[Jason_S]

Species Name: Cryptoheros nigrofasciatum

Common Name: Convict Cichlid

Size: ~4-5" for females and ~6-7" for males

pH: 7.0-7.8 though this fish is very hardy and will acclimate to most ph values from as low as 6.5 up to I'd imagine 9.0

Minimum Tank Size: 29 gallons though a 3' tank would be much better once full grown

Native Location: Central America

Temperature: 72-80 though convicts will withstand slightly higher temps.

Diet: Omnivore. These fish will eat any type of flake, pellet or food stick, though a varied diet is always best.

Breeding: Females will lay eggs on a cleaned, flattened surface and guard the immediate area. Males will patrol the surrounding area and may be chased off by the female if he gets too close to the nest.

Gender Diffrences: Males will grow larger and will develop a nuchal hump. Females stay smaller and will have orange scales on the abdominal region. This orange color will intensify as she gets closer to spawning.

Aggression: This is a very aggressive and territorial species for their size. I had a pair once that claimed half of a 75 gallon tank as their territory when they spawned. I also have a 2" female that has gone head to head with my 7" male festae on more than one occasion. They are fearless little guys and tankmates should be chosen very carefully and should only be added in large tanks.

Notes: The best way to immitate their natural behavior would be to provide at least a 3' tank if not larger and add a very fast schooling or shoaling species for the male to chase around when they spawn. Convicts will spawn in much smaller tanks, but they may kill each other. Males can become aggressive towards females before spawning and females can become very aggressive to males after the eggs are laid and the fry are born. Convicts are one of the easiest and most prolific cichlids to breed. Typically breeding is as easy as putting a male with a female whereas with most other cichlids it's recommended to get at least 6 juveniles to grow up and let pair up naturally. One final note is that there are 3 different color variants of this species. One is the Black/Striped Convict which is the most common, another is the Pink Convict and the last is the Marbled/Calico convict. It is a common misconception that Marble/Calico convicts are creating by breeding a Pink Con with a Black Con. In order to get Marbled fry both parents must carry the Marbled gene. If you simply breed a Pink and Black con together, most of the fry will turn out Black/Striped while the rest will be Pink.

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