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Tank Set-up for Cons...

4K views 31 replies 9 participants last post by  monisaab 
#1 ·
Last night we (me & kids) went to the LFS and bought 6 Convict juveniles (around 1").

How do I go about setting up the tank?

It is a 30" X 15" x 12" tank.
 
#2 ·
I'd set it up with a lot of hiding places for them, clay pots (broken, no bottom, unbroken, on sides, etc), some rocks, fake plants, etc. are all great decor. This will allow them to escape each other if there is any chasing and also adds "line of sight breaks".

Good luck! :thumb:
 
#6 ·
Chubbs the Jellybean said:
I'd set it up with a lot of hiding places for them, clay pots (broken, no bottom, unbroken, on sides, etc), some rocks, fake plants, etc. are all great decor. This will allow them to escape each other if there is any chasing and also adds "line of sight breaks".
I agree!

I use rock and driftwood instead of clay pot, though clay pot is very usefull and practical as well. Once you obtain a pair and they grow larger, you may want to remove some decor to provide more swimming space.

30" x 15" x 12"-----you want to use space effeciently. Space is space and is at a premium in a CA tank! Provide a lot of shelter at the bottom of the tank. Large round rocks are very wastefull of valuable space. 2nd and 3rd layer caves are seldom utilized by CA cichlids so don't build them just to look pretty because it takes up valuable swimming space! I have found that a rock leaned up aginst a corner ( and secured with something heavy in front) is almost always the preffered cave and spawning site of many cichlids-----it uses up corners which are not useable swimming space and is more easily defended since it is protected with a wall on 2 sides.
Salvini with eggs:
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/6o25.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/6o19.jpg
With wrigglers:
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/6y9.jpg
Con pair using the corner as their cave....always the preffered area ('pink' male and striped female inside their area, shown at end of video):
http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/?action=view&current=MVI_2001.mp4
Jewels laying eggs:
http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/?action=view&current=fish3270.mp4
 
#8 ·
Boston_Guapote said:
He actually has a few of these similar videos on this main channel. They are great videos.

But back to the subject I would say that it really depends on what you like too as far as aquascaping. The clay pots are very popular for a reason (because they work very well), but you have to ask yourself if you like that look. I started off with pots in some of my early cichlid tanks but try for more of a natural look now and stick to rocks and drift wood mostly.

-Cage
 
#9 ·
thanks Cage...

I've been keeping Mbuna for the last year or so and have tried to put lots of rocks i the tank...

I will see if I can find some flat rocks to put in the corners first, if I can't find'em, I'll work with pots...
 
#13 ·
I have never heard of anybody using pine cones in a tank before. I don't know that I would try that but if you were thinking about it I would pre-soak them for a long time before putting them in.

But hey, just because I haven't heard it done doesn't mean it will not work.

-Cage
 
#15 ·
I thought of this after my last post, pine needles are acidic. I don't think that means that pine cones are but it is something to consider. If you are going to try them you will need to do a good presoak anyways. So you could always test the water before and after the soak to see if it will effect it or not.

-Cage
 
#17 ·
looks as if we have got there are 2 pairs in the six fish that we had got...

2 fish have taken-over 1 side and 2 others have taken-over the other side of the tank...

Out of the remaining 2 fish 1 looks like a female as I can see the orangish shade on the belly, the 6th fish is the smallest of the lot...
 
#20 ·
lol... yes it sure is fast...

The parents are keeping the other pair and the lone female at the other corner of the tank...

How long should I keep the fry within the same tank?
 
#23 ·
Its WC time but I am not sure if I should change the water or not because of the fry and the wrigglers???

How much water should I change???
 
#24 ·
The first pair and their fry and doing well... they are using nearly half the tank...

The second pair ate their wrigglers a couple of days ago and the male ousted the female from the cave...

Should I change the female??? OR

Should I take 1 of the 2 females out of the 10 gallon and put the male in its place???
 
#26 ·
Store bought convicts are bullet proof, I have put them through quite a few test trying to understand how fish respond to different water parameters. Do water changes as you normally would.

As far as pulling fry, if you want to keep a large portion of them I would pull them, but I would suggest that for any fish. If you don't mind saving loads of fry then I would just leave them in with the parents and see how they fair.
 
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