What fish will eat convict cichlid fry?
- Thread starter Nbiaz
- Start date
In a small tank like a 55 Id just net the excess fry out and cull them. I tried raising convicts for feeders .. some always survived then every tank had convicts.. convicts breeding pair are hardy and nasty IMO .. Ive seen them keep my male dovii away from their nest ..
I agree with Mr Pleco, you need a separate tank with a predatory fish, tonet out the convicts fry to and put in its tank.
It doesn't need to be a cichlid, a predatory group of tetras, gobies or catfish will work.
Some of the main fish that prey on cichlid fry in Central America, are sleeper gobies, and Astyanax tetras, although other cichlids are also in the mix.
Grammodes come to mind, and one might work in its own 75gal.
It doesn't need to be a cichlid, a predatory group of tetras, gobies or catfish will work.
Some of the main fish that prey on cichlid fry in Central America, are sleeper gobies, and Astyanax tetras, although other cichlids are also in the mix.
Grammodes come to mind, and one might work in its own 75gal.
My Carpo knife took a very long time to clean them down to 6. I took the male convict out.
Then the strangest thing occurred. The 6 other convicts, a jewel and 2 African cichlids would guard the fry. I had taken out all decorations, except the hollow rock my Knife sleeps in.
I finally had to just leave the Carpo Knife and the babies and not feed for 2 weeks!! It was stressful not feeding this tank!!
I agree with everyone else, that a separate tank with a predatory fish would be the most likely to work.
If that isn't an option right now, you could try very fast fish such as giant danios. They might be able to sneak some fry from the convicts. The convicts also may eat most of the fry themselves if you leave them with the parents; to prepare for the next batch. Any fry remaining after the point which they should have gone off on their own, are considered to be "duds" by the parents, and are usually eaten to recycle their energy. Of course, some may escape this fate, and some parents are more prone to eating the clutch than others.
If that isn't an option right now, you could try very fast fish such as giant danios. They might be able to sneak some fry from the convicts. The convicts also may eat most of the fry themselves if you leave them with the parents; to prepare for the next batch. Any fry remaining after the point which they should have gone off on their own, are considered to be "duds" by the parents, and are usually eaten to recycle their energy. Of course, some may escape this fate, and some parents are more prone to eating the clutch than others.
