# Convict is laying eggs but



## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

the male is eating them as soon as she does, is this natural? sometimes she will flare her gills at him, but others she will just let him be. should we remove the male from the tank or seperate them? I think this is their first time, ive never noticed her laying eggs before


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Yep, happens all the time with new first-timers. It also happens a lot when the fish are overfed, because a big stomach is a hungry stomach that won't be denied. Give them a few more chances and they'll probably get it right eventually.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

oh ok because now the male is not eating them, he is rubbing his belly over them as well


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## Larry-T (Jan 18, 2005)

Rubbing his belly over them usually means he's fertilizing them. Hope it works out.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

well i managed to get a few pics, im hoping for the best


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## Alin10123 (May 22, 2005)

Larry-T said:


> Rubbing his belly over them usually means he's fertilizing them. Hope it works out.


You may want to remove the male from the tank after he fertilizes them otherwise he may go back and eat the eggs later on.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

if we remove him will they still get along when we put himback in with her?


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

well the eggs are still there, and both parents are defending territory, how long until they become fry?


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Google is your friend. 
http://www.geocities.com/the_dog.geo/


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

haha thanks, but i was never a big fan of google


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## aquatic_dynasty (Jun 15, 2005)

Lol, I had the same problem, the parents ate half of the first spawn so I remove the parents. They did so much better the 2nd time, and the 3rd time the male and female take care of the kids really well. They will attack your fingers!
Eggs takes about 3 days to hatch. I fed them microworms when they are free-swimming, after 1 month, I switch to regular fish flakes and eventually on to things such as blood worms and adult brineshrimp( they like this much better then blood worms ) They grow very rapidly and slow down at about 1 inch. It should take about 3-5 months for them to become that size depending on what you feed them.They should be reaching sexual maturity by then. Females will have a orange bellie, and males should be plain. They should be ready to breed at 1 and 1/2. Fast eh? I curently have 100 baby convicts at 1" from over 3 spawns. Parents are only 3 inches. They are a fry factory >_< !


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

wow! well i made another thread as they are hatching this morning, and im hoping they dont become food !


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## Mr Aquarium (Jan 18, 2005)

Unless I missed it, do you have any dither fish with them? Something that is pretty tuff but not mean, like tiger barbs or something.
COns really need dither fish to have something to turn that attention to when breeding, if they do not, the female could possably kill the male as it;s there nature to protext the eggs and fry from preditors, if the tank don;t have it, then yes you could run into the problems you are having.
my nieghber had several batchs right off the bat with 6 cons,,, and he had dither fish inthe tank.
I got one of the pairs from him that didn;t have fry yet and do you think these two will spawn....I was shocked when the gupps tank had fry in it...first time ever i had gups give fry, lol


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## Mr Aquarium (Jan 18, 2005)

Lets try this reply again,
Don;t you need to have dither fish with them for this being one of the reasons?
If you don;t have anything for the cons to protect the eggs and fry from, the female can also turn on the male 'resulting in death sometimes" as they have nothing to give that protection instinct to but themselfs.
I got a pair from a guy here "had 3 pairs" 2 paired up right away and had a couple sets of eggs or so within a couple weeks after he got them,
The ones I got from him have not had eggs yet.
not sure if they are to young yet, or what, but they don;t even bother the tigerbarb I have them with. He chases her around allot but that is about it.


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

I saw the cutest baby convicts at the pet store 2 for $1. They are adorable! I hope you get some babies!


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

well they hatched this morning if youll see my other thread. the mama has them in the gravel under a plant, as for other fish, clown loach, and a striped pike, and bluntnose gar. theres a green terror and texas cichlid, no shes not a "terror" she just doesnt like my texan! i figured if i got a dither fish it would have been food. I have yet to check on the convicts again


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