# Pink Convict.fry?



## BigJag (Sep 26, 2011)

My sons P. Convicts have about 50 fry swimming around with them, i never even saw the eggs. Should i leave them n tank with parents or move them to 5 gal tank that i normally use for Mbuna fry? What should i feed them? This is first time i have had CA Cichlid fry so any other info would be great as well. Also, how often will Pink Convicts spawn?[/u][/b]


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## irondan (Nov 22, 2007)

cons are excellent parents. i leave mine with the parents. they currently have 40 juves that have been with them for 4 months with no probs. i would feed them hikari first bites or finely crushed flake


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## cn-lightings (Dec 28, 2011)

Just have a look


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## heaya (Oct 18, 2011)

pink / zebra/ albino, they're all the same thing, just different colors. so anything you research pertaining to one will go for yours as well. 
i usually don't end up seeing the eggs since my pair do it on the ceiling of their fake log.
what you do with the fry depends on your intentions with them later.
convicts are readily available, so if you have a way of getting rid of them, and want them to grow out, you can just keep them with the parents. they are some of the best parents out there. 
fry being present should also keep them at bay from spawning again for a while. (i currently have a pair that hasn't spawned and the juvies are at 10 weeks, they're showing signs of trying to spawn again, but usually the current juveniles will eat the oncoming fry.)
if you remove the fry, parents will likely spawn again within 2 weeks time.
hth


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## BigJag (Sep 26, 2011)

Thanks for all the info. All i used to keep was CA Cichlis ( Jags, Dempseys mainly) but havent kept them since i converted my 150 gal to a Mbuna tank, then my 55 went mbuna as well. Got a 35 gal for free about a month ago for my son and we decided to go with 2 convicts. I love them despite what most ppl think of convicts. I owned a black convict about 10 yrs ago and really enjoyed him which was what swayed me to go.with convicts.


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Convicts should be runners up for the parents of the year award! I have never seen such great enthusiasm from fish! I currently have about 100 or so fry with the parents and whenever I put my face up to the glass, my male goes beserk! Whenever I put the turkey baster in to target feed the fry, my male relentlessly attacks it! Yesterday, I threw in 2 Massivore tablets, and the cons wouldn't let anyone near the tablets!

But I will probably leave the fry with them for around 14 or so days, then feed them to my lone male con in my 20 long.


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## BigJag (Sep 26, 2011)

Already my female is picking the fry up in her mouth and has moved them into her log with her. The male stays just outside the log as though guarding the area. Pretty neat to watch them. opcorn:


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## heaya (Oct 18, 2011)

i spend/waste too much time staring at how my convicts behave. i almost feel like i jinxed not having a new spawn occur by typing a reply about my 10 week juvies with no new spawns yet. sure enough, today my female laid a new batch of eggs. Very funny to watch her turn against her kids as they sneak in to eat the eggs. Absolutely loving how colored up she gets protecting her new batch. i think the funnier part of it all is that maybe 4 days ago i thought she was finally starting to have a personality other than aggro/rage mode. she was begging for food and just seemed relaxed. females


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## babarian16 (Apr 27, 2011)

I feed mine microworms as soon as they are free swimming. They grow fast off it and its a live food so they have to swim a little to catch them. After that i alternate between microworms and crushed flake


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## BigJag (Sep 26, 2011)

babarian16 said:


> I feed mine microworms as soon as they are free swimming. They grow fast off it and its a live food so they have to swim a little to catch them. After that i alternate between microworms and crushed flake


 How long will it be til they grow big enough to move away from mama and her to allow them to?


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## babarian16 (Apr 27, 2011)

To be honest it depends on your pair of convicts and young or experienced they are. The first spawn mine had they ate the spawn 4 days after becoming free-swimming then laid again. The second time they ate them after 2 weeks of being free swimming. After that i removed them to a fry tank every time after 2 weeks with the parents. The last spawn i decided to do a test and i left about 10 with the parents after i removed all the others. A week later those 10 were at least 25% bigger than those in the fry tank. I even fed the ones in the fry tank more often so i think its safe to say that they grow alot faster with the parents than alone. So i dont plan on using a fry tank for the spawn i have now that are wrigglers. I can let u know how that goes.

Seems like i veered off from your question tho lol..if have your mind set on moving them then I would wait until they're big enough to have all their fishy features visible. So about 2 weeks:










About that size maybe a bit smaller if u want.


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## BigJag (Sep 26, 2011)

I think im gonna just keep them in there. This is their first spawn. The female is very small, maybe an inch long male slightly larger. Whatever makes it til theyre big enough, ill trade to my lfs for store credit.


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## babarian16 (Apr 27, 2011)

I think thats a good call. Plus it's so fun to watch them take care of their fry.


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## BigJag (Sep 26, 2011)

Yes it is, the female is very feisty right now, even towards the male.


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## babarian16 (Apr 27, 2011)

My female doesnt let the male go near the flower pot until the fry are free-swimming haha. And even then she doesnt tolerate him with the fry all the time.


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