Sandy Cutts

Hi all...im new to this so forgive my ignorance ,,,its great to be able to ask all the questions i have...I have some convicts one who has a swollen belly..does anyone know how long before she lays her eggs. How will i know where they are and do i have to do anything or will she take care of them herself?.

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!! finding out if its a she is first thing..female convicts have red/orange on her bellys....you dont have to do anything but enjoy them as mom and dad do it all...only thing I worry about is they will kill any other fish in the tank if the spawn....which they usually do under a rock or in a cave..

Sandy Cutts

Thanks Shawnie....do you know how long they appear to be pregnant for? how will i know when she has had them? i have 7 convicts altogether will the babies live.?

Shawnie

do you have a pair for sure? what size tank are they in? if you have a pair, that have spawned or mated, they will kill all the other fish in the tank...no the babies will not live as the other fish will eat them if mom and dad dont get to the other fish...one pair needs to be alone in a 20 gal ...

Sandy Cutts

no idea what size my tank is...i said i was new lol how do i measure please?

agabr123

if you can get measurements of your tank most aquariums come in generic sizes so you should be able to get an exact or close gallon #

you want to get height, length, and depth

Shawnie

http://www.fishlore.com/ConversionCalculator.htm a good link to figure out the size of your tank....do you know if you have any females? im sure if you have 7 of them, you got to have at least one pair...

Jonah

By far the easiest way is to go here http://www.fishlore.com/ConversionCalculator.htm and put your tank measurment in inches into the calculator at the bottom of the page

oh and Hi and welcome I hope you find your time here as instructive as i have

Sorry Shawnie beat me to it again.

Shawnie

sowwy jonah

Jonah

Well I was always taught ladies first so it is only right and fitting

Sandy Cutts

Million thanks to both you guys...its fantastice this place exists where you can get answers in realt-time..oh the joy of the internet...I definatly have females as they have gold areas on their tum area..quite vivid too..The one i think is pregnant is enormous...ill do the measurements tomorow as im away to bed now....again thanks guys see you tom with more

Shawnie

such a gentleman

NUMB3RS

I had convicts and they had babies and their babies had babies so you could imagine the chaos. If you have a pair you will see them guarding an area of a tank together. They then will start to dig a hole in the gravel and then you will see them going next to the eggs. I had a cross breed between a Pink Convict (Male) and a Black Convict (Female). I called their babies Blink Convicts (Mixture of Pink and Black-Clever huh?-)

Shawnie

im breeding them now to get a pink male ...but it takes their babies to even get a pink..the stripes are dominant

Sandy Cutts

HI , My tank is a 90 gallon bow fron tank, how many fish would you recommend i have in there ? one of my convicts is chasing the others all over the tank is this usual behavour?
x

Shawnie

did you read the comments we all have been leaving you? convicts are vicious and if you get a pair that have mated, they will kill others in the tank..the only fish able to make it around them that I have had, are the bigger fish like oscars and dempseys..all the other cons will perish

NUMB3RS

That's true the first batch of fry were all striped and then when the babies got babies their fry were Pink and Striped (More Striped) The striped gets more reccesive as they go down the Family Tree. After The babies gave babies we had to give ALL of them away because it was UNENDLESS breeding!

Sandy Cutts

thanks for all your info.im sure ill be back soon x