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Hey everyone,

I have a pair of convicts that I think are going to breed soon ( the females color is greatly intensified and the male got more color too, plus I see their tubes ) The female has been clearing rocks out of and around a hollow decoration I have in the tank, and she has been for about a week. I took a peek in there and there is a big pit down at the bottom. How long do they tend to the spawning site before actually breeding? and how do i know exactly when they are going to breed, are there any signs?

Thanks

Last edited by GrimZ at 14-Dec-2005 15:40

I really don't know how to pin point it. I have only really caught mine spawning a couple of times. I think it was more luck any anything. Just keep a close eye on them and you will probably catch them in the act.

My cons seem to mess around with the breeding digging and displays all the time but right before they actually do it. Their colors get reallly good and they become very very aggressive!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I would guess that you should be seeing babies within a week or two, if the vents are out they most likley are ready to start to lay

good luck

Joe

The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an bacon and egg breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

I have one more question, the female does all the work clearing the rocks and stuff. The male swims away from the site and will come back and swim around and inside the decoration. Is this how male convicts act, or is he suppose to be clearing rocks too?

Thanks

Sounds like your Convicts are employing the "division of labour" strategy - momma builds the nest, while pop stands guard and beats off intruders.

Once the eggs are laid, however, pop will probably join in the care. He definitely will once the fry are free swimming. And at that point the parents will be absolutely fearless. They''ll go for your hands if you make the mistake of putting them in there!

A good way of keeping Cichlids like this happy when breeding is the old Innes trick he mentions in his book. Find some damselfly nymphs, and pop them in. Damselfly nymphs will probably be too small to be genuinely dangerous to the fry, but that won't stop the parents homing in and destroying them on sight. Gives the parents the double satisfaction of exterminating enemies and filling their bellies at the same time.

With bigger Cichlids such as Jaguars, dragonfly nymphs and water beetles are favourite 'sacrifices'. A dragonfly nymph might be too big for Convicts to handle though, unless they team up on it and rip it apart from either end, which they might well do if you try it as an experiment. But a dragonfly nymph will result in lost fry - it'll be easily big enough to eat several of them. Mind you, given the fecundity of Convicts, you'll have far more fry than you can raise to adulthood anyway, and it might be a way of limiting the surplus. Be prepared to remove the dragonfly nymph though if the parents find it too big to tackle, or you'll lose a LOT of fry - those things have big appetites.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Where do you get your hands on such water bugs? I am getting into fly fishing and it would be super sweet to watch the insect change forms.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Any half decent pond should supply them. Where I live, there's several such ponds within easy reach that are maintained by local anglers. They are teeming with aquatic life.

If you're in New Jersey, try the Pine Barrens. Don't know if they're still in a decent state, but back in the 70's Axelrod and the gang in TFH magazine wrote about a trip there to see the fish life, and the place was quite a wonderland if you knew what to look for. Whether they're still a good haunt for aquatic life is a moot point, I am talking about 30 years ago after all, but if you're in the area, worth a try!

If you're in Florida, the answer's simple - anywhere in the Everglades should suffice. Just watch those alligators!

By the way, I'd check your local regulations on collecting from some of these places. Some states are VERY fussy about people just wandering off willy nilly into the wilds and coming home with jars full of pond life. Luckily we in the UK haven't reached that point, and we still have some latitude with respect to indulging a fondness for going out and collecting bugs. We get to learn about pond ecology the fun way - strapping on a set of waders and trudging around up to our thighs in the mud looking for critters!

I'd check various websites devoted to Odonata (the insect Order comprising dragonflies and damselflies) to become aware of the difference in the two groups of insects - not least because the typical dragonfly nymph is a good deal bigger and more predatory than the typical damselfly nymph!

However, if you have robust Cichlids in need of a treat, and they're caring for fry, aquatic insects provide a glimpse of "Nature Red In Tooth And Claw" as it were when you drop them in, once your Cichlids get to work on them!



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002