Sexing Black Convicts

[vanimal]

My brother has a 20 gallon and decided he wanted some Convicts. I tried to pick out a male and female for him but I'm not 100% sure. What do you guys think?? And can they fit in a 20 for life?

 

[bud29]

It does look like you got a male and female......is your brother's 20 a 20 high or 20 long? In a 20 long they may be able to work, but I don't think they would in a 20 high......

 

[vanimal]

Its a high and can they live with Cories??

 

[vanimal]

 

[bud29]

I wouldn't recommend them in the 20 high. And, since they are male and female, they will likely become a pair. Putting a breeding pair of convicts with anything is a recipe for disaster. I have heard of some breeding convicts killing a full grown Oscar.

 

[vanimal]

Wow ill see if I can rehome them to my 150.

 

[bud29]

Doesn't your 150 have fish though?

 

[vanimal]

Yeah its already stocked but I don't think 3 Cories would change the Bio-Load much.

 

[bud29]

Oh Ok. i though you meant you were going to move the convicts to your 150. I was about to say, if you value the life of your fish, don't put a breeding pair of convicts in there!

 

[vanimal]

Oh haha yeah I would never do that. I love my Fire Eel he eats out of my hand, very cool fish. I would hate to see him die.

 

[Pam is here]

I have 3 convicts. Yes I think you have both sexes there. Although, I have had mine for several months and nothing has happened yet. Mine are about 3 inches. The female is a tad smaller. Pam

 

[vanimal]

I have 3 convicts. Yes I think you have both sexes there. Although, I have had mine for several months and nothing has happened yet. Mine are about 3 inches. The female is a tad smaller. Pam

Yeah mine are still smaller too. Maybe once they get older they will breed.

 

[Pam is here]

I was told at the fish store all that convict need is water and they will breed left and right. LOL I enjoy watching them. Mine eats up a storm.

 

[vanimal]

I was told at the fish store all that convict need is water and they will breed left and right. LOL I enjoy watching them. Mine eats up a storm.

I hope that happens, that would be cool.

 

[bud29]

Yeah convicts are kind of like the guppies of the cichlid world. And since they are such good parents, fry survival rate is high. Once guy said he had his convicts breed and 150 fry survived. He managed to give away 10, and then the parents started breeding again! He had over 2,000 fry before he realized he needed to rehome the parents.

 

[vanimal]

Haha ill feed the fry to my Angels, Bichir, and Blood Parrots. But surprisingly my ID Sharks wont eat any live foods and my Bichir hasn't either but I'm hoping he will be bigger by the time they breed and then he will like eating them.

 

[bud29]

Yeah, you need somewhere to go with your fry or you will be seriously overloaded quickly!

Also, make sure your brother feeds the convicts veggies as much as he does pellets, frozen, or live food. Too much high-protein food is hard on the convicts' liver and kidneys.

 

[vanimal]

Ok what about nls pellets? I thought those had veggie and meaty food in them?

 

[bud29]

Oh, if you are feeding NLS pellets then there is no need to supplement their diet with veggies.

 

[vanimal]

Oh, if you are feeding NLS pellets then there is no need to supplement their diet with veggies.

Ok he's currently not but I'm trying to get him to buy those.