# Tank mates for convict in 75 gallon



## dwl0222 (Mar 6, 2011)

I will be settin up a 75 gallon in te next couple weeks and my favorite cichlid is the convict. I would like to get a pair but know they breed like crazy and also can seriously limit your stocking capabilities. So I think I'll stick with a single male. I know it's an open ended question but I am open to suggestions. What direction should I go from here? I will be running a aqueon 55 and a canister filter that I have yet to purchase. Thanks for the help!!!


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## Steffano2 (Jan 11, 2007)

Go for Salvini they will eat the fry when they can are just as scrappy as the convicts in breeding mode. Plus they don't get that huge either, just a suggestion.


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## SEAN420 (Nov 24, 2011)

you can get a male firemouth as a tank mate.. depending on how big your male is though.. he might not be too accepting if already a certain size... also might want to re-arrange your tank when u add the new fish so the convict is a little confused ..


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## Fatal (Jan 15, 2012)

Steffano2 said:


> Go for Salvini they will eat the fry when they can are just as scrappy as the convicts in breeding mode. Plus they don't get that huge either, just a suggestion.


Salvini like their Ph around 8.0 where Convicts like it around 6.8. Probs not for the best to have them together.


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## Fatal (Jan 15, 2012)

Despite what people say i don't think Convicts are that aggressive, Iv'e had a pair of them in my 30 gallon tank and they produced a fair bit, they were never that aggressive towards other fish. They only chased them away if they came too close. I think you could get at least 4-6 other Cichlids in that tank. As long as your Convicts are the only pair, and the others are single.


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## sjwrx (Apr 15, 2009)

Fatal said:


> Steffano2 said:
> 
> 
> > Go for Salvini they will eat the fry when they can are just as scrappy as the convicts in breeding mode. Plus they don't get that huge either, just a suggestion.
> ...


Most fish these days are captive bred and have been kept at LFS, and are most likely adapted to the slight difference.

I've had my fair bit of experience of convicts, it varies, i've had some pairs that are slightly less agressive where as i had a pair that took over half of my 75g when spawning, and had no problem confronting fish 5 times their size.


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## Steffano2 (Jan 11, 2007)

Fatal said:


> Steffano2 said:
> 
> 
> > Go for Salvini they will eat the fry when they can are just as scrappy as the convicts in breeding mode. Plus they don't get that huge either, just a suggestion.
> ...


Last time I checked the fish didn't read the book, so don't fear issues with Ph in most cases. :fish:


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## Peskaroosh (Nov 10, 2011)

If you like this idea , keeping 3 or 4 convict males in your tank is ok as long as there are no females ( doesnt matter the species ) to eliminate pheromones in the water .


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## dwl0222 (Mar 6, 2011)

Actually i do love the idea of a pair of convicts and maybe 3-4 other cichlids. Maybe a jd, blood red parrot etc. my main concern with the breeding pair was all the fry and aggression. But if aggression shouldn't be a problem and the other cichlids could take care of the fry I should be ok. I have some decisions to make as I might just decide for a pair of convict males instead of dealing with the breeding. But at least I know I can do it either way. Thanks for the help! And if you have anymore suggestions on other types of cichlids to consider that would be great!


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## GOSKN5 (Feb 23, 2011)

Depends on convict pair 100 percent... or the individual...

I have a pair in a 20 gallon with neon tetras... Yea they are that docile... Pay them no mind even when breeding... So far anyway...

Then I had a small male in large tank with a GT three times his size.. I had to remove him for harassing the GT....

My advice is to try some combos and see what happens...


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

*** kept a pair that bred in a 55 and they did claim half the tank but only chased the others away - I actually got a good deal on a 20L so I'll be moving them to that once it's all set up and cycled.

Convicts are very cool to watch when they are in spawning mode but a single female or even 2 or 3 females would be kinda cool...


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## Peskaroosh (Nov 10, 2011)

bwestgsx06 said:


> a single female or even 2 or 3 females would be kinda cool...


I have 5 female convicts , 1 female salvini and 1 female sajica in my tank ( no males allowed ) ... and they look great !!!


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## hauntingurcoma (Dec 19, 2011)

It will depend on the pair as far as aggression,some will try to kill all and some will just defend a portion of the tank.A breeding pair of most cichlids can be very aggressive.*** got a single male con with a jd,oscar and a mayan and all is well for now,but all are under 5 inches or so with the con being the smallest.A salvini should get along just fine with a con.You could try a jd or fm.They all will be fine with just about any ph within reason as long as it is kept steady.I keep my tank at 7.0 and all are happy.


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## Steffano2 (Jan 11, 2007)

hauntingurcoma said:


> It will depend on the pair as far as aggression,some will try to kill all and some will just defend a portion of the tank.A breeding pair of most cichlids can be very aggressive.I've got a single male con with a jd,oscar and a mayan and all is well for now,but all are under 5 inches or so with the con being the smallest.A salvini should get along just fine with a con.You could try a jd or fm.They all will be fine with just about any ph within reason as long as it is kept steady.I keep my tank at 7.0 and all are happy.


I would rethink Firemouths, they are really big bluffers when it comes to true aggression. Their dentition isn't front and center like most Central American cichlids. They are located further back in their mouths. Hence they use their gill plates to flare and bluff their attackers, making them look bigger and more intimidating. I always lump the whole family complex (Thorichthys) into the "Want to be Bruiser Category", think the "Eartheaters of the New World" i.e. teeth located in their throat and filter/sifter feeders. Not equipped for battle against most fully teethed tank mates.

Now, allow me to add my caveat that there are always exceptions to the rules I like to follow. I know someone will reply that their Firemouth is hyper dominate and rules their tank, I get it and agree.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Peskaroosh said:


> bwestgsx06 said:
> 
> 
> > a single female or even 2 or 3 females would be kinda cool...
> ...


Pics?


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