Male, Female, Water...that's all. How long have you been waiting? It took about a month for my pair to start breeding.
What influences convict breeding?
- Thread starter CHOMPERS
- Start date
rallysman;594494; said:
...to simulate the monsoon season in the amazon
Great idea. You would think there would be some information out there on the net about this but everything there is on breeding convicts is "just add water". Great line for laughs but unfortunately most sites stop there. 
I know a rapid change such as dumping a bucket of cold water in there will do more harm than good, but I am wondering if there is anything magical in the rate of change. Like super fast is bad and super slow is useless...That magical happy medium just needs to be found. I am going to start keeping notes on these guys and I'll post anything significant.
Tanks!
CHOMPERS;595517; said:...to simulate the monsoon season in the amazon
I know a rapid change such as dumping a bucket of cold water in there will do more harm than good, but I am wondering if there is anything magical in the rate of change. Like super fast is bad and super slow is useless...That magical happy medium just needs to be found. I am going to start keeping notes on these guys and I'll post anything significant.
Tanks!
In my experience this is true.
I can pretty much tell myself "I think I need another batch".
Then during my normal water change, I lower the new water by 3-4 deg. and 2 days later I got a new mess of eggs. I think they're thinking "Rainy season, better get busy".
AquataHolic420;594499; said:
Very good info! They are in a custom 15g breeder tank with a filter for a 30g. Yes, too small to have other fish in there. I brought my fish indoors (long story) for the winter and three of my swordtails gave birth. They are occupying my non-drilled tanks. As soon as I get off the net, I am going to empty their tank of tank mates. They have three caves to choose from but they have settled on one and occasionally use anoter one as a temporary home.
Tanks.
When I first got my 6 cons the were interested at first in breedin in my 10 gallon quarintine tank so i figured why not,As soon as I removed the others the had their first batch at about 1 inch in a 10 gallon!
So my advise is to remove the others and just like youve read just add water and BOOM instant breeding.Hope this helped!
So my advise is to remove the others and just like youve read just add water and BOOM instant breeding.Hope this helped!
If they are all in that 15.. How long is it?
I would leave only the pair that is established in it.. Though you probably have had them lay if they've staked their territory.. Also in my personal opinion the water change schedule you are using works really well for Harder to breed Americans.. Though In my opinion i would cut down that schedule to once a week.... And feed Once a day at most .. I just had fry and I am a believer in over feeding is a very simple way to stop your fish from wanting to breed
Strictly my opinion though.. Due to the fact that we over feed fish in aquaria PERIOD Since the hatch I have fed once a day .. though i believe it was every other day before.. And too as stated above if you are not getting results pull the male and place a new male with the female..
To add to this I have read many things over the past 10 years on Convicts and the most common is that when you have a pair it is best to give that pair at least 3 cubic feet of territory
But to contradict that My Uncle had like 6 full grown males and about 15 females and FRy in a 30
and they bred and bred and bred!! I never understood it but there are exceptions..
But once again My suggestions
1-Pull the other non paired fish..
2-Cut the water changes to once a week (and at most 20-40 % AT MOST 40%)
3-feed once a day or every other day (I like frozen brine and high quality flake but even just one will do)
4-Lights keep them on for 12-14 hours Don't worry about the algae if it grows it is NOT bad Infact is natural and helps with your Nitrates not significantly but still (you already knew that though )
5-If your pair doesn't lay inside of 2 weeks pull the female.. get another.. If they lay and don't succeed at first let them lay again... If this does not succeed get a new male
This is all strictly from My own personal experience with this sp. and some stuff I read and cannot give you roots to the reading quotes...
I would leave only the pair that is established in it.. Though you probably have had them lay if they've staked their territory.. Also in my personal opinion the water change schedule you are using works really well for Harder to breed Americans.. Though In my opinion i would cut down that schedule to once a week.... And feed Once a day at most .. I just had fry and I am a believer in over feeding is a very simple way to stop your fish from wanting to breed
Strictly my opinion though.. Due to the fact that we over feed fish in aquaria PERIOD Since the hatch I have fed once a day .. though i believe it was every other day before.. And too as stated above if you are not getting results pull the male and place a new male with the female.. To add to this I have read many things over the past 10 years on Convicts and the most common is that when you have a pair it is best to give that pair at least 3 cubic feet of territory
But to contradict that My Uncle had like 6 full grown males and about 15 females and FRy in a 30
and they bred and bred and bred!! I never understood it but there are exceptions..But once again My suggestions
1-Pull the other non paired fish..
2-Cut the water changes to once a week (and at most 20-40 % AT MOST 40%)
3-feed once a day or every other day (I like frozen brine and high quality flake but even just one will do)
4-Lights keep them on for 12-14 hours Don't worry about the algae if it grows it is NOT bad Infact is natural and helps with your Nitrates not significantly but still (you already knew that though )
5-If your pair doesn't lay inside of 2 weeks pull the female.. get another.. If they lay and don't succeed at first let them lay again... If this does not succeed get a new male
This is all strictly from My own personal experience with this sp. and some stuff I read and cannot give you roots to the reading quotes
...Tanks Everyone for the help and advice. I have made the changes. The tankmates are in their own tank (I wish I left the pink female in the original tank though). I split the water with one of the other 15g tanks and slowly filled them with cooler water. I have reduced the temp by three degrees and turned off the heater for now. I'll recheck the temp in the morning.
If this doesn't work I'll get the Luther Vandross music and fish porn.
If this doesn't work I'll get the Luther Vandross music and fish porn.
Tongue33;595657; said:If they are all in that 15.. How long is it?
I would leave only the pair that is established in it.. Though you probably have had them lay if they've staked their territory.. Also in my personal opinion the water change schedule you are using works really well for Harder to breed Americans.. Though In my opinion i would cut down that schedule to once a week.... And feed Once a day at most .. I just had fry and I am a believer in over feeding is a very simple way to stop your fish from wanting to breed
To add to this I have read many things over the past 10 years on Convicts and the most common is that when you have a pair it is best to give that pair at least 3 cubic feet of territory
But to contradict that My Uncle had like 6 full grown males and about 15 females and FRy in a 30
But once again My suggestions
1-Pull the other non paired fish..
2-Cut the water changes to once a week (and at most 20-40 % AT MOST 40%)
3-feed once a day or every other day (I like frozen brine and high quality flake but even just one will do)
4-Lights keep them on for 12-14 hours Don't worry about the algae if it grows it is NOT bad Infact is natural and helps with your Nitrates not significantly but still (you already knew that though )
5-If your pair doesn't lay inside of 2 weeks pull the female.. get another.. If they lay and don't succeed at first let them lay again... If this does not succeed get a new male
This is all strictly from My own personal experience with this sp. and some stuff I read and cannot give you roots to the reading quotes
