Killer Convict

[Stix87]

Hello everyone. I HAD two convict cichlids. One male and one female. They lived peacefully for a day or two then the male turned on her and killed her. I bought a new female and over night he killed her too. I wanted to know why he is soo aggressive toward his own kind? I have read that they can kill oscars and other large cichlids and their very aggressive but that they were okay with their own kind. In the time that he has killed the two females he has grown from 1.5'' to 2'' and most of the females my LFA has are only 1''-1.5'' so i cant buy any more b/c he would over power them easily?
Any ideas? Maybe i can raise a male and female in separte tanks until their full grown. Then join them??

I have also added a few(3) cherry barbs and one zebra danio into the tank during the 2nd female's time as dither fish but he doesnt even mind the smaller fish. He just gets mad when i add female convicts.... Maybe ill take him back and start fresh with two new smaller convicts.

[Alin10123]

Originally Posted by Stix87

Hello everyone. I HAD two convict cichlids. One male and one female. They lived peacefully for a day or two then the male turned on her and killed her. I bought a new female and over night he killed her too. I wanted to know why he is soo aggressive toward his own kind? I have read that they can kill oscars and other large cichlids and their very aggressive but that they were okay with their own kind. In the time that he has killed the two females he has grown from 1.5'' to 2'' and most of the females my LFA has are only 1''-1.5'' so i cant buy any more b/c he would over power them easily?
Any ideas? Maybe i can raise a male and female in separte tanks until their full grown. Then join them??

I have also added a few(3) cherry barbs and one zebra danio into the tank during the 2nd female's time as dither fish but he doesnt even mind the smaller fish. He just gets mad when i add female convicts.... Maybe ill take him back and start fresh with two new smaller convicts.

What's the size of your tank?
I've heard that chiclids act one of two ways... you either need to put lots of them in a tank, or put one in a tank.

[Stix87]

It is a 20g tank. I have some lava rock and a flower pot on its side as a cave. Ive read that one pair of breeding convict need 30g, but i figured the 20g was okay since the pair was fairly small with i started

[ron v]

Oops. I just answered in your other thread.... Cichlids are MORE aggressive towards there own kind. In the wild, survival of the strongest, is the rule. The males stake out territories and defend it against other males of his species. Even when pairing, males and females will engage in fights to determine "worthyness" ( is that a word"). And Stix, as you suspected, a 20 gal. tank is likely too small for convicts. A 30 may also be too small. Since you have only one convict left, maybe you should consider trading him in and getting something else.

[Georgia Peach]

you cant just buy a pair of convicts and expect them to co-habitate. They have to choose their own partners. That convict will continue to kill everyone you try to ad so I advise you to stop wasting your money and stop sentencing fish to an angry death. Also, a 20 gal is way to small for convicts.

[ron v]

Peach, once again, I agree with you. LOL.

[bichirboy]

My two get along famously and have for a year. They don't even look twice at the other fish which include two suncats, two senegal bichirs and a brown knife.

[fishfreaks]

Originally Posted by Georgia Peach

you cant just buy a pair of convicts and expect them to co-habitate. They have to choose their own partners. That convict will continue to kill everyone you try to ad so I advise you to stop wasting your money and stop sentencing fish to an angry death. Also, a 20 gal is way to small for convicts.

Agreed^^ A 30 gallon would be ok for one, but not two. Especially a male and female.