# Tank mates for Convicts



## St0ne (Apr 29, 2013)

Hello, 
I found this websites searching for tank mates for my 2 convicts, 
Here's my story.

I was given 2 convicts 1 male, 1 female as a gift, i have had aquarium's in the past, nothing like cichlids though, mostly tetras or black moors. They recently gave birth to about 60-70 fry haven't counted, alot though. i have read that a pair of breeders are extremely aggressive, and was planning to keep maybe 2 more males and give the rest away having 3 male convicts.
Alot of mixed information on the web. not quite sure what accurate.

i have a 36 gal, 3ft long, 2 ft high, 1ft wide.

was wondering what other types of cichlids i could put in with 2-3 male convicts.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

Three adult Convicts in a 36" tank will be pretty tight. I would keep the pair and enjoy them if you want to stick with Cons


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

Lol there's ample space in a 36gal for three Convicts, especially since they're not breeding.

The real problem would be the aggression, as an all male tank can and most likely will result in a dominant male bullying the others.

I would suggest an all female tank, or if you want to keep males, I'd suggest getting more male Convicts actually, which will spread the aggression around.


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## St0ne (Apr 29, 2013)

> Lol there's ample space in a 36gal for three Convicts, especially since they're not breeding.
> 
> The real problem would be the aggression, as an all male tank can and most likely will result in a dominant male bullying the others.
> 
> I would suggest an all female tank, or if you want to keep males, I'd suggest getting more male Convicts actually, which will spread the aggression around


I wouldn't mind keeping 2-3 females, i just don't want pairs because of the breeding.
If i was to keep 2-3 females and gave the rest away would i be able to get tank mates for the convicts?
if so which would you recommend?
i have 70-80+ fry in the aquarium so going with more convicts wouldn't be an issue, but i would love to add some more colorful types of species if possible . 
upgrading to a larger tank is a problem due to the fact that i live on the top floor of an old apartment and weight is a factor.

i understand that 1inch of fish per gallon isn't always the case, But i am new to cichlids.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

St0ne said:


> i have a 36 gal, 3ft long, 2 ft high, 1ft wide.
> 
> was wondering what other types of cichlids i could put in with 2-3 male convicts.


Referring to the OP's question, he wanted tank mates for 2-3 convicts in a 3' tank. I personally wouldn't want to add any fish to that tank if it already had 2-3 6" fish in it (not to mention the serious aggression that could develop in a tank that small).

Beyond that, I'm not sure much would compete with these fish that wouldn't outgrow a 36" tank tomorrow. You would have to find some pretty stout little fish.

I think the pair is a much more reasonable option for all involved. If you want 3 females, that could probably work.

The male convicts I have kept in the past wouldn't have tolerated 2 more of the same in such a small space.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

St0ne said:


> > i understand that 1inch of fish per gallon isn't always the case, But i am new to cichlids.


This statement isn't valid in any stretch when dealing with new world cichlids, especially when the tank volume is 36 gallons.

I didn't realize fry were an issue, I thought breeding aggression was the cause of your concern (seeing that you wanted to add other fish to the tank).

If you kept a single female, you would probably be alright adding a female firemouth.

If you want variety, I would cut back on the number of Convicts.


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## St0ne (Apr 29, 2013)

> Referring to the OP's question, he wanted tank mates for 2-3 convicts in a 3' tank. I personally wouldn't want to add any fish to that tank if it already had 2-3 6" fish in it (not to mention the serious aggression that could develop in a tank that small).


the female (mom) is about 2inches, the male (daddy) is close to 3 1/2 the other 2 weither it being males or females would be from the fry which are still only about a week old. no where close to 6 inches.
I'm not looking to throw in different species in the next week IF i can add new fish, it would be when the fry that i keep are large enough to defend them selves or hide.


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## St0ne (Apr 29, 2013)

> This statement isn't valid in any stretch when dealing with new world cichlids, especially when the tank volume is 36 gallons.
> 
> I didn't realize fry were an issue, I thought breeding aggression was the cause of your concern (seeing that you wanted to add other fish to the tank).
> 
> ...


i'm planning on giving away almost all of the fry and just keeping 2-3 of the same gender including the mom or dad 2-3 in total.
no breeding, i don't want to have to find homes for convict fry every month.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

St0ne said:


> no where close to 6 inches.


The problem many aquarists face (especially those who keep cichlids) is that they don't make preparation for a fish's adult size when purchasing the animal and/or the tank. You can expect a convict to mature at 4-6". I would stock them in accordance with the best chances for long term success - not as the sub-adults that you currently have.



St0ne said:


> i'm planning on giving away almost all of the fry and just keeping 2-3 of the same gender including the mom or dad 2-3 in total.
> no breeding, i don't want to have to find homes for convict fry every month.


That's understandable. Breeding convicts aren't normally much benefit without a place to use the fry, as previously mentioned. If you want something more colorful, you might consider a swap to Africans? You could keep a nice colony of Saulosi in that tank. Otherwise, I would shoot for some other limited, long-term minded stock in that tank.


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## St0ne (Apr 29, 2013)

> That's understandable. Breeding convicts aren't normally much benefit without a place to use the fry, as previously mentioned. If you want something more colorful, you might consider a swap to Africans? You could keep a nice colony of Saulosi in that tank. Otherwise, I would shoot for some other limited, long-term minded stock in that tank.


Yes, those fish are beautiful, i may consider that if my next question is ok to do,
i have an old 20gal in storage, if i was to cycle that tank and put the convict pair in that will they be ok in a 20gal?
i do have a 10gal already cycled that i was planning on putting momma and the fry in, but i just left them all in the big tank.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

What are the dimensions of the 20 gallon tank?


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## St0ne (Apr 29, 2013)

30" X 12" X 12"


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

It has been done, but it will be tight. Be sure to watch the male after the spawn/ the fry are free-swimming - he may decide to turn on the female.

So long as you are diligent about controlling the aggression in the 20, it sounds like a decent plan. You might want to try the Cons in the smaller tank for a while before you stock the 36 so you can move them back out if your male doesn't cooperate.


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## St0ne (Apr 29, 2013)

OK ill pick up the supplies i need tomorrow to build a new canister filter everything else required i have in storage or laying around and start my cycle, by the time my cycle is complete my fry should be ready to go to new homes and i can try the pair in the 20gal.
Thanks ill keep you posted on the progress.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

St0ne said:


> ill keep you posted on the progress.


 :thumb:


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