New BABY -

**Thunders Mom** · 04-15-2009, 02:29 PM

FISH!!!! I was doing a good cleaning job of aquarium and out of no where I see this baby fish!

I don't know who had or how many there may have been, but I have a baby fish!!! I was so excited when I saw it! It is now in a protective floating cell!

**Aim** · 04-15-2009, 02:32 PM

Cool!

We have had baby fish and that is exactly how I found them. Only one is still alive and it is almost full grown now.

I kinda like that fish the most. lol

**TobysTrix** · 04-15-2009, 02:51 PM

Protective floating cell?

What kind of fish do you have? We've got a cichlid tank, and we used to have several different kinds. The "convicts" (not sure of their official name, but that's how the fish store refers to them and they're black and grey stripes so it makes sense) were prolific breeders. One pair had three broods, and a lot of each survived, to the point that they were over-running the tank. Whereas my beautiful jewel cichlids have had three broods none of which lasted beyond small fry stage. So last week we tried to get everyone except the five adult jewels out of the tank, and boy was that a task! There were about 50 juvenile convicts and 20 adult to small adult sized ones, all of which got re-homed to the fish store (three juveniles escaped capture and may still be in the tank... or may be breakfast, not sure). I'm hoping that this time the jewels will have more success breeding without the competition!

**jzgrlduff** · 04-15-2009, 03:14 PM

I wanna see! Take a picture!

**Allie** · 04-15-2009, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by TobysTrix

Protective floating cell?

What kind of fish do you have? We've got a cichlid tank, and we used to have several different kinds. The "convicts" (not sure of their official name, but that's how the fish store refers to them and they're black and grey stripes so it makes sense) were prolific breeders. One pair had three broods, and a lot of each survived, to the point that they were over-running the tank. Whereas my beautiful jewel cichlids have had three broods none of which lasted beyond small fry stage. So last week we tried to get everyone except the five adult jewels out of the tank, and boy was that a task! There were about 50 juvenile convicts and 20 adult to small adult sized ones, all of which got re-homed to the fish store (three juveniles escaped capture and may still be in the tank... or may be breakfast, not sure). I'm hoping that this time the jewels will have more success breeding without the competition!

I'm surprised either your convicts or your jewels haven't killed everybody else! You must have at least a 55g tank. You are lucky that the fish store took them. Most fish stores won't, just because Cons breed so easily. I have a single Con (a male, pink) that we keep in one of our African cichlid tanks. The last time we had breeders we had to euthanize most of them.

You should try Africans with your jewels. They are mostly mouthbrooders and it is easier to raise the fry in a separate tank if you want. You can also separate the fry from the jewel pair if you want survivors--it will make it more likely that the others won't eat them, or even the parents. I had jewels awhile ago but had trouble sexing them and they never spawned.

Thunders Mom--Congrats!

**Thunders Mom** · 04-15-2009, 03:58 PM

You two are talking over my head!!! LOL, I have a 55g tank with fish in it!!!

LOL, ok couple of mollys, guppies, neons, convicts (orange and black striped?) 1 male betta and a large plocostimus(sp?) and I am being overrun my snails!!! I've tried several things to get rid of them and not working. I'm hand picking them now!

I'll take a picture and try to post tonite. Allie - where's your picture you promised me awhile ago?

**TobysTrix** · 04-15-2009, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Allie

I'm surprised either your convicts or your jewels haven't killed everybody else! You must have at least a 55g tank. You are lucky that the fish store took them. Most fish stores won't, just because Cons breed so easily. I have a single Con (a male, pink) that we keep in one of our African cichlid tanks. The last time we had breeders we had to euthanize most of them.

You should try Africans with your jewels. They are mostly mouthbrooders and it is easier to raise the fry in a separate tank if you want. You can also separate the fry from the jewel pair if you want survivors--it will make it more likely that the others won't eat them, or even the parents. I had jewels awhile ago but had trouble sexing them and they never spawned.

Thunders Mom--Congrats!

I'm totally hijacking this thread - sorry!

We have a 75 gallon tank, which started with two pairs of convicts as well as yellow labs, calico peacocks, and several others including two jewels which miraculously happened to be a male/female pair (I've heard they were hard to sex, so we were fortunate). I named them Van Cleef and Arpels. They had a brood but they all got eaten, I think by the older and larger young convicts. We had a water chemistry crisis a while back where everyone but the convicts and jewels died, then I got three more jewels when the fish store had them in stock. I'd like a tank of all jewels, so now that we've gotten rid of the convicts, I'm hoping that the jewels will successfully breed and/or the fish store gets more. The tank looks pretty empty with just 5 plus our plecko.

Back to the OP: I want to see a picture of your baby fish in its floating cell! Don't know what to advise about the snails, though.

**Aim** · 04-15-2009, 04:52 PM

what the heck is a convict?? And are they good community fish? They don't sound like it. LOL. I need something more fun. Our platys are being poop heads and hide behind everything now.

Also- did you buy Fry food for the baby fish? Or will you just feed the baby regular fish food?

**Allie** · 04-15-2009, 09:05 PM

Convicts are NOT community fish! They pair up easily (easy to sex, too) and are VERY aggressive when breeding. Even when not breeding, tropical fish like guppies would be good eats for them.

Thunders mom, it sounds like your striped fish are tiger barbs?

If you want to get rid of some of the snails, put slices of cucumber in the bottom of the tank...they will crawl all over the cucumber and you can remove them that way. Or you could consider getting 3 yo-yo loaches or clown loaches (they like groups, so get at least 3, and are pretty docile). They love to eat snails and would be ok with tropical fish. Clown loaches get really big but they grow very slowly. I don't think yo-yos get as big. Don't get skunk loaches, they are on the mean side.

**patm** · 04-15-2009, 09:09 PM

My sister has several huge outdoor ponds (they run a business), and the goldfish are always having babies - it's so fun to watch them growup. Last year she had little baby fantails - they looked just like little tiny fantail goldfish. Too cute!