queries about my new aquatic pet

[duskdrop]

Just an update on my rescue fish, dunlow T. It's been a while since I've had any issues with ammonia or nitrite readings in his tank, so I'm pretty sure it's cycled now. He's really enjoying life in his new 40 gallon, loves to interact with me, and gets super stoked when it's feeding time.

On the other hand, his fins still aren't healing up like I was hoping. I've tried Melafix, but no luck so far. Does anyone know if his fins will ever grow back to normal? I've been feeding him Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets twice a day, morning and evening, and the occasional algae wafer treat every few days. I recently switched from flake food, so I'm hoping that might make a difference.

Also, I was wondering, do convicts like to be alone? Dunlow T seems to like having his own space, but I'm curious if getting him a tankmate would make him happier. I've attached some pictures of him, check it out.

[finleybay]

He's definitely on the mend, I'd stop treating him at this point. A full recovery is possible, but no guarantees. Getting him a female would make him really happy, they'll likely breed and it's a fascinating process to watch. Don't expect to get much for the fry, they breed readily. I used to have to give mine away to stores. That tank, being 20 gallons, is a bit small for other suitable cichlid tankmates. You'll need a larger tank eventually. Other fish would need to be fast, these guys can be quite aggressive.

[duskdrop]

I'm pretty set on getting him a female now, thanks for the advice. I've got some experience with convicts already, so I know how feisty they can be. When it comes to picking and introducing her, I could use some tips though. I did my research before getting a new tank for him, and I saw that 30 gallons was the minimum recommended size, so I upgraded to a 40 gallon tank - I mean, I actually got a 40, not 30, I made a mistake, it's a 40.

A 40 gallon tank should provide enough territory for two convicts, right? I'm thinking it should be fine, but I want to make sure. And yeah, I know this might sound a bit messed up, but I've got a big fin-tastic tank named Henry who's always hungry, and I'm planning on feeding him the fry.

[finleybay]

I think introducing a female to Dunlow T could be a bit tricky. You'll want to find one that's around the same size as him and has that nice orange coloration on her underside. Since he's still pretty young, I think it'll be okay as long as you rearrange the tank a bit before you put her in.

Float the bag with the new female in it for a pretty long time, so he can get used to her being there without actually being able to touch her. This should give you a good idea if he's going to be super aggressive with her. If he does turn out to be aggressive, you might want to get a few females and let him pick the one he likes, but be ready to pull the others out right away.

As for feeding the fry to Henry, I'd be careful about that. Even the little convict fry can be really aggressive. I've seen a whole group of them tear apart a feeder goldfish like a pack of piranhas. They're pretty ruthless, even when they're young.