new convict cichlid babies

Question
Hi, I recently acquired two convicts from a neighbor. I have a 75 gallon tank with about 15 other fish. I discovered this morning that there are about 30 babies swimming around. I have been watching this awesome spectacle of protection. The mom is about 2 inches or so and very feisty. I have decided to leave the babies and add a ceramic flower pot. My question (finally!) is what to do with them after they are bigger? Do I leave them in the tank? That seems like an awful lot of fish, not to mention the obvious possibility of more breeding. Also what do I do with them if I need to take them out? Thank you for your time, and I appreciate any input you can provide me.

Answer
Hi Anne,
  It is wonderful to watch, isn't it... I've seen it hundreds of times in my research but I still love it every single time.

  You can either leave them in the tank or remove them. The reality is that most will not survive; that is why the parents have so many offspring and so often.  If your tank has a reasonable amount of cover, e.g., plants, rocks, etc, then a few will survive and find a niche in the tank.

  If you want to take them out, then you can raise them separately in a 20 gallon tank.  It is unlikely that you will be able to sell them but you may be able to trade them into a petstore for "store credit".  

  Most importantly, just continue to enjoy watching the parents do their thing.  It's the best part of keeping fish, in my opinion.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>