How to?

I know this has been asked 100+ times but i need to know. How do i breed convict cichlids? Please don't reply if your just going to to say they just need water and stuff, because I've tried it. I need step by step details, or at least a few of them, and if I breed to black convicts, should i expect any albino or pink convicts? thanks!

have you tried before?
i once had a male convict that would eat the eggs everytime.

supply them with a cave if you want. use a danio to have as a dither fish.
the bigger the tank the better, i think. a variety if food is good. lots of clean water.
and of course a male n female. sometime 2 females will spawn sooooo, good luck.

Yes, I've tried before and it failed because the water was too cold! Thanks for the advice is a 45g tank to small? i have 3 different kinds of food including blood worms and brine shrimp.

I have a breeding pair of convicts and they are driving me NUTZ!!! They are constantly having batches of babies, lol. They are in a 275 gal tank with 2 peacocks, 1 borlyi, 6 huge catfish, and a blue acei. I am not the worlds greatest at monthly water changes, or monitoring my levels in the water (thats why I will probably never attempt discus, lol). I do not do anything special for them to breed (in fact Im about to split them up and put all females in one tank and the males in the other).

Convicts are pretty easy. Once you get them going, it's hard to get them to stop.

They will need a cave or two to feel secure. While dither fish can be helpful, they are not necessary.

Keep your water temp around 76 - 78 degrees, and make water changes with water 3 to 5 degrees cooler. Do water changes weekly (about 20%) until they spawn. This will do two things: keep the water clean, and simulate a rainfall. These conditions will usually induce a spawning.

Vary your foods. If you have three kinds, rotate them feeding a different one each day. The high protien foods will be best for this endeavor, as they will "condition" the fish for their exhausting task.

Keep an eye on them. They may or may not eat the eggs the first couple times they spawn. If they do this on their third attempt, remove the offender immediately following the spawn. If they are both doing it, you may need to remove the eggs, if possible. If this becomes necessary, place them in a large jar or vase, or a small tank and place an airstone where the bubbles will circulate the water near the eggs. This will simulate the fanning the parents should be doing to prevent fungus and enable growth. Adding a small amount of Methelyne Blue will also help prevent fungus.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!

As for the albino or pink, that will depend upon whether or not one or both parents have the recessive gene that creates them. You won't know until the fry begin to grow and color.

Thanks, i guess everyone was right! they are already digging under the rocks, and she keeps swimming under him by the rocks, is that normal? Thanks for all the advice!

That is normal. Sounds like she is ready and trying to entice him.

I hope so, after there first spawn i will separate them, mainly because of the male isn't mine, but i put him in the tank with 3 females to choose from! was that a good idea?

Yes, it was. Now, you will have to watch that the other females don't go after the eggs/fry, and the parents don't kill the other females.

Usually, the biggest problem will be the other females going after the fry.

unknown wrote:

Convicts are pretty easy. Once you get them going, it's hard to get them to stop.

They will need a cave or two to feel secure. While dither fish can be helpful, they are not necessary.

Keep your water temp around 76 - 78 degrees, and make water changes with water 3 to 5 degrees cooler. Do water changes weekly (about 20%) until they spawn. This will do two things: keep the water clean, and simulate a rainfall. These conditions will usually induce a spawning.

Vary your foods. If you have three kinds, rotate them feeding a different one each day. The high protien foods will be best for this endeavor, as they will "condition" the fish for their exhausting task.

Keep an eye on them. They may or may not eat the eggs the first couple times they spawn. If they do this on their third attempt, remove the offender immediately following the spawn. If they are both doing it, you may need to remove the eggs, if possible. If this becomes necessary, place them in a large jar or vase, or a small tank and place an airstone where the bubbles will circulate the water near the eggs. This will simulate the fanning the parents should be doing to prevent fungus and enable growth. Adding a small amount of Methelyne Blue will also help prevent fungus.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!

As for the albino or pink, that will depend upon whether or not one or both parents have the recessive gene that creates them. You won't know until the fry begin to grow and color.

Short, Sweet, and exactly right!

PS good luck with the fry. I hope you have lots of empty tanks available for them

I have already removed the other 2 females and now its just the soon to be parents! how soon should i expect eggs? if at all?

P.S i have at least 5 extra tanks just sitting around. so im prepared.

When I had convicts back in the day, they would go once a month!

My Cons have fry back to back, they kick the older fry out to have the next batch. My other tank mates normally kill them off but one normally survives then i just give it away. Cons are really simple to breed, if you buy six and put them in WATER, yup i said it, you will more than likly get a pair that will breed non stop....

Good luck....

keep some light on at night too