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FAQs on Convict Cichlid Compatibility

Convict with an Oscar?
Hey,
About a year ago, my hubby and I bought a breeding pair of convict cichlids. They were very shy and would wait until I left the area near the tank to eat. About three weeks ago, the female died (no known cause) and the male seemed rather depressed. (By the way, the female was 1.5in and the male is 3.5in) I decided it was time to get him a tank buddy and picked out a 2in long Oscar. I removed my convict, all the plants, did a 15% water change, cleaned the rocks and moved all the plants and rocks around the tank. I placed the Oscar (in his pet store bag) in the tank and let him get used to everything for about an hour before releasing him. Then about 30min later, I put my convict back in the tank. I forgot to mention that this is a 55 gal tank with the works on filters. The convict has totally taken over, but hasn't bitten, rammed or tried to kill the Oscar. Was it a good idea to mix these two?
Thanks,
Becca
>>>Hi Becca,
Not only is a 2 inch Oscar an unsuitable tankmate for a convict, but I've seen 14" Oscars victimized by convicts no larger than 2"! The Oscar will sulk on the bottom of the tank, pale - and will not eat. This is a LARGE Oscar mind you, a smaller Oscar like yours will often be killed.
Remove the Oscar and look to other medium sized, more aggressive Central American Cichlids.
Regards
Jim<<<

Convict Trouble
Well, after that last e-mail, more problems came up.  First, the convict found a way over the divider.  I'm not sure how because it stuck up about 1in above the water level.  I guess he was determined.  But, he started really going after the Oscar and so I scooped him out of the tank before he was really hurt and placed him in a 5.5gal tank that I've had set up to put feeders in for a week.  He's the only fish in that tank and is much happier.
He was a bit stressed and changed from black and light blue to grey.  But he is eating and swimming around.  If there is any quick movement, he darts behind a plant or into a clear tube.  He seems to think he can't be seen and feels safe.  Go figure.  How long will he be able to stay in this little tank?  I have another tank coming to me that is a quite a bit larger, but I want to run it for a week before I put him in it.  Will he be fine for a week or two in this 5.5gal tank?  You have helped me out so much, between the site and the e-mails.  I thought I knew enough about cichlids, but I have learned so much from the site in the last 24hrs.
Thank you so much!  You helped me save my Oscar's life!!! : )
Becca
>>>Hello again Becca,
You did the right thing, and your Convict should be just fine until the larger tank arrives. Put a background on the tank, and some rocks for cover so he feels a bit more secure.
Cheers
Jim<<<

CONVICTS WITH RED DEVILS
Hi, I am a big fan now. You guys answered a question in record time for me about a year ago, and, are the only people who were able to answer it at all! But, anyway, I recently lost a female parrot who I have had for years and who had been paired up with my red devil . They were inseparable, and spawned many, many times. He has been depressed and hides now. (about 2 mos.) I bought a pair if convicts today in hopes of arousing his interest. He seems interested but not aggressive...yet. I hope to add to the convicts soon, But only if there is still peace., What is your advice? Are these two kinds of cichlids going to be able to co-exist? They are in a 200 gal. thanks, Lori C.
< If your pair of convicts decide to breed then they will not let any other fish close to their eggs and fry . The tank seems big enough so they should get along. Sometimes when the fry become free swimming the wander all over the tank regardless what the size. At this point the fry are very hard to catch and the parents will not tolerate any other fish in the tank.-Chuck>

Convict Cichlid Cell Mates 8/29/05
Hi, I have setup a tank of convict cichlids.  Before hand I had a Plecostomus and Rafael Catfish. Are these compatible?
<Depending on the size of the tank they should get along for awhile. When the convicts begin to breed they will chase everything away and the Pleco will attempt to eat the eggs and fry.>
Also, would convicts be compatible with Clown Loaches?
< This would be an interesting match up. The convicts are pretty aggressive but the clown loach has a secret weapon in that it has a little saber like spine under each eye. In a big enough tank they would probably leave each other alone. Watch out for ich with the loach.-Chuck>
thanks!

Sick Convicts?... CAE...    5/2/06
Hi!
<<Hi, Sharon. Tom>>
I recently purchased 2 female convicts for a 37 gallon tank.  They will be the only inhabitants except for a Chinese algae eater later on.
<<Sharon, you had me right up until the CAE. Do NOT add this fish to your aquarium! In my opinion, they shouldn't even be sold. They grow to a fairly large size and develop a "taste" for fish skin as adults, latching on to fish and sucking "juices" from tankmates - to death. The Siamese Algae Eater is, by far, a better choice but is a little more difficult to find.>>
My question has to do with coloring.  One of the females has beautiful dark stripes and coloring..  She has a little pink on her side. The other female is a bit smaller with drab stripes but with the female pink on her side.  Is this because she is a juvenile?
<<Likely but not all fish are created "equally". Some are just a little slow to develop. Also, it just might not happen. Time will tell here.>>
Thanks.  Sharon
<<Welcome. Tom>>
Thanks!  I did not realize that about a CAE.  I appreciate your help!
<<Glad to be of assistance, Sharon.>>
Sharon
<<Tom>>

Adding Fish To a Pair of Convicts - 05/05/2006
Hello, I've been browsing your website over the past few months and I've been able to pull tons of helpful information, probably more than I need. Thank you. As a novice hobbyist I share information, tips, hints with friends and local pet shop stores. As you probably could figure the information and "facts" are often inconsistent and also don't match to my experience so far, let me get to the point. I have a 20g tank currently with a 5" pink convict (male) a 4"black (striped) convict (female) and about 15 pink and striped 1" inch adolescence convicts (obviously). I originally inherited the convict when I didn't realize what I was in for and he promptly destroyed the Gourami a had. Anyway after some failed others including a large red devil (yikes that was a disaster) the store owner talked me into the striped convicts to which I bought about six and kept only one (giving the other to a friend. My first instinct after they had fry was to remove them but after inheriting a 55g I decided to hold off. Now I'm getting ready. I just purchases a Fluval 304 canister filter and I'm picking up a stand so I can fill the tank and prepare the water and I'm trying to decide what to do. I would like some variation. I was thinking about a Jack Dempsey or some other cichlids maybe 2 more of similar size. My other thought was, should I remove the female. I was already planning on getting rid of the young convicts in the tank. Will the male and female just become too territorial if I introduce other cichlids. I appreciate your advice as your site has been the most helpful in my hobby thus far. Any tips on this set up, compatibility with my convict including any other fish that may make the tank more interesting. I like the adaptability of the convict and wanted fish equally as adaptive. Thank you. Tim
< A breeding pair of convicts do require space. You need other big aggressive fish or fast fish. They will probably take over at least 1/2 of the 55 gallon. Jack Dempsey's, Firemouths, jewelfish, port Acaras, would all be worth a try. Large groups of schooling fish like rainbows or giant Danios would keep them busy for awhile too. Stay away from using African cichlids from Lake Malawi. they are very fast and have sharp teeth that can inflict lots of damage.-Chuck>

Convicts And Larger Cichlids 4/25/07
Hi folks, great site!
< Thanks for the kind words.>
Currently I have a pair of convicts and a Pleco in a 29 gallon tank. Tank has a lot of rocks and hidey holes for everyone, and I'm running a Top Fin 30 and a Emperor 280 bio wheel. Convicts are about 2-3 inches and the Pleco is about 4-5 inches. I am currently looking to get an additional tank. A 55 gallon tank is more in my range, but I have my eye out for a 75 gallon tank for a good price. I would like to get a couple of larger cichlids for the new tank and keep the convicts where they are now. Option 1: I'm thinking of a tiger Oscar (had 'em before, loved 'em), a Jack Dempsey (same), and another Pleco in the 55. I know those 2 are pushing a 55 gallon, but I would put a lot of filtration and don't mind the effort.
< The Jack Dempsey would get as big as the Oscar if it was a male. The Jack would probably be the more aggressive of the two.>
Option 2: My other thought is to put the convicts, Pleco, and either one of the larger fish in the 55, then do something entirely different with the 29 (I'm liking a Malawi tank). Now, if I get the 75 gallon tank I know these are not an issue. What are your thoughts on my two options? Thanks! Billy
<If the convicts pair up, they would hold their own with any larger cichlid. A 29 gallon is pretty tight for a Lake Malawi cichlid tank.-Chuck>

The female convict is being picked on what do I do 5/12/07
<Hey Jamie, You started off so well by saying "thanks Neale" on your follow-up messages. Please don't disappoint me! Anyway, Fighting between convict cichlids is common and impossible to prevent. The best you can do is try adding extra females (if the tank is big enough) or install a tank divider with a gap small enough for the female to swim through but not the male. You can also try re-arranging the decor, as this sometimes "resets" the social structure. Adding extra decorations (flower pots for example) can work by giving the female somewhere to rest and also by breaking up the line of sight (what the male can't see, he can't attack). But worst case scenario and nothing works, remove the male and find another one, preferably smaller than the female, and try again. Cheers, Neale>

Convict cichlids, comp. 7/11/07
Hi WWM! your site is very helpful. does a compatible convict pair get along as soon as they are introduced, or does it take a while for them to get used to each other and then they spawn? thanks Tim
<Oh boy, I wish people would take the effort to spell "thanks" in the traditional way. "Thanx" just screams "lazy self-absorbed teenager" to me! Anyway, no, convict cichlids do not "get along" straight out of the box. The best approach is to keep 6, and then let 2 pair off naturally. Introducing a male and female into a tank in the hopes of breeding often fails, to the degree the male kills an unreceptive female. Also, before trying to breed convicts, make sure you have a market for the fry. They are very fecund, and the fry are very very easy to rear. Few pet shops want hundreds of convict cichlids. Cheers, Neale>

Female Convict non-male companion 7/25/07
Dear WWW Crew,
5 or 6 wks ago a co-worker had convict cichlids that were breeding out of control (go figure). He netted up the babies and got them sold/given away. He missed one little female and was going to just flush her. Sigh. Sounded heartless to me so I took her & set her up in a spare 20 gal. I always keep spare bio-wheel filters hanging on my main tanks so I can have a fully cycled tank for quarantine or for emergencies such as this (learned that the hard way). I used water & gravel from a cycled tank and she's doing great, about 2 1/2" long.
I've become pretty attached to the little orphan, her name is "Lifer". I wanted to name her "20 to Life" but was out-voted.
My sister told me about your web site and told me to search 1st, which I did. But it seems most people keep convicts as pairs and most the information was about breeding. I don't want babies but would really like some suggestions as to a 'companion fish' for her. (will be quarantined of course). Maybe one of the smaller catfish? How about another female Convict? Also, do you think a 20 gallon would be big enough for another fish? If not I'll just leave her in there by herself.
Thanks for reading this and thank you for your undying dedication to this web site. No doubt you've saved thousands of fish with your advice!
Amelia
<Hello Amelia. Territorial fish like Convicts don't become "lonely" in the way humans do. We're sociable animals that have evolved to live in groups, and when we're alone, we feel sad. Territorial cichlids, on the other hand, have evolved to defend their "patch" fearlessly from potential competition, and view any other cichlids as rivals to be expelled at once! So unlike humans, they get unhappy when forced to live cheek-by-jowl with other cichlids in a too-small aquarium. The only time they break this rule is when the find a mate, and even then the truce is often only temporary! So, your female Convict is just fine by herself. I personally wouldn't recommend adding any more fish to a 20 gallon tank containing a Convict, since they have the potential to be pretty waspish. But is she's still a baby and pretty docile, you could add an Ancistrus sp. catfish of similar size, just making sure there were caves aplenty so each fish could set up home comfortably. Cheers, Neale.>

I have a question concerning convict cichlids comp. and elephant nose sel. 01/21/2008
<Ask away.>
Ok... Are elephant noses hardy fish?
<Not even close to being hardy. Among the most difficult freshwater fish commonly traded.>
What is the minimum tank size for one?
<On its own, likely around 150 l/40 gallons. They get pretty big if kept properly. In a community setting, much more space is needed, because they are territorial and their electric field does irritate some fish.>
Also, do they need to be put into groups, I was planning on getting just one.
<Elephant noses are best kept either singly or in groups of six or more. In twos and threes they tend to be unpredictable, and sometimes quite nasty to each other. Wild fish do live in schools though, so singletons are, unsurprisingly, rather shy (i.e., you don't see them most of the time).>
My other question is, are convicts really that aggressive, because I have friends who own these and they say they have had success keeping it with zebra Danios.
<Define "aggressive". Yes, Convicts are (for their size) very aggressive towards anything they deep as either a rival for nesting space or a potential predator on their offspring. So despite being relatively small cichlids, they are best kept in (big) community tanks that only include larger cichlids, such as Jaguars and Red Devils. On the other hand, in a spacious enough aquarium, Danios might well be ignored. The use of Danios and other surface-living fish has been widely documented among cichlid-keepers as sometimes beneficial. Such "dither fish" as Danios encourage the bottom-dwelling cichlids to stay out in the open more. So would such a combo work? Quite possible. Is it a good idea for the less experienced aquarist? Probably not.>
From your experience, are they really aggressive?
<I've kept Convicts in a 200 gallon tank with a Red Devil, a Jaguar Cichlid, some Firemouths, a Channel catfish and a Gar. They all got along fine. Read from that what you will, but I'd make the point that the Convicts were holding their own in a big tank filled with potentially aggressive and/or predatory tankmates.>
Will it be fine to keep it with n elephant nose?
<Absolutely not.>
Thanks for your time and thank you for your help.
<Happy to help, Neale.>

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