New Convict keeper question-

[dwightparker]

Hello, first time with Convicts. Too small to identify their sex I believe. Store had 3 left so I bought all 3. One is slightly over 1 inch long. One is about 3/4 inch long and the other a little over 1/2 inch long. I am loving them as they are all over a 29 gallon tank (well cycled with a few rams horn snails). They know people and swim to the top when we approach. The largest chases the other two, but mostly chases the smallest. If I am lucky enough that I have a pair that want to breed, I am wondering if I should move them to a 65 gallon tank. My only problem is I can move all of the current occupants of the 65 gallon except for a 10 inch common plecostomus. Would they pester the pleco to death or should I just give up on the idea of moving them to a larger tank to breed and just leave the pair in the 29 gallon and move the 3rd Convict to another tank?

 

[FishGirl38]

Well, there isn't much luck needed with convicts, generally, if you have a male and a female, you'll have a breeding pair eventually. I think they should be fine in the 29. Are the convicts all you plan on keeping in there? Its a bit on the smaller side for em, but it shouldn't be too small. I kept a breeding pair in a 20L for awhile, they had about 3 broods in that tank before I moved em to the 45, and that was due to all the babies swimming in the 20L. After all was said and done, I donated about 30 Males, and 45 females to my LFS (all Juv/adult, by the time tthey were donated)

With that being said, they will breed like mad if they do breed, be prepared. The first few broods might end up as recycled food. A lot of the time, cichlids need a few 'training' batches of fry before they understand what they're supposed to do with the eggs to raise them. It does sound like they're a little small, but the females will eventually develop red or pink scales on their stomachs, It should be fairly easy to tell once they grow a bit more.

As for moving them, I'd say that is up to you, and that they won't (shouldn't) pester the pleco *to death*, but they will nip and flare and bug him if he tries to go into their nest, they'll bother him until he moves and leaves. But they won't (or shouldn't) chase him around, nipping at him after the fact. They'd go back to focusing on their nest once the 'threat' is gone. Least that's what I've observed with them, I kept 2 male bristlenose pleco's in the tanks with my breeders and that's how my pair would react.

 

[Redshark1]

65 gallon seems way too small for a Common Pleco.

I had a single female Convict and she chased everything else around so it wasnt peaceful watching my tank.

So,I took her back and when I did she was ten times bigger than the ones in the tank she came from. When I asked they told be the;y feed the mini;mum in the shop to cut down on tank maintenance.

 

[dwightparker]

65 gallon seems way too small for a Common Pleco.

I had a single female Convict and she chased everything else around so it wasnt peaceful watching my tank.

So,I took her back and when I did she was ten times bigger than the ones in the tank she came from. When I asked they told be the;y feed the mini;mum in the shop to cut down on tank maintenance.

From research I have done 55 gallon is a recommended minimum from a site I visit though others may offer different values........ I'd love a 100-150 gallon tank just no room or budget for it..... saying that, my Pleco Hoover loves some blanched broccoli and being only a 65 gallon tank I have to vacuum poop all the time....but he is worth it...... when I drop some broccoli in the tank he is on it in 10 seconds or less.....