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I have a 75 gal I'm thinking of making a cichlid tank. I know for sure I'd like a pair of convicts. What else could I keep in there with them, keeping in mind I'd prefer pairs as appose to single fish. Thanks in advance.

There are many cichlids you can keep in a tank that size with convicts. You just have to keep in mind, that they have to be able to defend themselves when (notice I did not say if) they decide to breed. They are veracious protectors of their young. Not sure if I really know of any fish out there that is so protective of their young.

As for fish specifics to go into that tank, I would suggest you look at the CA and SA fish, as this is where the convict is from. Try some CA cichlids from one or two of these suggestions;

Herichthys carpintis
Nandopsis salvini
Copora nicaraguense (also known under the genus of Cichlisoma, or Cichlisoma nicaraguense)
Cichlisoma octofasciatum

or many others. You can put most all CA and/or SA fish in with the convicts.


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There is always a bigger fish...

salvini's would reak havok on the convicts they are very very aggressive for there size and they grow teeth from around 3'' in length and they have a vishious bite. my juvi riped a hole in my synspilums gill plate...vishious fish indeed

My convicts keep all the 6 Salvinis in the tank with them, under control when they are guarding their fry. Not a fish in the tank that will go near them. You must just have an overly aggressive fish, as I also have 6 in a tank with over 30 1-2 inch geophagus, and they don't bother them.

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There is always a bigger fish...

no i dont think so i have breed them for a year now and nuthing but aggression i hav sold many at the sydney cichlid society and hav gotten many bak due to aggression many people call them the pocket battleship...http://www.sydneycichlid.com/nsalvini.html