Convict Cichlids?

Question

I have two pair of convicts, a pink pair, and a black pair. The pink pair has started to breed but the black have not. The pink couple has rearranged all the gravel around their flower pot. They have removed it actually creating a trench. Why is this? Will it affect the fry if I move the gravel back? Also the black female will go into her flower pot, but will get ran out by the pink female. My final question is, When the black has fry, will she defend them, or will she still surrender to the pink? Answer all 3 questions please.

Answer 1

They may want to spawn in a hole in the gravel, hence the trench, or they may want a different nesting site, hence moving the flower pot. Either way, don't mess with their plans, as it will affect both the fry and the parents, who may eat their fry, be too stressed to care for them etc.
When the blacks have fry, they will defend them against ALL other fish, including the pinks.

Answer 2

Breeding Pink Convicts.
Another good fish to breed is the Pink Convict. Like mollies they are very easy to breed and the babies are hardy and easy to raise. But Pink Convicts are an aggressive fish, and the details of their breeding are quite different from livebearers such as the Mollies discussed above.



This is a Female Pink Convict that lived in our facilities for many years. Female Convicts have red on their bellies. This female has much more red than most Convicts. Male Pink Convicts are usually pink with no red markings.



A male and female Pink Convict form a lasting pair and work together to chase the other fish out of their territory. They'll dig in the gravel to form a pit, or sometimes they'll dig a cave out from under a rock. In the pit or in the cave on the side of a rock they'll lay their eggs, and then carefully protect their eggs from other fish. After three or four days the eggs hatch into tiny fish fry.

The best way to get a pair of Pink Convicts is to get six or eight Pink Convicts about 1" to 1.5" long. Put them in an aquarium with at least 20 gallons of water and raise them up. Usually by the time they have grown to 2", one of the males and one of the females will pair off, work together to establish a territory, chase other fish out of that territory, lay eggs, and raise their babies.

This all I could fing, but I know different chiclids bread, and nest differenlty!

Answer 3

Don't rearrange the gravel it is the santuary, their safe haven. Yes it will affect them because they will have to arrange it again and they need their strength to have and protect their young. The black will do the same, right now the Pink have a reason to be more aggressive, when the black are ready they will show the same signs of aggression and chase the pinks away. This is life under water.

Answer 4

They're making a better fortification and marking off territory.

Don't re-arrange it...
1: it will upset them.
2: they may eat unhatched eggsif you upset the surroundings enough
3: they're just going to re-arrange it that way again anyway.
4: If you re-arrange it & they don't like it, they may attempt to kick the other pair out of their home.

They'll defend their own babies. They're pretty smart. They'll herd them if they get too far away.

To keep her from being forced out, distance their pots to opposite sides of the tank. Also, erecting a visual barrier outside the pot can help keep them from quarreling so much that she can't breed.

Answer 5

cichlids seem like they are always moving their rocks. They pile them up where they want them. Leave them there. It's like they are creating a barrier for their young.
I dont think it will be safe for both mothers to have their young so close together... they may be eaten by the other mother. (or father)

Hope this helped a little.