convict and african chiclids

Question
i have a mix of chiclids in my 75 gal tank.  occasionally i see where my convicts are guarding their area but still have seen no fry.  is it possible that the africans are eating them?  and is it ok to have a mix of them?  i have 3 electric blues, 1 electric yellow, 2 electric oranges, 1 jeally bean and 1 all white (not sure of the name), also about 8 convicts.  this is my first time with chiclids and am wondering if the mix is ok.  i have checked other websites and have read a lot of articles but have seen none with the mix i have.  thank you

Answer
Hi Becky:  Typically it is not advisable to mix the African and the south American cichlids.  They have a color language that they use to communicate with ... for example... if two African cichlids are fighting and one pales its color... it means I give up and usually that one leaves.... With the South American cichlids... the color language is completely opposite so a pale fish means aggression and they fight until one of them or both of them die.   Few Rules are  absolute and you have already mixed the fish.  If they are not fighting... then I would leave them be.  Eventually you will see fry... convict cichlids need only water to breed.  Your fish may be young and or the water conditions are not allowing the eggs to hatch... fungus is a major concern with fish eggs.... which may be to your advantage because nine convicts can have between 1000 and 3600 fry....give or take a few hundred.  Take it from someone who knows... I am sitting here with 700 baby jewel cichlids  and about 400 baby green terrors (in five tanks) all because I thought I couldn't live without this one pair of three inch jewel cichlids and one pair of 4 inch green terrors.... oh the joy of parenthood... I go through 1 lb of flake food every two weeks... so think long and hard about having baby cichlids.... dave