PDA

View Full Version : Updating the convict tank


f-fish
04-07-2009, 08:15
I managed to find a source for leather grain and some other ABS sheets. First on the agenda - fix the convict tank. Remounted the light and added the leather grain ..
https://sites.google.com/a/f-fish.net/home/images-cabinet/cleanconvict.JPG
Henk Hugo
04-07-2009, 08:51
the elodea in your tank is on the black list.....
speedz
04-07-2009, 09:32
elodea is blacklisted!?
Henk Hugo
04-07-2009, 09:38
yup - on both the old and the new lists as well as the import black list
speedz
04-07-2009, 09:51
i think a lot of people dont know about this eish
Henk Hugo
04-07-2009, 09:52
yea i know and shops still sell it etc.... same old story....
Slojo
04-07-2009, 09:54
I managed to find a source for leather grain and some other ABS sheets.

Please pm me the details
f-fish
04-07-2009, 15:56
Slojo - hang on I need to make up 10 posts before I can PM you ...

This should be 9
f-fish
04-07-2009, 16:35
Henk I replaced said plant that may not be mentioned with Japanese Cress - not sure it will withstand the hammering by the convicts.
f-fish
26-09-2009, 08:46
After months of low maintenance I decided to move the convict tank to the top of my 3ft custom stand. This tank was my first custom - I had the shelf added with the idea to have the filter outside the water, this worked great. I just love my Lucky13 tank so I changed the filter to a hydron bed - might even try my hand a getting some tomatoes going in this.

The water is still settling - I removed all the round rocks - added some "bone-rock" and a fresh collection of raw pots and coconut shells on the one side.

Still need to work on the the tank a bit.

http://www.f-fish.net/images-cabinet/rescapedconvict.JPG
slayer
26-09-2009, 09:57
looking really good. Nice job
f-fish
26-09-2009, 15:19
Tanks Slayer .. At last count I had about 40 ++ convicts in this tank. I have a good mind and cull 30. I so like watching these guys darting around in the tank. These fish are always in the bottom half of the tank.
Ferryman
26-09-2009, 21:45
fish, just a random question, are those pots from safari, lol, they look suspiciously familiar:)
f-fish
27-09-2009, 08:58
nope - R9 at LS - but then again the garden supply business is as incestuous as the LFS side of things .... probably made by the same child labourers and imported.
Ferryman
27-09-2009, 19:07
ours are made in and imported from germany, got a small stamp embossed in the pot "germany". hard fired clay, friggin hard to drill holes in, i imagine its not a fun time grinding through it
der deutsche potten, sieg heil, lol...

i like the setup though, looks like an underwater garden with the stacked pots
f-fish
27-09-2009, 19:33
kein Deutsch Stempel - ein Dremel #562 leichte Arbeiten macht
Ferryman
27-09-2009, 19:59
ich habe keinen dremel 562
veegal
27-09-2009, 20:09
Nice setup indeed. Personally I'm not one for convicts but they sure do make good food for the larger fish :) LoL
speedz
27-09-2009, 20:09
i noticed a barb like fish in the tank, stands out from the crowd lol
f-fish
27-09-2009, 20:10
lol - now that would be a problem Ferryman - but seriously probably the best way to cut these things. Soak for a few minutes the Dremel away.

@ Speedz "barb like fish in the tank" yeap - for some it is a tank others a jail ... he was banished to the convict tank for fin nipping ... funny does not try and do that with the convicts.
Ferryman
27-09-2009, 21:06
:D lol, this thread should read, updating Exile:)

(the ones i have access to fish, soaking won't have an effect on em, guess i'll try and go for cheaper ones if i ever have fish that need caves and stuff, i like the pots idea)
Slojo
27-09-2009, 22:23
LOL. Ferry i got the convicts in the "empty " tank,The barb was fed with 3 others to the O's for fin nipping but actually survived and rescued by my son and put with the convicts.

f-fish - seems we have the same ideas,tanks etc
f-fish
28-09-2009, 20:15
@slojo .. I love watching the convicts .. and it has always been such a low maintenance tank. They do love snails - I added them as a treat .... boy what a rally.

I am playing with 3 housing zones 1) Pots - left side 2) rocks with caves (raised by two pots) and 3) Mixed Coconut shells and two pots ... but in the new setup the shells are the least occupied - so I think I will remove them for a while.
Slojo
29-09-2009, 18:38
I'm thinking of 1 x Breeding pair Jack Dempseys as well as a breeding pair Firemouth ciclids with the convicts.Any ideas/suggestions about this?have you done something similar?
f-fish
29-09-2009, 19:51
Same tank ... hope it is a big tank. First time I had my convicts breading in the community tank I knew something was wrong when all the fish stayed in the right hand corner in about a 10 cm circling pattern - the two convicts had the rest of the 4ft as a no go zone.

My understanding of JD's are that they are way more aggressive than convicts - no I will not try this in the same tank.

"Breeding Jack Dempsey cichlids should always be kept in their own tank, or in an aquarium divided by glass or net, since the parents are highly aggressive during the breeding period." http://jackdempseycichlid.com/general/everything-to-know-about-jack-dempseys/
Slojo
29-09-2009, 20:03
k the tank is a 1.8 meter.I'll make a division from perspex.
or it might be a good reason for another tank.
f-fish
29-09-2009, 20:05
LOL - true MTS addict - always a logical reason for another tank
f-fish
21-07-2010, 18:25
Time for a quick update on this tank ..

http://www.f-fish.net/images-cabinet/tankconvict2010.jpg

redid some of the layout - left the algae in the tank and on the glass

http://www.f-fish.net/images-cabinet/tankconvict2010algae.jpg

Worked hard at getting the algae to look this good ;-)

http://www.f-fish.net/images-cabinet/3convict.jpg

Yes it is still a convict mainly tank.

http://www.f-fish.net/images-cabinet/convicthide.jpg

They love hiding in the pots when I have my hands in the tank.

http://www.f-fish.net/images-cabinet/hamburgerfilter.jpg

Added a DIY hamburgerfilter yesterday after WBS post a thread about them - that is why I got the sponge from Prof .. lol
f-fish
10-09-2011, 16:34
Best keep it in this thread .. I noticed this morning that the convict tanks was a bit more busy than usual. Did a quick food dash before leaving.

This afternoon - it was just plain odd. So I stepped over a few item on the floor to have a look at what was actually going on.

Eish -- seems like the WC last weekend and the increase in temps (yes this is one of my tanks that did not have a heater on this winter) made for perfect convict breeding. Hard to tell from this pick .. but I actually have 3 pairs that have done an OK job keeping some fry alive (not sure how long - all fry are free swimming. The one on the right seems to be doing the best - That BBA'ed HMF wall if fry heaven. Then we have the pair in the middle and after looking at tank movement found another pair behind the rocks - soooo many fry. Not to mention all the locals stuck on the left. I have some 2ft tanks that are all ready (well been running all winter with plants and HMF's) but I am keen to see who survives at least a few more days / weeks.


10329

Later Ferdie

Side note - I am actually not concerned about the BBA and algae in this tank - truth is, even the moss is meant as a snack for the fish. Once I open the tank up and plant some bog plants in the top tray the algae should starve in a few weeks.