Two days ago i decided to get convict cichlids. I got two of them a male and a female for my 35 gallon tank. The female is bigger but not by much. The only problem im having is that the female is beating up the male, chasing him around and nipping at his fins. Is this normal? I have two caves in the tank to hide out in and a rock. Also, any other information about convict cichlids would be appreciated! Im really interested in these little guys.

Convit Cichlids are very prolific breders and often bred in the fish shop. You may not have a pair. Males will often fight for territory. One option is to move the aggresive one to another tank and let the beaten up one recover. and reintroduce again them later. If you don't really have a male/female pair I recomend getting two or three more Convicts and let them figure out who the real males and females are. Fish can sex each other much better than we can!

NeonShark666 gives excellent advice! Convicts cannot be sexed at that age. Mine were at least 8 mos, if not more before I could differentiate their sex. I wound up with 2 males and I too wanted a breeding pair at first. I separated them into 2 different tanks and they were sure enough both male. A mating pair doesn't fight for territory violently like a mating pair. You need many to determine pairs at a young age. They know better than we do! They do "sex each other better than we do!" Also think about whether you have the time and room to accommodate a mating pair before you commit.

Also, convicts will have SEVERAL babies when they do breed. Possibly 50-100 fertilized fry at a time - maybe more. Please make sure you have room and time for them before breeding them. They need space and a healthy tank to thrive in. Although babies are fun and rewarding - a healthy, single adult is as equally gorgeous and rewarding! To breed and raise a brood of fry healthily will require about 200 gals in the long run.

Also, if you have a mated pair, it is hard to keep them from breeding once they start, other then separating them. How big are your convicts? A male tends to have a longer fins, especially a longer dorsal fin horizontally, and at sexual maturity has a large forehead, sort of like a bump. Females are smaller in size and tend to have a pinkish or orange hue. I have only kept one male in a 20 gallon by himself, but I have read that if you remove all caves and territories for a week or more so that there is nothing to fight over, then put them back they might calm down, but I'd let the smaller one heal on his own first. Possibly those two may never get along in that size tank, every fish is different.

Since you've asked for other tips... Give them a varied diet. Convicts are prone to getting Hole in the Head Disease, which is not fun. My convict I mentioned earlier died from this not too long ago. The exact cause is debated, but it generally comes down to poor water quality and a boring diet, my water was fine, so I dont know how a boring diet would cause it, but it happens. I don't mean to scare you, I just want you to be prepared. They love earthworms and blood worms, but use them sparingly. Mine loved lettuce and flakes, but didn't like cichlid sticks. Again, each fish is different. Have fun with these little guys, they are a blast!

I have a pair of breeding convicts in my 55gal. One day I woke up to find 20-30 fry all hanging out in the tank, it was awesome! most of them slowly died off/got eaten and now I'm left with 4 fry all about an inch long.

They seem to get along well with my bamboo shrimp, peacock eel, zebra danios, minnows, and my algae eater.

If you are set on breeding convicts, put 4 or more in your tank. This will allow the dominant fish to have multiple targets to chase around. In time, 2 will pair but only if the tormented fish are healthy. Provide natural boundries if possible with rocks, plants, etc. I also recommend placing plants or rocks that are quite large and block the line of sight from one side of the tank to the other. This will allow the dominant fish to relax because it doesn't see anyone. (they do go looking for intruders often tho)

Convicts are territorial and will defend territory to the death if the victims cannot find shelter.

The best advice I can give you is to put multiple fish in your tank and return some once a pair has developed (it will be very obvious when all but 2 fish are huddled for protection in the corner), and provide lots of caves and boundry areas to help fulfill their need for these fish to declare a territory.

“Ruff housing” is totally normal for these guys, just as long as no damage occurs (torn fins, bite marks, etc). Convicts like to test eachother to see if they are fit for mating. Your tank size provides ample room and you have multiple hiding spots, so I really don’t see a problem, just observe their behavior very closely.

When I introduced my female, my male chased her around relentlessly for a day or so. She often would hide behind a cichlid stone. I read up on convicts and found out that it’s normal con behavior, so I let it go. The next few days they were inseparable, and a few days later there were wigglers!