# My black convict cichlids are so intelligent fish!



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

I have had them for about one year by now. My black convict cichlids are so fascinating species to watch long hours of enjoyment in my own computer room. The great part about breeding convict cichlids, watching the parents care given to the (babies) fry. They are very good protective to the fry. Awesome! Never complain about them how many babies I get! LOL! I wouldn't mind........ The convict cichlid is probably ranked number 3 out of all cichlids as far as popularity goes as I think. That's my opinion! :wink:


----------



## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

the picture says page not found.


----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)




----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

evil wizard said:


> the picture says page not found.


Thanks for posting! I tried to figure it out how to put my picture there. Now I got it!


----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

I took them out my 7 juvenile black convict cichlids were transferred to another my big 48 gallon tank to a new home with mbuna cichlids. My striped raphael catfish died about one year ago. Missed my favorite striped Raphael catfish. I decided to give me a try for those juvenile black convict convict cichlids are doing great good job cleaning as scavenge on the bottom of the gravel. They are always searching any kinds of food on the gravel. They are also quite curious. They are very hardy fish. The Convict Cichlid is an aggressive cichlid that can only be kept with similarily sized or larger fish that have the same temperament as aggressive fish. So I wouldn't worry about them. The Convict Cichlids are fairly easy to care for provided their water is kept clean. I loved them so much! That's why they are so intelligent fish!


----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)




----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

Amazed! My young juvenile black convict cichlid took my baby mbuna cichlid fry to eat it. No matter what they do. Unwanted too many babies fry. It's part for their job to do it. No wonder how they do that? Very interesting my young black convict cichlid!!


----------



## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

oh HOLY CRAP!!!thats a lot of fish.im surprised that you can even maintain that beast of a tank.but how big is the tank with the "thousand"convicts in it?30 gallons?


----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

evil wizard said:


> oh HOLY CRAP!!!thats a lot of fish.im surprised that you can even maintain that beast of a tank.but how big is the tank with the "thousand"convicts in it?30 gallons?


Well! Actually it is not the beast of a tank. Not even in "thousand" convicts in it!. Mine is 30 gallons tank! 2 adult males and 2 adult females. They gave their newborn babies fry about 30 on each both parents. Mamma and Pappa for themselves! They are very much lovers! Like big hearts! When the babies fry grew up to become juveniles about 5 or 6 months old. Their parents gave newborn babies fry about 30. Both parents tried to save their babies fry but they couldn't. They tried to chase them away. Unfortunately the babies fry just went disappeared. They just went poof gone! Because young juveniles are very smart and they know how to steal their babies fry and would eat them too! Both parents gave another newborn babies fry on each month. They tried to save them but they couldn't. 

Sometimes they will chase on each other or they would get fight hard as they will go die. Few black convict cichlid (juveniles) died. It can happened to themselves! 

I've post on classified ads on Kijiji. Black Convict Cichlid Juveniles are free give away. They would come and pick them up. About 30 black convict juveniles were placed in a good homes.


----------



## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

yep and another 60 will replace them as soon as you give away 30.its a cruel cycle for us.get out while you can.


----------



## CoryDee (Aug 26, 2014)

evil wizard said:


> yep and another 60 will replace them as soon as you give away 30.its a cruel cycle for us.get out while you can.


Would you like to explain what you mean by your post as I don't get your meaning?
Btw capitals at the start of a sentence & spaces after full stops make reading easier, especially as I need new specs


----------



## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

Fine i will use better grammar. I mean that they breed so fast that once you find a home for 30 of them another 60 will be waiting to take the 30es place. So he might as well get out of breeding them while he can before he is over run with them.


----------



## CoryDee (Aug 26, 2014)

Thank you. I agree that convicts are prolific breeders but as long as he can place all the offspring then there's no problem & I'm sure if it does become a problem then he'll separate them.


----------



## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

well it can take a while to find a home for just 1 fish.imagine 60 every month!!!


----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

Because my convict cichlids breeding out of control! I wants to stop my convicts from constantly breeding. They soon overpopulated the tank. I'm planning about the only thing I can do to stop convicts from breeding is to separate the males from the females. Will just give me from time to time. Remove the eggs as a solution!! Possibly! I don't want them to breed so much. I can leave the fry with parents and they will protect them instead of breeding. Then once they are ready to breed. They'll eat the fry and breed again. I might have one or two survive each spawn but not many will. To separating male from female is one solution. That's good 60 batches left. My goal is to have remove fry much less then 20 times. There are zero survivors!! 
All male convicts in the tank will work? Conceivably yes, it could work. I can pull that off! I can handle it very well! I do know how to do it!


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

CA cichlids and awesome, interesting and aggravating. I have the same issue with Cutteri.


----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

emc7 said:


> CA cichlids and awesome, interesting and aggravating. I have the same issue with Cutteri.


Thanks!


----------



## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

im not sure but i bet someone online would be interested as using them as fish food for an oscar or something?


----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

Thanks for your thinking!In somewhat as I can manage it. Or either way is to take all the decorations and the caves out.In the house tank looks plain. Babies fry aren't find the place to hide.


----------



## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

or if you eat fish,you could have some sushi if you get my drift.


----------



## CountryTrap (Oct 27, 2014)

I use to use my convict fries as feeders for my OB Peacocks. And juveniles for my Midas, and Flowerhorn. As soon as I'd run out, more would replace those. Such a beautiful cycle.


----------



## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

if you see the smaller "cycle"being eaten,it isn't that beautiful to watch is it?haha lol but yeah it shows that everything and everyone "helps"(mostly by being food)one another in one way or another.


----------



## CountryTrap (Oct 27, 2014)

Never bothered me, lol. My Flowerhorn would take his weekly pinky down to the bottom of the tank and let it go, and go about it all again.


----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

CountryTrap said:


> I use to use my convict fries as feeders for my OB Peacocks. And juveniles for my Midas, and Flowerhorn. As soon as I'd run out, more would replace those. Such a beautiful cycle.


That's great idea! What you do with the convict fries as feeders for your fish....? What's the recipe? Frozen fish or dried fish? :???::roll:


----------



## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

CountryTrap said:


> I use to use my convict fries as feeders for my OB Peacocks. And juveniles for my Midas, and Flowerhorn. As soon as I'd run out, more would replace those. Such a beautiful cycle.


I likes your idea. I would prefer to use the frozen fish food as feeder for my cichlids. In my brain turns the light bulb on! Oh yes, it is such a beautiful cycle!  Thank you! 

I am going to try use homemade fish food. *"Cichlid Food Recipe". * LOL! 

*CICHLID FOOD RECIPE*
1/2 pound Cichlids (juveniles/fries) 
1/2 pound frozen shelled peas
1/2 cup dried seaweed.

*Directions to follow: *

1. All ingredients minus the seaweed dried to a blender. Pulse and incorporate well. I want a smooth "paste-like" consistency. 

2. Bring 2 cups of water to a simmer in a large pot. To dissolve it! 

3. Once the mixture has been completely well. 

4. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for a couple hours. 

5. Slice the set food into dime sized pieces and place in a large freezer bag. 

6. Store in freezer. 

*To Use: -*

1. Take out as many cubes as my fish will be able to completely eat in 1-2 minutes time.

2. place in cup and add room temperature water. Allow the food to thaw.

3. Clean any uneaten food from the tank after 2 minutes. :mrgreen:


----------

