[rodney]

I just went out and bought 2 convicts home, but it looks like there has been alot of fighting and damage, could any experts tell me if this convict is a male or female?

 

[Discus_Lover]

looks female but cant tell with pic check for color around the belly usually a pink to red.That will tell u its a female

 

[rodney]

Well there has been tons of aggression, this is the stronger of the two and im sure the other is a female.

I cant really tell the color of the belly, it just looks blue and grey LOL

Should I try to get another pic?

 

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I'd say female based on the orange spots on the side.

 

[Discus_Lover]

try to get a good pic of them being aggressive thats usually when their colors come out.Red to orange belly = Female

 

[danepatrick]

thats defenately a female. that orange sheen on it's side wouldn't be there if it weren't.

 

[rodney]

Hey thanks guys and gals. I guess it is a female after all. the question now is what to do with the extra female?

I'll try to give it back to petsmart but im not so sure they will take her back because she is pretty beat up...

 

[phishphood]

Not sure about your petsmart, but the ones here usually have like a 14day guarantee....no questions asked.

 

[rodney]

Yeah! I think thats what they said but I wasn't sure...

I'll see about that this weekend!

 

[Wingsdlc]

What size tank are you keeping them in? I have kept a trio (1M-2F) in a 55G with no problems. The male actually took turns breeding with the two females.

 

[Discus_Lover]

Anytime you add new cichlids to your tank try switching your decorations around to reset their territories.That usually helps adding new cichlids cause they have to start over and make new spots and have nothing to fight over.

 

[rodney]

Wingsdlc: They are in a 20 gallon long for now.

Discus love: Thanks for the advice, I will move around my plants and caves the best I can before adding the male.

I plan on doing so this weekend. I'll try to get some pictures up.

 

[rodney]

Oh, I was thinking about putting about 6 cory catfish with them. Would this be a problem?

If so does anyone know of any other fish or bottom dweller they will be O.K with?

 

[Discus_Lover]

Oh, I was thinking about putting about 6 cory catfish with them. Would this be a problem?

If so does anyone know of any other fish or bottom dweller they will be O.K with?

Personally i havent had any luck with corys and cichlids, i would go with some kind of pleco or Ralphy cat they are alot tougher.roud:

 

[rodney]

I went to my lfs and picked up another convict. I think I got it right this time, but I will post more pics for an I.D. They also had dwarf puffers so I picked up three.

Does anyone else think petsmart is sort of hard to deal with. Everytime I go there and buy a fish they all ways seem to be in some huge rush. IDK could just be me talking...

I checked out their bottom feeders and they wasn't much but a regular one( the kind that get up to 24") and a bulldog pleco.

The two convicts I have now are very reserved and shy so I should be able to get maybe some schooling fish or something. Does anyone know if dwarf puffers eat shrimp eggs or fry/babies/culls? LOL not sure what you call em'.

 

[Discus_Lover]

id watch out for petsmart they dont treat sick fish and u should definitly start a hospice tank if you buy all your fish from them

 

[rodney]

AACKKK! Turns out the convict is a male and their digging a egg pit in my tank after just one day. And my black snail just laid some eggs in my puffer tank! and Im waiting for my pregnant shrimp to give birth!

Im ganna need more tanks!!!...which is a good thingroud:

Oh, and i just did the most make-shift poor mans Co2 in the history of diy co2. There are zip ties and duct tape everywhere, all hosed and taped to my Diy bubble counter!:icon_conf

 

[typically]

i wouldn't put any other fish in with the convicts. i have a pair and i had 3 loaches in with them and once the pair started breeding they were chasing the loaches non-stop. there is a pleco in there and the convicts still chase him around once in awhile but they don't really mess with him to much anymore. i plan on feeding the babies to the oscar up in my bedroom =]

 

[Got Fish?]

Females have a larger red spot on their stomach than the male, u might have to wait awhile before you can see...are they bolivian rams, or blue rams>???