# My convict is biting the fins of other fish



## BenjaminK (Jan 11, 2009)

I have been noticing that my convict bugs my oscar. Today I just noticed the oscar has some bites out of his fins. The convict is 1-2 inches right now, and the oscar is 3-4 inches. What should I do?

This might seem like a newbish question, but this is my first cichlid tank.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

How big is the tank? If it's under 55g there isn't enough room for your fish , even then it won't hold them for long . Some Cons are more territorial than others and yours may fall into that . If so then the Oscar will be seen as a perpetual intruder and the Con will harass him constantly trying to defend His territory. The easiest answer maybe to rearange the tank so that you breakup the territories that are currently established. Long term a larger tank(unless you already have one  ) will be in oder since the Oscar will easily get to 10" and a male con can hit 6" in length. Also it will give the fish more "personal space" making conflict much less likely, unless you have a psyco Convict .


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## BenjaminK (Jan 11, 2009)

I have a 120 gallon. I just rearranged the tank last week when I added the oscar, but I was thinking about rearranging it again this weekend. There are also two JDs in there, but they don't bother anyone, and no one bothers them.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Sounds like you have a Convict with a napoleon complex :lol: . If rearanging doesn't work then you might have to remove the Con. There is the possibility that the Oscar will get fed up with the Con and put it in its place, but with that much space you really shouldn't have that kind of problem just yet with a 1-2" con. Bigger one maybe but not one that size in a 120.You could try adding some dithers to the tank (bigger than the Oscar or Dempseys can eat) to try and redirect some of the cons aggression away from the other Cichlids.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Here's what a lot of people do not consider... Oscars and cons are like apples and oranges. A 2" convict will be twice if not three times older than a 4" oscar. Age has a lot to do with pecking order... It will be three months before the oscar has the ba!!s to turn on the convict... Remove the con for a few weeks, let the oscar settle in "stress free". Then re-introduce and see what happens...


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## BenjaminK (Jan 11, 2009)

The oscar does turn on the convict and nip at it though, but I'm not really sure if you would consider that "turning on it". The convict just seems to sneak up on it and take a nip. I'll see what all happens this weekend. They've been together for a week now, and I just noticed it today.

I just rearranged the tank, so I'll see what happens.

And for dithers, I still have 8 tetras in there, and no one seems to bother them.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Well, when I mean turn on him, I mean the con will be up cowering in a corner peeing its pants! LOL


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## BenjaminK (Jan 11, 2009)

Haha, alright. If things don't work out this weekend, then I guess I'll have no choice but to seperate him.

where the oscar was bit, nothing bad can happen, right? Like, no infections or anything? My water conditions are great.

Thanks for your help!


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

As long as you're keeping up on the water changes then he'll heal almost as fast as it happened. Young oscars are resilient and bounce back from torn or nipped fins quickly. Mostly because they grow so fast  Now if the damage is to the root it will more than likely not heal...


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## BenjaminK (Jan 11, 2009)

well, it's not to the root, so everything should work out great


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