# Keyholes and Convicts together?



## camb113 (Jun 13, 2009)

Hey im about to start up a new tank
and wondering if i can mix these two cichlids and what other fish i could put in the tank.
Thanks:fish:


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Short-term, they will be fine, long-term the convicts will either beat up or keep the keyholes from eating. It also depends on the size of the tank. Convicts might be satisfied with half of a 125 gallon tank. I think traditional tank mates are cories, plecos and tetras, but the tank needs to be big enough that they can escape the cichlids. I don't think they are a good mix. Convicts are very aggressive and like hard water, the others are very shy and like soft water. 

http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=132
http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=139

I would get a pair of keyholes in a 30L with 1 pleco and some cardinal tetra. In a 55 or larger, you could have a pair and a nice group of a larger tetra.


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## camb113 (Jun 13, 2009)

Thanks. is there any other cichlids that would go with Convicts?


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## Finz4Fun (Jan 31, 2009)

camb113 said:


> Thanks. is there any other cichlids that would go with Convicts?



Firemouths generally do well with them.


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## camb113 (Jun 13, 2009)

Well im thinking about getting a pair of convicts and maybe one firemouth.
Oh yeh and the tank is going to be a 55 gal.
:fish:


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## snowyangel (Jun 24, 2009)

If your convicts are a pair, get ready to rumble! They will be more territorial. I owned convicts as juvies with my 5 keyholes in the past in a 4 foot tank. Even though the keyholes were 2.5x bigger, those convicts were bullies to everything in the tank. I've read of convicts taking on oscars and other fish bigger them too. Just something to think about.


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## camb113 (Jun 13, 2009)

Im guessing that firemouths would be fine even with a pair of convicts because ive seen them take on oscars


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

oscars are kind of wimpy. Most large predators are. Anything that doesn't fit in their mouth doesn't interest them. Red devils, though, beat fish up for fun. When convicts have fry, they get very aggressive. The size tank the want starts small and gets bigger year after year. If you keep them with other fish, have a plan for pulling a victim of aggression, nursing it back to health and getting it a new home. Central american cichlids kind of 'talk' to each other with movements and work out a pecking order and territorial lines. But the fish seem to get meaner and greedier every year and there will usually come a time when the tank is too small for everyone. I think convict and firemouths might do ok when young. But you'd need a plan to rehome the firemouth and 1000 convict fry eventually. 

I would suggest a bachelor tank, but you have to be sure of the sexes or risk mixed pairs.


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## camb113 (Jun 13, 2009)

i definently want convicts but i dont think ill get a pair. i might just get 1 convict one firemouth and something else?


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## camb113 (Jun 13, 2009)

Will Bristlenose Plecos be good with Firemouths and convicts


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