Anyway to reduce the agressiveness of my female convict?

I have one female that's been alone for a few months, shes killed everything else that was in there so I decided to buy a male and put him in the tank to get them to breed, and well hes dead too, I was going to put him in my community tank to rehabilitate when her bullying got bad but I didnt want him to kill everything like she did. So anyways, is there any way to get her to be more tolerant or is she pretty much the queen of the tank and always going to be like this? I don't want to get rid of her because shes very colorful and beautiful but Id like to have more than just one fish in the tank. Thanks for the help

 

A few questions first. How big is she? Is her tank a 20-High or 20-Long? How is the tank decorated? How big was the male you tried to pair her with? The answers to these questions will help in suggesting possible solutions.

Mark

 

The only way to reduce the aggression of convicts is to keep em alone. Convicts together especially females get really nasty.

 

Convicts are super aggressive, if you don't want that than I suggest another cichlid type.
If you added the male to the tank without rearranging the tank, first the female saw him as an intruder on her territory. If you rearrange and add new fish at the same time they will have to find a territory together. Not saying there won't be aggression, just not as serious as defending a territory.

 

I agree with allie...remove her...totally re arrange the tank...then make sure you get a male the same size as her..replace her after hes been in there an hour or so...goodluck! and post some pics of her pleaaaaase ;D

 

I was hoping to get some more information on your situation, but here are a few suggestions when dealing with trying to pair aggressive CA Cichlids such as your Convict.
1) The best way to get a pair is to start with between six and eight individuals and let them pair off naturally. (This is not an option in your case.)
2) Convicts are extremely territorial, as has been mentioned by Allie and Shawnie. Rearranging the aquarium will break up the female's current territory, and allow the male to stake out his own territory. If you don't already have caves and/or clay flower pots in the tank then you should add three or four spaced across the bottom of the tank, since the Cons prefer to establish their territories around a cave so they can hide and feel secure.
3) When trying to "force" a pairing of aggressive Central American Cichlids, like your Cons, it's best to get a male that is larger than the female. The reason for this is that during the courtship the pair will test each other's strength by locking lips and trying to overpower the other.
The male's primary interest is in finding a female to spawn with, and will often ease up if the female is weaker. The female's main concern is to breed with the best male possible (the best able to protect their territory and fry). If the male is weaker than she is, she will often kill him.
4) When "forcing" a pairing, it is often beneficial to divide the tank with a clear tank divider, so the potential pair can get used to the sight and smell of each other, before they are in physical contact.
5) Lastly, before you try to introduce a male into the tank, make sure the female is ready to spawn. This will make her much more likely to accept a new mate. When the female is ready to spawn, her belly will appear very full (eggs) and her breeding tube will begin to protrude.

I hope this is helpful.
Mark

 

thanks for all your help guys, Ive decided I'll just let her be on her own, unless perhaps I come across a full grown male, oh and Shawnie, I have a couple pix of her somewhere on this site, but there seems to be like 20 different ways to upload pictures on here, lol, my avatar is a pic of her and I'll upload some onto my profile page, thanx again y'all