My First Convict Eggs

So my convicts were dancing for weeks but didn't spawn. So I got a small cichlid the same size as them and put in the tank( herd it strengthens the bond of the pair and keeps the male from attacking the female after the eggs are laid. ) and sure enough the next day I came home from work to my female covering a bunch of eggs. Since this is my first batch. Now what? Let her raise them? I have a guy willing to take the babies but I just like watching the process. My questions are How long till they hatch? How long till they spawn again? How to remove the fry once hatched if I have to? And generally what I need to know now I'm this far. My convicts are small so I didn't think they would spawn so fast thought I would have more time to do research

 

Lol. Do nothing. You'll have more than you'll need soon.

 

Isn't that the truth. My convict pair spawn more than my live bearers

 

What about my weekly water change? Just do a little less? To not disturb the eggs? Or no water change? And how long till they hatch?

 

About 5-7 days from noticing actual eggs the fry will be free swimming.

 

There's definitely eggs. I through 10 different times they were gonna spawn but they didn't until I put another fish in with them. Everyone said it would make the pair bond better. They are really not a vicious yet as everyone says. The little haps I got in there with them swim around fine. She guards a very small rock right now that's it. I've herd people saying they take over the whole tank

 

No mine just guarded a small territory during the egg stage, they take over the tank when the fry start to wander I separated at about the 4 day mark of them free swimming as my other fish were getting bullied in to a corner.

 

You can always remove the eggs and wait until you are more prepared. If you plan on breeding them for awhile, having a bare bottom tank for the female then putting the male in the tank to spawn, can make it easier. Once fry are in a decorated tank, its a pain to get them all out. What other fish is in the tank? It may end up eating the eggs.

But if you go ahead and keep the eggs, they should hatch in 3 to 5 days, and be free swimming shortly after that. They may spawn within a week of the eggs hatching. Or not. Its hard to say with small fish. You'll need some sort of fry food. Micro worms work well for fry. Pulverized flake food will also work.

 

Okay thanks. I got a very baby haps on there now with the convict pair same size. And I have a guys who will take the babies. But it's not a big deal if they get eaten. I just like watching them breed. And the whole process. This is my first batch so I want to see them to the whole way. At least the first time. What about my weekly water change. I've been holding off cause idk if it will mess anything up. Someone mentioned if I get over run with babies I could always feed them to my Oscar and jack Dempsey. But I didn't think they would eat other cichlids. Or how healthy it is for them to eat them. But they eat minnows. Idk what difference their is.

 

I have a pair of angelfish in a 55 gallon tank with my convict pair the angels bullied every thing I tried to add so I tried the convicts to see if they could hold there own the fry are 2 months old and the angels have eaten very few. I have had no serious fighting the convicts just claimed the spot they like best and the angels move to the other end of the tank I worried when the fry got moved to the center of the tank the angels hung in the corner for a few days. Now my problem is watching the cute little suckers knowing that they grow up and catching them may be a tank dismantling. Like you I enjoy watching the life cycle my guppies solved the over population by eating it so far convicts don't seem to