# Tank size/convicts



## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

Do you think it would be possible to have a few (5) Africans in with some corydora's or other peaceful fish if there was enough space in the tank, or would they just chase em down? 8'Lx18"Wx30"H?

Also...anyone know if there is a way to keep a two convicts without having them spawn, and if not, which of the two is less aggressive? was thinking the female would be the keeper out of the two. They have been doing the mating dance ever since I put them in the tank and I do NOT want a convict farm. :?


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

get two females if u want two cons with no breeding. Depends on which africans u want to keep with the corys.....what africans are you looking at housing them with?


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

Sorry about that, suppose it would help.

Labidochromis Caeruleus x1
Pseudotropheus Acei x1
melanochromis auratus x1
and a convict cichlid

pics Here

Was also considering just getting a smaller tank for the aggressive and making my big tank into a giant peaceful fish tank. A 55g should be adequate for just those 4 and a pleco right?

Also I dropped the temp to 74 and they seem to have lost interest in each other so...its a temp fix while I look for another solution (a LFS said they would take it no problem, but I am hesitant as they had a few tanks with massive amounts (30+) of dead fish, and the fish were still for sale... :-? )


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## Mikey13 (Apr 1, 2008)

Is it okay to keep a SA convict with Africans?


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

well the person I got them from had close to 20 convicts with these 3 Africans, and now that it is the 3 with just two they don't even seem to acknowledge each other, I am thinking the convicts can hold their own...but if it could be a problem in the future from your experiences please let me know. After having my poor test subjects in the tank for a day (I put one clam and and 1 trapdoor snail in the tank yesterday to make sure they got along before I put them all in and the clam was fine, but the snail cant come out of his shell without being harassed and nibbled on...oddly enough its the cichlids and not the loaches that are the problem) I am most likely going to get a tank just for the 4 cichlids (still dont know if I am keeping the male or female..waiting on some input, definitly not keeping both) but I dont know what size would be needed for the 4 of them plus a pleco....the two plecos are rumbling with each other daily and overall it would seem to just make sense to get another tank, just need to know the ideal size...hoping a 55-75g would work...smaller if possible?


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

so maybe im not understanding what ure asking. From the opriginal post i got question 1: can i keep africans with corys and question 2: how to keep cons from breeding. So are u asking if u can keep cons with the africans as well?


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

Sorry I'm quitting smoking so I am a little scattered this week....

Here it goes.
Decided to get a separate tank for the 4 cichlids and one of my pleco's. 
Labidochromis Caeruleus x1
Pseudotropheus Acei x1
melanochromis auratus x1
and a convict cichlid

All I want to know- Minimum tank size for them to live happy.

Again I apologize for being unclear/slightly grumpy.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

i would advise not keeping the cons with the africans theyre dietary needs are different where the con likes a protein rich diet and the mbuna for the most part rely on more of a plant diet. It can be done but not the best situation for the fish IMHO. I would also not recommend keeping auratus in a 55G based on how aggressive they can be. Also 4 fish will be very understocked for a 55G so aggression will be a problem because there arent many fish to share all the aggression from dominant males or females....id advise u choosing first wether u want to do SA, CA, or African cichlids then we can get some ideas of what exact fish you maybe want to stock it with.


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

That is the strange thing though, I keep hearing that they cant be kept together...but when I got them they were all from a 55g, with close to 30 other convicts. Not saying it was right, just saying it happened, and they get along fine right now. the convicts and the syno are the most peaceful ones in the tank ATM.

As far as stocking goes, I am only allowed to get more fish if they are free, at least for a few months...I make the money, she makes the rules... 

but she is a fan of getting another tank for them. Would you suggest one tank for the auratus (named jerkface) and another one for the blue and yellow(they get along great)? possibly a 10-20G for each? Honestly it is out of the question for me to dedicate a 55G+ to one small fish. I'd rather let the pet store handle that.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

im sure mixing them works, but its relly not wats best for the fish in the long run. What species do u have and what size tanks do u currently have to work with ?


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

I have a 200G and a 29G. Moved most of them into the 29 temporarily and have given them LOTS of stuff to hide in, and actually they are getting along great. Skunk loaches and the syno are still the bosses. This is just a temp fix until I can get a larger tank, or at least a different one. Running low on funds this month.

Had to get them out as the temp is dropping quick and I am going to lose my inverts in my pond if I don't get em out soon. They arent looking too bad I dont think...









The cloudiness is from the sand being stirred up when I moved the rocks in.

Bought a 60G at a LFS used...for $60. got it home and I may as well of just put the water hose on the floor. Massive leaker, so I gotta return it...or reseal it. Thoughts on that? has a POS stand, and a glass lid that is cracked in several places. get a new lid and reseal or just return it?


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

idf just return it and get a deal on eba or craiglist :thumb: and i really still am unsure as to what answers ure tryin to get :-?


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

aji1217 said:


> Sorry I'm quitting smoking so I am a little scattered this week....
> 
> Here it goes.
> Decided to get a separate tank for the 4 cichlids and one of my pleco's.
> ...


Just used my best guess within my budget. Will be looking at craigslist for anything else that may come up in the near future (got my 200G for $300 on CL)

Thanks for the help/advice! will keep you posted if anything interesting happens![/i][/u]


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

so what will you be housing the mbuna in then why did u say u were gonna have a tank with one fish in it?.....mbuna are harem breeders they like multiple females per male of a certain species depending on what tank size u have will let u have a select number of species of various sizes....i think u should figure out what direction u want to go with the tank you will be getting have u looked at the cookie cutter cetion in the library yet?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Mikey13 - Convicts are Central American cichlids, and the water parameters in much of that region aren't remarkably different than Lake Malawi.



BRANT13 said:


> i would advise not keeping the cons with the africans theyre dietary needs are different where the con likes a protein rich diet and the mbuna for the most part rely on more of a plant diet. It can be done but not the best situation for the fish IMHO.


Specifically, it is said that many mbuna feed on the aufwuchs, the contains diatomous unicellular algae, but also microorganisms, insect nymphs and larvae, crustaceans, mites, snails and zooplankton.

How those species utilize the aufwuchs differs greatly. Labidochromis caeruleus for example is an aufwuchs picker, selecting the insects, and crustaceans mostly, making them primarily carnivores, that accidentally ingest the algae material. Ps. acei is more in the middle ground in utilizing the aufwchs, but is also known to feed on the clouds of plankton in the lake. Call them omnivores. The Melanochromis auratus is the closest to a herbivore in the group, but they and all species will consume the microorganisms and insect larvae too.

When it comes to mixing species, a good commercial cichlid food, such as a high quality flake, or pellet often make mixing possible where people wouldn't in the past.


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

They get fed a mix of flakes, cichlid pellets, snails, and algea wafers, and they munch on the plants and the natural algae as well. None of them seems unhealthy or unhappy.

The auratus keeps to jimself..seems happy to just hang out in whatever cave he has decided is his for the moment and chase off anyone that comes close, the other two just like to run around the tank with each other, and get along really well, frequently playing with each other. The convicts just wander the tank. The Skunk loaches just hang out and pick on anyone they feel like, and the syno is just content being a goofball.

Eventually I will be getting a larger tank and probably more Mbuna's, but right now I am at max capacity.


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