Convict Eggs HELP!

[joeythegreat]

I just got two convicts about 3 weeks ago. I was told that they were both male. I put them in a 10gl. with my peacock cichlid and a "chinese/japanese" (dont know which name is correct) algae eater. Well now I have eggs inside a pot that one convict has been guarding with his life. Am I correct that the peacock will just eat the fry, he is pretty aggresive? Is it too risky to move the eggs and parents to a new tank....I don't even have one set-up and cycled yet? Also, how long before the eggs hatch he has been guarding the pot for about a week. Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[DragonFish71]

Convicts are great parents. I loved breeding them. They will protect the fry as best they can against your other fish but if you want to keep the fry you should either re-home the other fish or set up a secondary tank for them to grow out in.

What I've always done with convicts, and still do with firemouths is have a large second tank set up, cycled, ready to go. Once the fry are a few days into being what's called wigglers, which is after hatching but before free swimming, I use a piece of 3/4 inch diameter clear tubing, (it can be larger too but the smaller is less flow so more gentle) and siphon them into the grow out tank, which I have already drained of water. Since you're using the water they were hatched in, acclimating them isn't an issue.

 

[joeythegreat]

Well I took a risk and put the peacock in my 30 gallon "non-aggressive" tank. That way the convicts can do their thing. Do you think the "chinese" algae eater will be okay in there with them? Also, do the fry have to be separated from the adults or can the grow up in the same tank?

 

[joeythegreat]

Sad...

Update...Sad to say but most of the eggs look pretty cloudy. The have been laid for about 3 days now and from what Ive read the should be "hatching" soon. the 1 convict protecting them is kicking the other ones butt. it has chased it to the point that it has lost its coloring and is constantly hiding. I haven't read anything about aggression between the parents so Im starting to think that maybe the fish was already carrying the eggs when I got her and that the pair that I got are not actually a "couple". Either way I'm am not very optimistic anymore.

 

[joeythegreat]

Update...
All but a few of the eggs dissapeared overnight. I'm assuming that they were eaten because I don't see any "wigglers" under where the egss were. We'll try again soon hopefully.