The convict fish are prevalent in rivers and streams, but they thrive in lakes and ponds as well. Their preference for habitat is mostly dependent on the nature of the water and the availability of food. The convict is not so selective when it comes to what they eat.
Convicts primarily feed on worms, little insects, plant matters, and algae. However, the convict will eat anything you feed to them in the aquarium as long as it is edible. Nevertheless, it is best to feed with supplies that have high-quality fish foods, brine shrimp, blood worms, and daphnia.
You can also supply them with frozen foods occasionally. Convicts also love to feast on mosquitoes’ larvae, as well as live black worms. One significant feeding habit of convict fish is that they are greedy eaters.
Feeding Requirements For Convict
Once you realize that convicts are not fussy eaters, it will guide you on how you can feed them. Convicts are greedy eaters that will devour almost anything that you throw into their tank.
Nevertheless, you need to regulate what you throw into their tank for them to eat because the goal is to raise a healthy fish, and not just to fill their stomach with anything.
Convicts usually enjoy a balanced meal that has a blend of live insects and mosquito larvae. This choice shows their love for live foods. Therefore throwing a few small insects into their tank won’t be a bad idea.
However, not everyone has access to live foods. You can supplement the live meals by allowing the bulk of their food to come from high-quality pellets. You can buy already made fish foods that are specific for convicts.
Likewise, you can supplement this feed with frozen and live foods at reasonable intervals. You should consider frozen foods like Tubifex, worms, daphnia, brine shrimps, as well as blood worms.
Overall, the main aim is to feed your convicts with food that will help them grow healthy and strong. Therefore, it is essential to rationalize whatever you are feeding them to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
Breeding Pattern Of Convicts
Convicts are one of the least challenging species of fish to care for among the cichlids family. It is also one of the most popular members of the family. They are not difficult to please when it comes to environmental conditions, and their choice of food is not very rigid.
Contrary to the behavior of many other cichlids, convicts don’t do selectively pairing. Any adult male and female that you keep together in the same tank can breed in a matter of weeks.
It is essential to ensure that your tank simulates the natural habitat of convicts to make sure that life is easy for them. They love to have rock matters in their aquarium, as well as plant matters.
They love these parameters in their tank because it aids their breeding. Most convicts preferably lay their eggs on rocky projections. You can replace these rocky projections with the overturn of clay pots. The reverse of clay pots provides them with a near-perfect surface for them to lay their eggs.
As long as you provide them with a suitable surface to lay their eggs, the male convicts can handle the rest of the breeding preparation. They start by clearing the plants around the site where the fish wants to lay her eggs.
During this period, the breeding pair becomes a lot more aggressive, and they will attack any other fish in their tank or fish that try to come close. The essence of this aggressiveness is to mark out and protect their territory.
Once they are in full control of their territory, the females lay their eggs in an appropriate place for males to fertilize. While the female stays close to the eggs, the males diligently guard the territory against anything that tries to come close. They chase away any other tank member that wants to come close.
You should expect that the egg will start to hatch in a few days. You should feed baby shrimp to their fry about three times daily or make use of suitable commercial products as an alternative.
Convicts show extreme parental care. They carry out a lot of activities to protect their fry and make life easier for them. For instance, they can make routes through plants for their fry; they help them dig out food from the substrate while also providing the utmost protection for fry anytime they feel threatened.
Suitable Tank Conditions For Convicts
Convicts are not very rigid when it comes to environmental conditions. They are very hardy and can adapt to a varying range of ecological conditions. All they need is for their tank to simulate their natural habitat.
They thrive best in temperature within the range of 70-82°F. At this temperature, you can be sure of general goldfish safety and overall well-being. Likewise, goldfish perform better at neutral pH or something in close range.
It is worth noting that convicts are quite sensitive to pH. It is very paramount to keep their pH at a neutral level even when you keep them together with other fish in the same tank.
Convicts love to have rocks and plants in their tanks. This preference is because convicts love to hide under rocks and plants. You might also need to provide distinctive surfaces for their breeding. The suitable plants for convicts’ tanks include Java Fern and Amazon Swords.
Nevertheless, you should expect that the convicts won’t maintain the tank arrangement you give them. They will rearrange your tank to suit them. Consequently, the plants in the tank will most likely get rough as a result.
Conclusion
What we feed fish is significant in determining how well and healthy they will grow and breed. It can also go a long way in deciding their lifespan and even their size. The concept of feeding is not just about filling the stomach of your fish.
Feeding requires rationalizing the supplies to your fish to offer a balanced diet. Convicts are greedy eaters that will eat almost anything they find in their tanks. Consequently, it becomes essential to supply them with food that will ensure their proper growth and overall well-being.
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