The Convict Cichlid or Amatitlania nigrofasciata is an easy fish for beginners. They can be bred in an aquarium setting quite easily as well. Also known as the Zebra Cichlid this species is an omnivore that will accept many different kinds of food including flake food, small fish, insects, worms, plants and algae. You can also feed them specially designed pellets which you can purchase here! Normally these fish are quite calm, but while breeding they can be quite aggressive and should only be kept in pairs.
The Convict Cichlid is a smaller fish only growing to about 10cm in length when fully grown. These fish have vertical stripes on their bodies that resemble that of someone in jail, hence the name. Females of this species have more colors in their bodies that include pink or orange in their ventral region and on their dorsal fin. Males are often duller, but will grow a bit larger than the females. Males will also develop lumps on their foreheads like some other Cichlid fish, including its close relative the Frontosa Cichlid. To check out the Convict Cichlid and babies in action watch the video below...In the wild they are found in Central America from Guatemala to Costa Rica. They are more tolerant to cooler waters about 79-84F is recommended with a PH level of 6.6 - 7.8. If you have more information about the Convict Cichlid that you would like to share please post it in the comments below.
I have these fish. We have a few too many in the tank though, something like 4 couples, plus what 4 ot 5 baies have survived. I have found that in this situation the parents will often steal each others babies. We also tend to feed them frozen bloodworms more regularly when they have babies as they will only end up eating them otherwise... which has been the case about 90% of the time. stupid fish.
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