Convict Questions

Question
I have a 40 gallon tank containing a mated pair of Convicts ( male aprox. 3" and female aprox. 2" ) along with many of their young ranging from 3/4 to 1 1/4".  I have been giving away as many of the young as I can and hope to find homes for the rest soon.  I am looking for compatible tankmates.  I have read that many people keep Convicts with Green Terrors or Jack Dempsey cichlids.  Would you recommend one of these or is their something better?  I am looking to add no more than two other cichlids as I know they will eventually outgrow this tank.  I will replace this tank when necessary but am hoping to avoid the expense for a while. I am expecting territorial disputes and so was wondering what size fish should I buy so that my Convicts and the new fish will do the least amount of damage to each other?  By adding other cichlids to this tank will this help to control the Convict population or just result in more fighting between them?  And finally what do you recommend as an algae eater with these cichlids?  Would a Plecostomus survive and if so how big would it have to be?  Please feel free to let me know if you require any additional information.

I thank you for your reply,
Dave

Answer
Hi Dave,
 Personally, I wouldn't either Green Terrors or Jack Dempsey's in with convicts.  Both of these species grow much larger than convicts and they grow quickly.  

You might consider other smaller Central American cichlids like firemouth cichlids or rainbow cichlids.


You could add a Plecostomus -- there are many kinds.  The important thing for the Pleco is to be sure to put a bunch of wood in the tank.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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