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would it be ok a a male convict to live in a 20 gallon tank with 1 clay pot and plastic plants

he should be ok, at least for a couple years. male convicts can grow up to 6", maybe 7" and might start getting cramped in a 20 gallon. you could probably add some dithers to the tank as well like a few platys, swordtails or some type of barb like tigers.

Jason

Sorry moderator but surely you can't suggest those fish to be housed with a male convict in such a small tank? As a moderator of a fish forum, I am sure you know what you are talking about, but that seems too far.

IME most cichlids will ignore non-aggressive fish. At most the male might give occasional chase to the platys (or whatever you choose) but I highly doubt he'd harm them. Now, if this were a breeding pair of convicts then I wouldn't add anything else with them. Also, as the male reaches ~4" I'd be looking for a larger tank for him. If the male has enough hiding places and is bought as a juvenile (2" or less) he'll most likely stay at the bottom guarding a small area and the platys will swim around the top of the tank.

By the way, my knowledge of fish had nothing to do with my becoming a moderator. The administrator/owner of this site (Adam Lundie) chooses the moderators according to their ability to maintain an open mind and the ability to be fair and resolve conflicts.

Jason


[span class="edited"][Edited by jason_r_s 2004-07-09 00:18][/span]

[span class="edited"][Edited by jason_r_s 2004-07-09 00:19][/span]

We've housed 6 tiger barbs in with a convict, blue acara, 2 brichardi and severum and that was in a normal 3ft tank (until an upgrade months later) and they all got along just fine and we never seen any sign of aggression, in fact the tiger barbs hung on the convicts side of the tank

Alot of so-called nasty type cichlids (not all obviously) are a quite peaceful type fish by themselves if they're given their own little territory and fed well

Sorry but I can't agree that cons are 'happy' tankmates for anything other than equally aggressive fish. To suggest that it wouldn't bother with other fish other than to chase a little seems completely naive. How can 99% of the literature on them suggest otherwise? I've kept convicts for many years, starting (addmittedly naively) with a male in a 4ft tank with fires, kribs and severums. How wrong I was. The convict soon matured and terrorised everything. In another set-up, another male tried it on with an oscar (to its peril). For a reasonably small fish, their territorial nature presides in the end and I'd have to strongly suggest that they reside in either a massive tank or 'alone' in a tank.

with a male in a 4ft tank with fires, kribs and severums. How wrong I was. The convict soon matured and terrorised everything. In another set-up, another male tried it on with an oscar (to its peril).

All of those fish you've mentioned so far that you kept your convicts with are other cichlids. As I said earlier,

IME most cichlids will ignore non-aggressive fish

I should have been more specific however and said non-cichlid fish. At one time I had an 8-9" midas, 5-6" jack dempsey and 4-5" green terror in my 125 with 2 bala sharks. the midas would chase the GT or JD out of the territory, but the balas swam around the midas without being noticed.

Also, as I recommended earlier as the male convict gets close to 3-4" it would need a tank larger than a 20 gallon. During the time up until then I don't see a male convict smaller than 3" killing platys or swordtails. I could be wrong...no one can predict with 100% accuracty what would happen.

Jason

im truly sorry for u danny

oi bagga join the skinhead group noob

convicts will live with anything if u get the right set up and add them in with fish there own size or larger after the other fish have there territory