was gonna be overstocked with the fish i left. i was swayed by him sounding like he knew what he was talking about and denied my gut,which i should have trusted.i did not go out and buy these fish to add to the tank with the convict. when i buy a pet i research the crap out of them then get em. the convict i adopted in a 10gallon from a neglectful owner and that started my fish learning and brought me to this awesome site.

right now i currently have in the tank with the male convict.(i took the pleco,gourami,columbian tetras,and the caes to a lfs)
two ghost cats
two glass fish
three skirt tetras

the convict now completely ignores the other fish in the tank and is more content with watching tv during the day,interacting with me or whoever is near,or scavenging for missed food in the gravel,or investigating every nook and cranny of the tank.

i do plan on getting a bristlenose pleco in two weeks and buying more live plants,some rocks to stack and make caves on one side for the convict and making the other half more for the dither fish with tiny hiding spots,tall plants,floating plants and some half log cave type stuff scattered for the bristlenose to get under and the convict cant.and some driftwood for the pleco to munch on and soften the super hard water i have. i dont plan on getting a female cause the fry would be a hassle and i dont want to introduce my male to a female just to break them up.plus they would more than likely kill every fish in the tank.

i dont think warning labels would reduce the sales but i do believe it would help inform the customer as to what they are getting into, but then again people still buy pets after they know whats going to happen and try to get rid of em or become complacent and let their pet suffer in unsuitable conditions.
 
Community Disorganizer said:
Maybe, maybe not. Do vulgar cd's with parental warning labels reduce sales of them? Do the warnings on cigarette packs reduce sales? If you want something bad enough, you will defy all warnings. If an LFS actually cared about its stock, it would quit selling them or at the very least warn customers about their potential aggression before they buy it. Most chain stores have labels on the red devils that state they are aggressive, has that reduced sales of them? Why can't they do the same with CAE's?
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Got to disagree, Labels like that hurt sales. If a sign was posted " This RTC gets 4-5 feet" you think anyone would buy them? Today chain stores are wiping out the LFS with overhead, I doubt they would post signs discouraging you to buy them. If something sells well ie CAE... is easy to care for, low loss rate, and an easy sell. I don't care how much they love fish, they wouldn't stop selling it let alone tell people not to get them. They care about fish... they care about paying the bills more. At the end of the day, I'm a firm believer in researching fish before you add them, its our responsibility not a petstores.

OP I really think getting your con to breed is a good idea, very rewarding in the hobby to watch your fish breed.
 
it could hurt sales,it might not.
people buy burmese pythons knowing they get over 14' then turn around and try to get rid of em later. i know its not a fish but same thing applies.
none the less i do agree people need to do their research before committing.its irresponsible.luckily my ignorance of these fish i adopted with the used 55gl for my convict have a nice lfs to call home now.

i would love to breed them at least once or twice..my gf would be able to take the mom and some babies and house them when im tired of dealing with the fry.
thats my main concern is dealing with the fry. i dont want to have too many convicts than i could deal with and driving all over arizona dropping off batches of baby convicts.
i also have family complaining "i dont want one or two fish in to look at in the aquarium"
to me id rather have two interesting,seemingly smart fish than a bunch of brain dead dither fish that will never recognize you.
plus i pay for all the fish stuff and take care of them and all i hear is your "convict is the problem,why do the other fish have to go just cause of him".
i guess you cant make everyone happy,and the only ones that really deserve the happiness is my male convict and myself,the caretaker and provider.

a bristlenose pleco would get tore up in a 55 with a breeding pair,correct?
 
well thats a hard one.. you might get lucky as for dealing with fry you can always have fish that will cull them for you that won't get tore up... fire mouth maby?
 
jvai said:
I'm a firm believer in researching fish before you add them, its our responsibility not a petstores.
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I couldn't agree with that statement more. Not to sound argumentative, but when I go into Petco, they have labels on the rainbow shark's card, saying that they are aggressive. People like an aggressive fish. I think being labeled as "aggressive" has helped the sale of the rainbow and red tail, more then hinder them. There's something about that word aggressive; it's almost like a magic buzzword; people seem to be drawn to it, not unlike flies on ****. Again, when I go into a chain store, there's always a bunch of people looking curiously at the aggressive fish; cichlids and others. I only ever see a few children looking at the peaceful fish.

The absolute best thing to ever happen to rainbow sharks and red tails was the aggressive label!

If there were labels on the CAES, I can see a conversation going like this:

kid: I want that fish right there
dad: It says he is really aggressive, and he will kill your other fish
kid: I don't care, I want him!

If people want something bad enough, they will disregard the labels. Labeling a CAE will undoubtedly boost its sales, not hamper them. And at the same time telling the truth about their behavior, which is the important thing.
 
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