# How long until convicts pair up?



## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Okay so I've bought a pair of convicts for my 15 gallon for now (this is temporary) to breed fry for my 90 gallon as food. They've been in the tank together for 3 days, will eat when food is put in but they dart out and dart back into their separate stones. Sometimes they hide in the same stone together, sometimes not. They seem a bit frantic when the light comes on (it's dimmed by silk leaves).

They seem to just hide in the separate cichlid stones on either side of the tank...

Temp = 80
Water = crystal clear
Ammonia: 0-.25
Nitrates: 5-10
Nitrites: 0
pH: 7.2

picture of the tank...










Thoughts??


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## homerl (Jan 6, 2009)

In my opinion 15 gallons is to small for a pair of cons.I'd like to see at least a 20gal,more like a 30.When you put a male and female together the courting can take weeks to months.My pair took 8 mths before it's first batch of fry.
The best way with a bigger tank is to get one male and two or three females,maybe four females and let them pair naturally as there does not seem to be any problems with one male but if reversed deadly.


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## ebjdftw (Aug 24, 2010)

Back when I had convicts, it took no time at all. About a week and they were a pair. Maybe I have magic water =P.... I would just give them some time Chubbs


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

k - I've just been told it takes almost zero time, so to have them home and in wonderful water and been feeding bloodworms and a flake food (get it into the water column so they'll eat it) but yet be almost exclusive to their cichlid stones was a bit abnormal for me...

Maybe that's cuz my main cichlids that I've owned in the past have been pretty much puppy dogs (Blood parrot that watched TV with me, bellycrawler pike which sat up top waiting to be fed and still does, firemouth who is the leader of the pack in the 90, and a baby oscar who is well, a pig.)

I'm hoping for the best, cuz my female con is really pretty (both black cons, around 2.5")


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

How old are the fish? Or how long have you had them?

Were they paired up before you moved them into the smaller tank, or did you buy them and put them directly into the 15g?

If they weren't paired up--it could take awhile. +1 for weeks to months.

I had 3 cichlids in a 29, once I got a pair, I moved the extra female out. I still had to wait about 2 weeks. The male has to build a nest (you'll see them adjusting plants, digging, or using a preexisting element (like the clay pots)) and then the male has to court the female. He'll dance/shimmy for her, try to lure her into the cave/nest, and if she doesn't like the cave, she won't go in. It can take time. The male might chase her a bit...

They're the only fish in there right?


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

The fish are about 2 inches long, they were NOT a pair, and I bought them out of a 10 gallon at the store and put them directly in the 15 gallon.

They're the only fish in the tank, and have been in it since Friday...

My only issue is that they haven't MOVED from their caves at all really... still VERY shy and only zip out to eat


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## ebjdftw (Aug 24, 2010)

my only other suggestion would be to leave the lights off for a while, or cover the tank.....and then play some barry white or marvin gaye....

 :lol:


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## Snowman33 (Apr 8, 2005)

My suggestion to get them out and active a bit more would be to get dither fish. In other words, add a few tougher fish that won't hurt them, but they can't hurt too bad either. Say, maybe a few of zebra danios. Just feeling other fish swimming around will often work wonders for bringing them out into the open.

For a breeding pair, with fry the 15 gal. probably is a bit small so you'll have to stay up on your water changes. In my experience, they paired off within a couple weeks. Funny side story, I've only ever seen two fish I can recall breeding in a pet store. Recently, I saw a female yellow lab holding a mouthful of fry. Before that, it had been a 20 gallon display tank at Petco or Petsmart, something like that. The tank was crammed full of "Medium Cichlids" and a tiny little mama and papa convict had every other fish hiding in the corner while they tended their eggs. Usually, you can't get them to stop breeding! Good luck.


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

I don't know if I'd add -more- fish to the small tank.

I'd put them in your larger tank and wait for the to settle in and pair up. Give them more room to move around. The small tank space could be stressing them. That small of a tank is usually only for immediate breeding or as a hospital tank.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

I figure I'll give them a week, and if it doesn't get any better by then, then I'm thinking of either moving them to the 90 (which I'm really wary of compatibility issues) or taking them back...

Should I just leave the lights off for a few days to help them? My lights in the 15 are on a timer (on @ 11:30 off at 8)


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