FishProfiles.com Message Forums

hi i got 7 new convict cichlids and i have 5 tiger barbs and i was just wondering if i could put them in the same tank because i only want one tank.

Cheers

Seven convicts, eeeeek.lol. You do know how aggressive they can be and how big they get dont you? Just checking...

I think odds on the tiger barbs will eventually be maimed. They try fin nipping, convict goes homicidal, convicts decide to breed, then kill each other AND the tiger barbs, that kind of thing. Did you know that when the convicts get mature and decide to breed they may decide just to kill every fish in the tank that isnt part of their nuclear family? Come to think of it, they might decide to do that anyway , even if they arent breeding.

Convicts are some of the most aggressive cichlids you can keep, massively territorial.Usual setup is just a single male and female, and no other fish apart from maybe a huge algae eater. Stops all those regular visits from the fishy grim reaper.

Each pair , should they lay eggs will want 3 to 4 cubic feet of exclusion zone around the eggs, so multiply that by four and add another 3 feet for the spare dude who needs somewhere to hide while the others go homicidal, and thats about .....20 cubic feet of water... by then of course the tiger barbs will have already long since been helped from this mortal coil...

How big is your tank?


Basically unless your tank is huge , whether you take the fish back to the shop or not, what youll basically have is a single pair of convict cichlids. Might as well take all but the nicest pair back to the shop.

A pair is peace, three is war, four is genocide, and seven is armageddon.

I have a pair of cons in a 20 long and wouldn't put anything in with them. They even try to attack the fish that they can see in the tank next to them.

I really don't know what sized tank I'd keep even just 2 pair in...

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

my tank is 35"


Cheers

Then the choice is simple, keep only two convicts or the tiger barbs. Any other combination will cause death and destruction.

is there any other way to keep them from fightin? (im not puttin the barbs in anymore)

Cheers

Only segregation or giving them massive amounts of space works. No-one can really be expected to keep seven convicts in a tank less than 500 gallons or so without them fighting to the death , and even then there would be scuffles. Seven is too many for anyone who doesnt have at least three aquariums of at least 20 gals each. There is no way to make it work im afraid. They will kill each other.

Please limit yourself to one thread per topic.

This thread is being closed.