Tony G.

How does one trigger this in convicts? I mean yeah this takes time, but i really want the 2 kids to pair up... but so far they go in different directions. Theyre not agressive to eachother... she's displaying tons of colors plus BEAUTIFUL colors (blues, oranges, reds [not on the stomach] and golds...) and he's just... the same... he's just kinda pale, not displaying colors at all, except earlier todya he was like pitch black with his bars full on, but she wasnt anywhere around...

Keep in mind he is 5 inches and she is 1 1\2....

Whenever she goes over to him in his cave and starts displaying her fins and colors he comes out and chases her away and then goes back to hide....

i guess i am paranoid as the last time i tried this it went really bad.... any ideas?

The tank has enough deco to allow her to escape just in case... i just cant have that much though since he is rather large and gets stuck and has to back up to get out of little caves...

am i doing this right or am i over reacting



i really enjoy cichlids... but theyre so complicated sometimes LOL

i guess im kinda like an 8 yr old waiting for the guppies to give birth...


EDIT: btw, the temp is set at 78* and the pH is a bit high at 8.6... other than that the parameters are perfect...

thanks everyone!

kribensis keeper

it will take time let them do it in there own time my kribs took almost 2 moths after i got them i you want help try searching up how to breed convicts. here are some sites http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Cichlid,%20Convicts.htm

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Cichlid,%20Convicts%202.htm

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Cichlid,%20Convicts%203.htm

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Cichlid,%20Convicts%204.htm

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/cichlid/convict.php

aquarist48

Hello Tony. For a lot of species altering the water temperature and increasing the diet (a few extra treats) will trigger spawning behavior in most fish. You can increase the temperature by 2 or 3 degrees. See what happens.
Will be keeping my fingers crossed!
Ken

bolivianbaby

If they're chasing each other around and really darkening up, that's spawning behavior. You may be well on your way to having fry.

Shawnie

I remember another member wondering when she would, if ever, have con fry and I bet she doesnt wonder now!!

patience skippy LOL if they are a m/f combo, it WILL happen...although if it were me, id find a nice piece of driftwood or find some peat moss for the filter to lower that ph a bit.....when u do water changes, drop or raise the temp 2 degrees and get them eating a few bloodworms after you change the water out

bolivianbaby

No, she doens't wonder anymore. She has 4 spawns at this very moment and some VERY full JD's.

Shawnie

funny i mentioned no names!!!!!LOL
speaking of jd's just had another spawn myself last nite!
and I have 10 babies from their last batch left ...grrrrrrr ...calgon!

bolivianbaby

Wohoo! Congratulations!

I may be able to take a few off of your hands in the spring. I'm working on setting up another 55 under the 55 in my bedroom. And Cuddles, the remaining JD fry that I got from SWilkins may want a partner in the spring. He's still pretty tiny atm. I'm not calgon, but at least there's hope

Shawnie

lol trying to figure how to winter all these beasts!!!!! I dont have a LFS that I feel I could even give my babies too and feel good about it...and ive posted on CL but im just too darn picky!!

Tony G.

LOL thanks everyone for the help! and thanks for the link! i will rescape and try and make it better for her and him, so they can be a good pair LOL

Camacho

lol awsome on the spawns i cant wiat to see if mine spawn i think that i have 2 females and 1 male. 2 of them i think that are femal have huge blotchs of green and blue right on the edge of the gill plate and the other i think male has spots on the gill plate but not alot idk if im right or wrong

for the con spawn good luck! i dont know much about cons sorry

Shawnie

sowwy for the hijack

Tony G.

LOL

well, i spoke to soon.
I did the reccomended, plus another thing.

I raised the temperature 2 degrees and took him out. I rescaped and changed it around since he was having trouble with all the plants. Then i let her roam around for about 10 mins... I added him and he hid. But when she came around, his bars darkened (just like hers) and his fins were extended. Then he started darting around with her. Then he went over to a corner and started building a pit and digging out the plants.

This morning she's been hiding and i woke to find 2 pits and gravel all over the deco LOL

When i fed them though (i thought it was weird) she came out and was black. She ate. But when he started feeding she went straight to the filter (turned pitch black again) and hid in a slot. then she came out, he chased her. Then she went behind a rock and turned black again...

is that normal? i thought everything was going great (pairing wise) and then this...

oh btw, i took AWESOME pics of his behavior, and even a video.... but i dont have my camera's cable

oh well! LOL

bolivianbaby

That is perfectly normal! Chasing is part of their courtship.

Tony G.

told ya i'm paranoid!


i can tell they like each other... they're just a little ...

Lucy

How exciting! I hope they spawn for you.

Tony G.

Thanks lucy! i hope they do too! LOL