hmm...another first aquarium idea

[Chris Arnold]

Still going with sand and java moss with a piece of driftwood...what if
I started to cycle with a male convict chiclid, added a female and let them
spawn, and then add a larger more dominating fish to serve as population
control? I would like to heavily plant the tank so the breeding pair have
hiding space, but still leave room for the dominator to keep the population
down.

I think the convicts look like really fun and characterful fish. I may also
be able to aquire a pair of them free of charge....hmm...interesting
thoughts...are there any algea eaters that are compatable with them? big
snails?

[NetMax]

"Chris Arnold" > wrote in message
.com...
> Still going with sand and java moss with a piece of
driftwood...what if
> I started to cycle with a male convict chiclid, added a female and let
them
> spawn, and then add a larger more dominating fish to serve as
population
> control? I would like to heavily plant the tank so the breeding pair
have
> hiding space, but still leave room for the dominator to keep the
population
> down.

Believe it or not, the Convicts could/would probably kill the larger
predator in these circumstances.

> I think the convicts look like really fun and characterful fish. I may
also
> be able to aquire a pair of them free of charge....hmm...interesting
> thoughts...are there any algea eaters that are compatable with them?
big
> snails?

Convicts can be hard on plants. What they don't munch, they excavate to
have line of sight, or the plants are just a victim of the Convict's
digging. Most plecs and algae eaters are compatible. They get a few
shots and learn to stay away from the Convicts, who are just guarding
their eggs.

ps: a free pair of Convicts is not really a good thing, even for free
;~), unless you really _want_ to be breeding Convicts...jmo
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Chris Arnold]

NetMax > wrote in message
. ..
> "Chris Arnold" > wrote in message
> .com...
> > Still going with sand and java moss with a piece of
> driftwood...what if
> > I started to cycle with a male convict chiclid, added a female and let
> them
> > spawn, and then add a larger more dominating fish to serve as
> population
> > control? I would like to heavily plant the tank so the breeding pair
> have
> > hiding space, but still leave room for the dominator to keep the
> population
> > down.
>
> Believe it or not, the Convicts could/would probably kill the larger
> predator in these circumstances.
>
> > I think the convicts look like really fun and characterful fish. I may
> also
> > be able to aquire a pair of them free of charge....hmm...interesting
> > thoughts...are there any algea eaters that are compatable with them?
> big
> > snails?
>
> Convicts can be hard on plants. What they don't munch, they excavate to
> have line of sight, or the plants are just a victim of the Convict's
> digging. Most plecs and algae eaters are compatible. They get a few
> shots and learn to stay away from the Convicts, who are just guarding
> their eggs.
>
> ps: a free pair of Convicts is not really a good thing, even for free
> ;~), unless you really _want_ to be breeding Convicts...jmo
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>
>
>

[Chris Arnold]

NetMax > wrote in message
. ..
> "Chris Arnold" > wrote in message
> .com...
> > Still going with sand and java moss with a piece of
> driftwood...what if
> > I started to cycle with a male convict chiclid, added a female and let
> them
> > spawn, and then add a larger more dominating fish to serve as
> population
> > control? I would like to heavily plant the tank so the breeding pair
> have
> > hiding space, but still leave room for the dominator to keep the
> population
> > down.
>
> Believe it or not, the Convicts could/would probably kill the larger
> predator in these circumstances.

Really...wow.

> > I think the convicts look like really fun and characterful fish. I may
> also
> > be able to aquire a pair of them free of charge....hmm...interesting
> > thoughts...are there any algea eaters that are compatable with them?
> big
> > snails?
>
> Convicts can be hard on plants. What they don't munch, they excavate to
> have line of sight, or the plants are just a victim of the Convict's
> digging. Most plecs and algae eaters are compatible. They get a few
> shots and learn to stay away from the Convicts, who are just guarding
> their eggs.

will they dig up grassy plants? like java moss? I dont mind the stuff being
eaten. maybe a couple male convicts is what I am looking for, I am looking
for a characterful fish, and I would like to watch babies being raised, but
I dont want a bunch of babies...perhaps I will save that venture for when I
get a bigger tank, perhaps just a betta and some pygmy cories, cycling with
the betta, then three cories, then two more, and then maybe adding some
mollies or somthing else pretty and small.

> ps: a free pair of Convicts is not really a good thing, even for free
> ;~), unless you really _want_ to be breeding Convicts...jmo
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>
>
>

[Matt]

A freind of mine had a breeding pair of Convicts in a 55 Gal. tank with a
pleco. They attacked the pleco and ate one of it's eyes before my friend
put the pleco in another tank.


> Convicts can be hard on plants. What they don't munch, they excavate to
> have line of sight, or the plants are just a victim of the Convict's
> digging. Most plecs and algae eaters are compatible. They get a few
> shots and learn to stay away from the Convicts, who are just guarding
> their eggs.
>
> ps: a free pair of Convicts is not really a good thing, even for free
> ;~), unless you really _want_ to be breeding Convicts...jmo
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>
>

[NetMax]

"Chris Arnold" > wrote in message
.com...
>
> NetMax > wrote in message
> . ..
> > "Chris Arnold" > wrote in message
> > .com...
> > > Still going with sand and java moss with a piece of
> > driftwood...what if
> > > I started to cycle with a male convict chiclid, added a female and
let
> > them
> > > spawn, and then add a larger more dominating fish to serve as
> > population
> > > control? I would like to heavily plant the tank so the breeding
pair
> > have
> > > hiding space, but still leave room for the dominator to keep the
> > population
> > > down.
> >
> > Believe it or not, the Convicts could/would probably kill the larger
> > predator in these circumstances.
>
> Really...wow.
>
> > > I think the convicts look like really fun and characterful fish. I
may
> > also
> > > be able to aquire a pair of them free of
charge....hmm...interesting
> > > thoughts...are there any algea eaters that are compatable with
them?
> > big
> > > snails?
> >
> > Convicts can be hard on plants. What they don't munch, they excavate
to
> > have line of sight, or the plants are just a victim of the Convict's
> > digging. Most plecs and algae eaters are compatible. They get a few
> > shots and learn to stay away from the Convicts, who are just guarding
> > their eggs.
>
> will they dig up grassy plants? like java moss? I dont mind the stuff
being
> eaten. maybe a couple male convicts is what I am looking for, I am
looking
> for a characterful fish, and I would like to watch babies being raised,
but
> I dont want a bunch of babies...perhaps I will save that venture for
when I
> get a bigger tank, perhaps just a betta and some pygmy cories, cycling
with
> the betta, then three cories, then two more, and then maybe adding some
> mollies or somthing else pretty and small.

I don't think they would bother with Java moss. I often throw a clump of
moss in for fry development. Cichlids are all characterful ;~), not just
Convicts. As soon as cichlids start spawning, they become much more
agressive about securing their territory and protecting their fry.
Convicts just happen to spawn more easily than most cichlids. Bigger
tanks are needed for bigger cichlids.
--
www.NetMax.tk

> > ps: a free pair of Convicts is not really a good thing, even for free
> > ;~), unless you really _want_ to be breeding Convicts...jmo

[bol]

On Fri, 14 May 2004 02:32:33 -0400, "NetMax"
> wrote:


>
>ps: a free pair of Convicts is not really a good thing, even for free
>;~), unless you really _want_ to be breeding Convicts...jmo


lol. also, no matter how big and mean your "population control" fish
is (if he survives the pair), be prepared for many of the sneaky
little fry to survive to adulthood leading to more fry. It's amazing
how well convicts can survive.