# A few convict questions, in the moment.



## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

My female convict has a small clear pouch coming out under her belly, between her two fins. She is acting strange, using her mouth trying to eat a rock that is about 2lbs. She is rubbing her belly agsint all the big rocks but attacking them right after. The clear bubble as i call it is getting bigger and bigger every hour. My assumption is she is having fry, but im not sure about her behavior. Anyone with exp with convicts care to comment? Im trying to watch her as much as i can, im very interested in how they do things. She doesn't mind me being there as she comes to the front of the tank only when im in the room and knows when feeding time is.

D


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## bulldogg7 (Mar 3, 2003)

sounds like she's ready to lay eggs, does she have a male?


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

yes, he had another female and hated her, so I got another female. As soon as she hit the water his colors came out and so did hers, he followed her all around and 4 days later this is going on. Im just alittle curious about the small clear spot coming out. Im about to go look now as i haven't seen her swimming around from my desk in the last 5 minutes and she is usually very active.

D


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

False alarm, she is still just trying to eat the 2lb rock.


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

Could it be that she wants it moved? I mean she chooses when to lay the eggs right? So if the spot she wants to have the kids at isn't to her liking will she find a new spot?


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

http://forums.waterwolves.com/How-Big-t96600.html

post number 18, her egg tube is what thats called. I hope they do ok as parents, in 1999 i had convicts who had babies in a 2.5 gallon and they all lived, i had about 60 the first batch, but I never got to see anything happen as It was on my work desk and I was always working, until one day i got a new bulb for the tank and wanted to plant it. I turned on the light and saw the wigglers.

D


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

Ok that 2lb rock is where the eggs are, all on the spot she was attacking all night, this am boom there is about 100 eggs.

d


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

congrats...sounds like she was cleaning the rock to prep it for egg depositing. Cons are lots of fun to watch!


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

I love how active they are, im getting my 30 gallon ready for the fry.. I like leaving my cons in the 16 to breed and have the larger space for having lots of fry.. Im looking into a 55 gallon today as a 100 is too pricey, if i get the 55 that will be the new home for the cons, the 16 will house something else that can breed with ease, im not sure yet.

D


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

And pictures of the eggs.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

nice little egg patch. Neat that it is out in the open where you can see it. You should look at craigslist for cheap tanks...


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

i got home from work tonight and some eggs are moving. One egg jumped over the rock, i assume it will die in the plant, but we shall see.

D


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

Ok instead of making new threads ill update this.

The egg that made it over the rock, has been rescued. The dug under a plant, moved it, dug some more and got it back. Where she laid the eggs was in a tough spot up against 2 other stones and when the eggs would wiggle and fall she couldn't get them. I hate to help out and move their home but I did. She didn't like the spot so so moved them across the tank under a plant. She is not a little more happy but more guarded to the father now. If she strays off he can go near them and she won't chase him off when she comes back, but if he showes up while she is guarding **** nips him.

I saw only one egg that was still a creme color, i assume she ate it.

All seem to be moving around, first time parents seem to be doing very well.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

The whiteish eggs are unfertilized and usually get infected by fungus and they will eat them to prevent them from exposing the rest of the eggs to fungus.


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

ya they are gone, she has since up-rooted the live plant in the corner and moved it.

D


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

Ok update.

She moved from spot number two to spot number three, where she knocked over rocks and moved ones 2x her size. She then moved them again under another plant and left them there.

today they free-swim.

Here are some pics and my attempt at taking fishie pics.

MOMMA 









Mom on bottom, dad on top and fry on bottom as u can see. 









Close up of mom 









She was looking at me like WTF is that flash?









This was weird to me, her colors went away in her back belly area as im taking pics. 









Dad, his head came out blurry but what the heck its hard to capture pics of him, he is fastttttt.


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