Author Topic: Convict Compatibility (Read 34604 times) 15 replies

Gaynor · « **on:** July 28, 2013, 07:37:15 PM »

Well that will teach me, I've been thinking about changing the tank decor, seems I should have done it sooner. Earlier today hubby and I spent about 15 minutes searching for Rhett the Firemouth, hubby had only seen him ten minutes before and he was fine. In the space of just over ten minutes he had somehow got jammed in the castle turret and died, we have bubbles going up through the turret so we aren't sure if that played a part. Sadly we were unable to save the poor little chap, I'll miss his cheeky flaring a lot.

Now we could leave Chuck in the tank on her own, but we'd much rather get her another tank mate if possible, one lone fish looks a bit daft in a big tank. Any ideas, I'd like another male firemouth, but hubby would like something a bit more colourful and interesting. Bearing in mind she's an albino convict, about 7cms, and a little bit temperamental when she's guarding eggs, any ideas? Obviously I don't want to put something in there that she's going to pick on or eat. She liked having Rhett around, even tolerated him headbutting her rear end every few seconds, and following her around.

jesnon · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2013, 10:17:27 PM »

Oh so sorry to hear about Rhett :-(

Sue · « **Reply #2 on:** July 29, 2013, 09:35:47 AM »

I too am sorry to hear that.

You had just the 2 fish in quite a big tank, didn't you?

You have a few options, but bear in mind that Chuck might attack another male.
Get another firemouth and hope she accepts him
Get a male convict and hope she accepts him - in this case you could let any eggs hatch and try to sell any fry. I say try because convicts are prolific breeders, so much so that shops won't take them.
Keep just Chuck as a lone cichlid and get a different type of fish. Mid water swimmers and top water swimmers though. If Chuck has lost her mate, she may object to bottom dwelling fish replacing him.

Edited for spelling

ColinB · « **Reply #3 on:** July 29, 2013, 09:39:32 AM »

Oh - sorry to hear of Rhett.

Sue · « **Reply #4 on:** July 29, 2013, 10:12:32 AM »

I've just been back through your posts and realised you have a 125 litre tank. For some reason I though it was bigger

Your choice of tank mates will be a bit limited if you go for option 3 - you'd need fish that are too big for Chuck to eat but small enough to fit in your tank.

Gaynor · « **Reply #5 on:** July 29, 2013, 03:49:56 PM »

Thanks everyone, I guessed I would be very limited by the tank size and Chuck being a convict, I was lucky with Rhett because she really took to him. Looks like I need to do a lot of homework and some tank redecorating, I don't want to lose another fish in a turret.

Gaynor · « **Reply #6 on:** August 04, 2013, 12:39:18 AM »

Hi all, I've been a bad fishkeeper again. Hubby and I went to the Pets at Home near us to have a look at what they had in stock. Lo and behold they had Convicts, the striped variety, two of which were slightly bigger than Chuck. Problem was that hubby fell in love with the Jewel Cichlid sharing their tank, have to admit I thought it was nice too, and it was quite a bit bigger than Chuck. Having had a look at fish compatible with Chuck the Jewel was a possibility, my only doubt being that the Jewel Cichlids are supposed to be even more aggressive than Convicts. But to cut a long story short we came home with a male Convict, slightly bigger than Chuck, and the Jewel (no idea at the time if it was male or female).

We popped them into the tank that evening, all three fish had been excited and eyeballing each other through the bag, and when released they all swam about together happily, for about an hour. Then Chuck decided she wasn't keen on the male Convict and started romancing the Jewel, shoving the Convict into a corner. My idea was that Chuck would cozy up with Zeb the Convict, and Fantango would be safe enough on his own, him being a good bit bigger than them. Seems Chuck disagrees, as usual, and my brother is about to get a male convict as an early birthday present.

I was hoping to keep all three and convince my hubby I needed a bigger tank for my birthday this month.

Resa · « **Reply #7 on:** August 04, 2013, 02:05:52 AM »

Hi Gaynor,

I've only just seen your posts....so sorry to read about Rhett, how sad

Your new fish sound lovely...some piccies, please? Before your brother gets his early pressie

You can never account for how fish will react, can you? Chuck sounds very much like she knows what she wants, funny little fish

Good luck...

Gaynor · « **Reply #8 on:** August 04, 2013, 01:39:50 PM »

Thanks Resa,

I will sort out pics, hubby has already taken some. Chuck definitely knows what she wants, she's already trying to lure Fantango into the castle, the poor chap. He's happily swimming along the front of the tank, he seems to think he's Tom Daley, and he keeps getting interrupted by Chuck trying to divert him. Zeb, the male convict, has been out from the side of the filter a few times today, but Chuck only has to look at him and he races back. He comes out at food times and refuses to be chased off then, which is good, but the rest of the time he just seems to let her boss him about. It's a shame because he's a gorgeous fish, he and the Jewel get along fine, in fact the Jewel tries to get him to come out and gets between him and Chuck when she chases him.

Resa · « **Reply #9 on:** August 04, 2013, 02:00:20 PM »

Quote from: Gaynor on August 04, 2013, 01:39:50 PM

Thanks Resa,

Chuck definitely knows what she wants, she's already trying to lure Fantango into the castle, the poor chap.

Hussy! He doesn't stand a chance, does he?

Let's hope she soon gets bored with picking on Zeb.

Sue · « **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2013, 02:35:34 PM »

Gaynor, keep a close eye on those fish. Cichlids can turn very nasty if they've a mind to. If Chuck has her eye on the Jewel, she may very well take to attacking the male convict. If she and the Jewel do pair up and spawn, both of them may attack the male con. If the Jewel resists Chuck's advances (he's looking for a female Jewel not a female con), she may attack him. And the male con could join in if he spots an opportunity to remove a rival. Or one of the males could attack Chuck - the Jewel because he's fed up with her advances and the male con because she prefers the Jewel.

And of course, the Jewel might turn out to be female and pair up with the male con. It could be (perhaps?) that Chuck is attracted to the Jewel because it resembles her dead firemouth mate and not because it's a male.

And any other combination for violence you can think of......

Gaynor · « **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:05:49 PM »

Hi again,

Sue, I'm keeping a really close eye on them, at the moment the Jewel doesn't seem to have a mean bone in his body, but he could easily get annoyed with Chuck's persistence. I think I'd get annoyed, and I'm a pretty patient person lol. I have to admit from the things I've read and looked at on Jewel sexing, I would say the Jewel is female, but it seems interested in Chuck and spends a fair bit of time rubbing up against her and flirting so I'm assuming it's male.

As for the poor male Con, I'm concerned about him because he spends most of his time behind the filter facing upwards, only coming out for food and a quick dash across the tank now and then. My plan is to watch him all day and if he's still there, and Chuck is still being a bully, in the morning, to move him to my brothers tank. The bonus there being I was thinking of getting him fish for his birthday, and he only lives across the road, so I still get to see the little chap. I say chap because he appears to be a good few months old, has the longer pointier fins, and no orange on the belly. That said, and the fish 'expert' in the shop assuring me it was a male, Chuck also has longer and pointier fins (though she also has orange on her belly).

Would it be a good idea to wait longer to see if Zeb the male convict settles in, or am I right in thinking that would be cruel. I feel sorry for him as it is, and she's only chasing and nudging him into the corner, she hasn't bitten him or hit him hard.

And yes Resa, lol, she is definitely a hussy, and if he is male the Jewel doesn't stand a chance.

Thanks for the advice.

Sue · « **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:14:02 PM »

If it's still going on in a day or two, I would definitely move the male con.

Just a thought, never having had convicts - Chuck's behviour definitely is "oooh a new male" rather than "I'd better warn off this female invader in MY tank" ?

Gaynor · « **Reply #13 on:** August 04, 2013, 05:06:19 PM »

It's definitely a 'ooh a new male,' lol, she won't leave him alone. And he is definitely a male, just rechecked and sexing with Jewels apparently depends on the tail. If they have a tail covered in the gorgeous shiny spots they are male, if they only have a few spots near the top of the tail they are female. Mine is plastered in the spots, top to bottom of the tail.

Chuck lost him for about 15 seconds when he went to investigate the small tower at the back of the tank, I thought she was going to blow a blood vessel lol, she was zipping about like a lunatic. She's rubbing against him, the decor, the gravel, just like she did when pairing up with Rhett. The behaviour is exactly the same, showing off for him, flirting, the lot. She's coloured up again too, ready for breeding, and is chucking gravel out of the castle while watching him.

Sue · « **Reply #14 on:** August 04, 2013, 05:18:51 PM »

Just been wandering the internet and come across a thread on another forum of someone who has rehomed an abandoned convict. The cichlid expert who replied suggested swordtails, red eyed tetras and blind cave fish as good tankmates for convicts - though that was for a lone one in a bigger tank than yours. Something to weigh up if you ever want other fish in there........

Gaynor · « **Reply #15 on:** August 04, 2013, 05:40:56 PM »

You mean if I can convince hubby to let me get a bigger tank lol. Thanks Sue, I'll make a note of those, I think I'll start keeping info on convicts and jewels. Who knows, I might be able to help out other convict or jewel keepers some day.

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Convict Compatibility

Convict Compatibility

Author Topic: Convict Compatibility (Read 34604 times) 15 replies

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