Convict help

[Mackie]

Hello I have a new breeding pair of convicts this is the first time they have mated and laid eggs they have claimed a cave and are very protective I was recently gifted a quite large rainbow shark and am concerned there will be trouble as he keeps trying to poke around the cave as he is new to the tank the convicts have been good with everything else in the tank e.g bristlenose , pleco , rosybarbs and guppies and even though there feeder fish they haven't really been given a second look should I leave it and ply it by ear put up a divider or set up my second tank and move the parents and fry ? Thanks in advance mackie

 

[garvic43]

Your better off removing the rainbow shark till the fry are big enough where you can move them all out then put the rainbow shark back in so your convict aren't so very over protective giving you an opportunity to get him introduced a lot easier with the tank

 

[V227]

Mackie, once your convicts start breeding this will become a very regular event, almost a nuisance. I have a mated pair that nearly every month produce fry. They vigorously defend the nest for a week or so, then the EBJD and Royal Pleco over power the parents and consume the offspring. This sounds awful but it's not. Convicts are very inexpensive fish simply because they are so plentiful. If you raise the babies to adulthood placing them will become a problem. I think garvic was right suggesting the removal of the R. Shark, but the other tankmates are likely to eat the fry too. Good luck with the convicts, but be sure to plan ahead.

 

[garvic43]

I will listen to v227 not worth breeding if you have no idea what your plans are to do with so much fry because like he said they are just a dime a dozen fish probably would only be good to breed to have as a Feeder for bigger fishes. If you like them better off have all females or just a few males to prevent breeding