Convict tank :)

[Mrs.h2012]

Just made the deal, going to be taking some convicts off of a members hands here on Friday! This tank isn't going to be seen by anyone but me and my husband, so it doesn't have to be anything special. What is the ideal setup for a pair of convicts and some babies? This is my first go around with strictly cichlids. Advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Convict2161]

Sand would be good, some hiding places and ceramic plant pots. You can break them and place them in the sand. Maybe a piece of driftwood. Is just gonna be convicts or are you looking to add maybe a pleco or fire mouths, or something else?

Some slate and stones would work also.

 

[Ronnie05]

Sand ould be fine and they like gravel to they like to dig and make homes.lot of hiding place to several large rocks would work.Just be prepaired for a population explosion.They are excelent parents and most babies servive.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Sand would be good, some hiding places and ceramic plant pots. You can break them and place them in the sand. Maybe a piece of driftwood. Is just gonna be convicts or are you looking to add maybe a pleco or fire mouths, or something else?

Some slate and stones would work also.

Probably just going to be only them. If anything maybe a pleco, just depends.

 

[Convict2161]

Probably just going to be only them. If anything maybe a pleco, just depends.

If a pleco I'd get yourself at least one nice piece of driftwood.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

I read that it's really not the greatest idea to have live plants because they often get destroyed.... (I think i remember reading it was java fern or amazon sword that will work if you have live plants?)How true is that?

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Or I'm wondering if I should do this. Should I move all of my 55g inhabitants into my 30g and just use the 55g for the convicts? Since I've sadly. Had some deaths over the weekend and yesterday I now have this stock in my 55g
11 black ruby barbs
3 platies
3 ornate rainbows
2 Bolivian rams
1 raphael cat
1 albino pleco
4 bronzes, 2 peppered, 2 panda cories
2 (just figured this out) Chinese algae eaters (may end up taking them back or keep them in the 55 if they would be ok with convicts)..

Or if anyone has any suggestions as to what fish in my current stock would be ok with convicts could stay in the 55g.

thinking I may keep the pleco in the 55

 

[Convict2161]

Ok let me catch up. Those fish you listed are currently in the 55 and you wanna add convicts to the 55? Or you wanna add convicts alone in a 55 with a pleco. Sorry just trying to make sure I'm on the right page

Convicts in a 55 will work fine (a pair) you could add a pleco. You can even add a pair of fire mouths if you wanted to. Convicts breeding crazy so be ready for babies galore lol

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Ok let me catch up. Those fish you listed are currently in the 55 and you wanna add convicts to the 55? Or you wanna add convicts alone in a 55 with a pleco. Sorry just trying to make sure I'm on the right page

Convicts in a 55 will work fine (a pair) you could add a pleco. You can even add a pair of fire mouths if you wanted to. Convicts breeding crazy so be ready for babies galore lol

Sorry for making this confusing!
Ok, let's try this again. The original tank I was thinking of putting the convicts in was an empty 30g I have sitting in my room. You are correct about the fish I listed being my current fish that are in the 55g. What I'm wondering would be a better plan is if I take my current fish (and plants) out of my 55g and into the 30g so I can put the convicts in the 55g. So yes, add convicts by themselves along with the pleco and maybe the Chinese algae eaters in the 55g and move all my other fish to the 30g in my room.

 

[Convict2161]

Sorry for making this confusing!
Ok, let's try this again. The original tank I was thinking of putting the convicts in was an empty 30g I have sitting in my room. You are correct about the fish I listed being my current fish that are in the 55g. What I'm wondering would be a better plan is if I take my current fish (and plants) out of my 55g and into the 30g so I can put the convicts in the 55g. I might leave the pleco and possible the Chinese algae eaters (just figured out the algae eaters are Chinese algae eaters last night) in the 55g to go with the convicts, but move everyone else to the 30g.

Don't be sorry... That would work. The convicts and pleco with the CAE in the 55g. I bet it would be a nice setup!!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Do you have any idea about plants in the convict tank? If anything I will take all of my plants except an amazon sword and maybe the java fern out. If it seems to risky and the plants would get destroyed I will move all live plants to the 30g.

 

[Convict2161]

Do you have any idea about plants in the convict tank? If anything I will take all of my plants except an amazon sword and maybe the java fern out. If it seems to risky and the plants would get destroyed I will move all live plants to the 30g.

I had plants in my old convict tank at nothing lasted. When they start digging and re scaping your tank for you, anything is game lol. I literally had floating fern and anubias every other day. They even move stones!!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Ok let me catch up. Those fish you listed are currently in the 55 and you wanna add convicts to the 55? Or you wanna add convicts alone in a 55 with a pleco. Sorry just trying to make sure I'm on the right page

Convicts in a 55 will work fine (a pair) you could add a pleco. You can even add a pair of fire mouths if you wanted to. Convicts breeding crazy so be ready for babies galore lol

I am ready for that. I'm hoping LFS will buy them from me because that's one fish that they don't seem to have very often. I'm gonna ask anyway. And I thought by doing this I could finally get rid of my regret of not turning my 55 into a cichlid tank in the first place

 

[Mrs.h2012]

I had plants in my old convict tank at nothing lasted. When they start digging and re scaping your tank for you, anything is game lol. I literally had floating fern and anubias every other day. They even move stones!!

Ok. I have all of my fake plants from before I went with live plants that I can use. Would it be a waste of time putting them in there or should I just leave it without any plants and just have stones and pots and whatnot for them?

 

[Convict2161]

Ok. I have all of my fake plants from before I went with live plants that I can use. Would it be a waste of time putting them in there or should I just leave it without any plants and just have stones and pots and whatnot for them?

You can give the plants a try and see what happens. I go by this... Every tank and every tank personality is different. There are plenty of members here that have planted African cichlid tanks and they are fine. My tank of misfits wasn't having it lol.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

You can give the plants a try and see what happens. I go by this... Every tank and every tank personality is different. There are plenty of members here that have planted African cichlid tanks and they are fine. My tank of misfits wasn't having it lol.

I think I'll start out with the fake plants to see how things go and if all is well I may let some of amazon sword daughter plants I honestly don't have much room for, a try in the tank.

 

[Convict2161]

Sounds good! First time with convicts? And you KNOW I wanna see pics and I'm sure others do too!!!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Sounds good! First time with convicts? And you KNOW I wanna see pics and I'm sure others do too!!!

Yup, first time with them! I'm thinking I may go ahead and switch most of my fish out today... Or atleast start cleaning the 30g out. I'm getting really excited!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Sounds good! First time with convicts? And you KNOW I wanna see pics and I'm sure others do too!!!

What would you say I should do with my driftwood I just added to my 55? Is that something I should keep in the 55 for the convicts or should it go in the 30?

 

[Convict2161]

What would you say I should do with my driftwood I just added to my 55? Is that something I should keep in the 55 for the convicts or should it go in the 30?

If your gonna do a pleco then is keep the driftwood in the convict tank for the pleco. Also give them some hiding spots, a ceramic flower pot is good to use also.