What is wrong with my convict?

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Community Disorganizer

Community Disorganizer

Candiru
MFK Member
May 18, 2011
313
13
48
Pennsylvania
I have a kenyi and a convict housed together in a 40 breeder. For months, my male convict has been the alpha of the tank. In the past few days though, something has gone terribly wrong. It was like someone flipped a switch and my female kenyi has been challenging the convict alot, and she has come out on top quite a few times. I was even surprised to see my convict swimming away, trying to flee her. But as soon as I turned on the lights for the tank this morning, my convict has been chasing the kenyi away, and is back to being the boss of the tank.

But my concern is, was his mouth damaged by fighting with the kenyi? He won't touch any food that I throw in the tank, food that he used to go absolutely nuts for. But in the past few days, I'm guessing that he killed at least 3 tiger barbs, ate their insides and ripped out their eyes.
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i think he will be fine. The marks on his lips are only from the fighting. Convicts are very tough fish so he should be fine and will heal quickly.
 
Ok, but why isn't he eating? He hasn't eaten in days, so I'm assuming that he killed a few tiger barbs and ate parts of them. Everytime I go to feed the fish, my convict swims in his cave, or is just disinterested.
 
First off your kenyi is a affrican cichild and your con is a CA. Normally they are not meant to be tankmates as their different behaviors often lead to problems like this. I would recommend getting rid of one of the two.

I was say that the stress of fighting and the barbs is why your con has not eaten. But I would watch him very closely and maybe even separate the two fish or get a divider to help with the aggression problems.

Also add in more plants, rocks, and driftwood to help aquascape to break the line of site. This will help with aggression. Good luck.

-Cage
 
cage623 said:
First off your kenyi is a affrican cichild and your con is a CA. Normally they are not meant to be tankmates as their different behaviors often lead to problems like this. I would recommend getting rid of one of the two.
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I am very much aware. I knew there were going to be problems down the road. You see, during the summer an acquaintaence of mine was moving, and he said that he was going to flush his fish down the toilet, so I took a kenyi and a firemouth off of his hands. The convict killed the firemouth, but has lived peacefully with the kenyi since a few days ago.
 
I would look at this not as a freak thing that will pass and more likely as a look at what is yet to come. These two are not going to get along and I would find a new home or bring one into your LFS ASAP. It is great that you saved the fish in the first place though. Too bad that this is what you get for your good deed. Good luck.

-Cage
 
AquaPishFimp said:
African + American means fail

They will kill each other. Convict are tough, but they arent tough when their lips are gone
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Not true. I house a Jack Dempsey and a Blood Parrot with a Protomelas Taeniolatus and a Sciaenochromis Ahli. There is never any aggression problems or fighting. Of course not anyone can house a jack dempsey and BP with these two africans...each fish is an individual...they can be unpredictable...but saying Africans+Americans=Fail is totally untrue. I know many people who house americans with africans with little to no problems.
 
Well I am so attached to that convict. I just put him in my 20 long with a breeding pair of cons. (They are significantly smaller). I had nowhere else to put him. We'll see how it turns out.
 
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