# Breeding Convict Cichlids As Feeder Fish



## Crest Glide

Here's what I do to have a constant supply of feeder fish.
You need a breeding pair of convicts around 1 1/2" to 2" in length. Females are usually smaller and have a more pronounced orange underbelly. You'll need a 20 gallon for the breeding pair and a 10 gallon for the grow-out tank with a thin layer of gravel(but bigger is always better). In the breeding tank i usually have the temp around 82 degrees f but at 84 to entice breeding, for only a short period of time, then back to 82 degrees. You can use two plastic cups as caves, with the bottoms cut out and sanded smooth around, overturned, and slightly filled with gravel to prevent them from floating up to the surface. The female will choose one cave to hang out, so when that happens remove the other cave. Also a single floating plant seems to make them feel more comfortable.

Feeding foods such as frozen blood worms also helps to speed up the breeding process. When ready, the female's stomach will start to swell up slightly. You can get anywhere from 100 to 200 eggs in a clutch, possibly even more. After their eggs are laid they will hatch in 3 days and become free swimming in another 2 days at higher temps instead of another 3-5. Don't do any water changes until a day or so after the fry become free swimming. During this time I've heard you can feed freshly hatched brine shrimp, which promotes growth, but I never have. I just used the powder cichlid fry food and a turkey baster. Also when you feed the parents shrimp and flake foods, they will chew it up and spit some out for the fry to eat.

Now if your 10 gallon has no fry, you can wait a week after they become free swimming to transfer them into it. To do this I make the parent's tank pitch black for an hour or more. When you do this the fry all huddle together in one spot which makes it easier to suck them up with a water siphon all at once. But if you already have older fry in the ten gallon you usually can leave the younger fry in with the parents for a month. Now wait a few days to do any water changes to the ten gallon. After that you can change the water every couple of days to promote growth. I keep my grow out tank at around 86 degrees f to get the fish more active, eating more and raising their metabolism. At this point I feed the fry crushed up Tetra-min Pro Crisps, pre-soaked for a few minutes so it sinks down to the bottom. Never mix the younger and older fry together as the older fry will tend to eat the younger fry. Following this my fish reach an inch to an inch and a half in only a month, give or take. Of course with a bigger/more tanks you could have more grow out and more breeding tanks to increase your yield.

If anyone else has anything they want to add feel free.


----------



## platinum1683

Yes the brine shrimp will help them out, and they will eat a few days after hatching. Convicts breed like crazy!


----------



## Sacrifice

LOL, yeah they breed like rabbits. My dad learned this the hard way. He through 5 or 6 of them in a 55g tank and within months he had around 50 or 60 1-2" convicts swimming around.


----------



## [email protected]°

I used to breed cons for food years ago.

It works quite well, and they do breed like crazy!!

I had a breeding pair in my 125 with my pygos. They nested in the roots of my plants, and would chase the P's away sometimes.


----------

