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This is the 3rd freaking algea eater that has died in my little tank! This guy made it a long time (over a month!) and this morning, low and behold, he's a gonner, missing an eyeball as well I might add.

I have two convict chiclids-male & female. The tank is doing well, very clean, heated, the works...I just can't seem to keep an algea eater in this damned thing! Help!

Well, first off, Convicts are territorial, aggressive fish. Especially when you have a pair, when they start breeding (which they will), they get twice as aggressive and territorial. A pair belongs in a 30 gallon if kept alone, let alone a 10 gallon with any sort of algae eater. The Convicts probably harassed them to death.

Snails or a green scrubby brush. I'd say that the tanks already stocked, and that I wouldnt' suggest adding much more stock. If you're having a problem with algae I'd suggest looking into ways of addressing the algae issue without adding any more fish....even snails will add to the waste and thereby the algae levels.

^_^

I agree with nattereri and would be confident that your pair of cons (regardless of size) are responsible for the algae eaters deaths. 10gallon is simply not big enough for them and as they are prolific spawners, the presence of anything else in their will cause them to kill it. Your next problem is coping with the cons now as the male will harrass the female (to death) if she isn't ready to 'accept him' - she has no where to get away from him in such a small space. If they become parents, both will harass each other (to a lesser extent) but then you will have probs when you need to remove the fry. Solution - bigger tank.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I plan on keeping only the 2...but I've been told that since I've raised them in this tank as fry it should be find to keep them this way...

Anyway...what do you suggest for good algea cleaners??

Are they from the same brood? If so, you don't really want them to breed. Even if they have been raised in the tank, their aggressive nature will still cause you problems in this sized tank. Up to you, I'm just offering my opinion.

My friend has 7 cons in his 55 gal tank. I do not in any way shape or form see how these fish could fit in a 10g tank. A fish that is 6-8 inches long is way too big for a 10g tank. I would say 33 is about minimum for a fish that size. Convicts are a LARGE fish.
I would say keep the 10g to grow out fry. Put the convicts in a larger tank before you kill them from stunting or before they kill each other because they have lack of space to turn around.


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