However they are extremely territorial and will be very hostile and aggressive, if fish enter ‘their’ territory. In its natural habitat, in the warm rivers throughout Central America, Convicts will eat small insects, mosquito larvae, and plant debris. While male and female Jack Dempseys look similar as juveniles and adults, they are … I have 5 Convict Cichlids & they are all the same age and I'm wondering if i have a female. convict female/ Jack Dempsy bred. Most of the information we provide is based on experience in an attempt to help our visitors enjoy, understand and care for their fish better. Don’t be too eager, they don’t die! Generally for beginners, they should only be placed in a tank with other Convicts due to their aggressive and territorial nature. Telling the difference between a male and female Convict is very straight forward. Because the convict cichlids are also substrate-brooding, this territory will … In addition to their flake/pellet, you can feed them live foods such as Blood Worms, Black Worms, Daphnia and Brine Shrimp. Female convict cichlids are typically easy to identify by the dark spots on their dorsal fins. We’re thrilled to have you as part of our community. There is many hiding places, rock caves, clay pots, wood, multiple plants ect. You will obviously need a paired male and female (read the appearance section above for more on this) and they will spawn pretty much all year round. The female takes the eggs into her mouth and broods them until the fry are free-swimming. Perfect for beginner aquarists, the Convict Cichlid is a relatively small fish that will grow up to around 6 inches in length for males, and around 4 inches in length for females. Name: Demasoni cichlid Scientific name: Pseudotropheus demasoni Alternative name: Dwarf mbuna Family: Cichlidae Size:3 inches (7.6 cm) Care level: Moderate to hard Minimum tank size: 55 gallons or more for larger groups (recommended to keep in large groups) Temperature: 23 degrees to 27 degrees Celsius Water conditions:5 to 8.5 pH Diet: Omnivorous Lifespan: 10 years Temperament:Aggressive The male Convict will be larger than the female, but the females will be more colorful. I went away for the weekend and when I came back on Monday morning the Loaches were gone, the Jack Dempsey was dead, two convicts were dead and the Rainbow Shark’s tail fin looked like a floor mop. Just picked up a breeding pair of Convicts! Their popularity in the fishkeeping world is due to their hardiness, low care needs and vibrant coloring. It gives full detail of events and stages of daily development of the fry, as well the parenteral care. Male Pink Convicts are usually pink with no red markings. So, i put 4 black convicts in my 55 gal, and i figured chances, 50 50 female - 50 50 male. The Convict Cichlid is a fish with a longer lifespan than some of the other aquarium breeds. Just make sure you have a large enough tank (50 gallons) with a suitable layout and fry will be on their way! We recommend seeking the advice of a professional veterinarian in case of illness or an emergency. If you’d like to read more on what makes the perfect cichlid tank, read this. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS : 1. I had 11 fish tanks setup at 1st and moved the parents to the next tank. The minimum tank size we would recommend for Convict Cichlids is around 25 gallons. Our Latest Orchid Endler Variation: Orange Line Orchid Endler, Developing the Perfect Snakeskin Orchid Endler, Our Favorite Aquarium: A Low Tech Planted Tank, Making Your Endlers as Beautiful as Possible, Scientific Name: Amatitlania nigrofasciata, Common Name:  Convict Cichlid, Black Convict Cichlid, Zebra Cichlid, Convict. Once the pair mate they are a pair for life. They are a small fish that don’t require much tank space; the minimum recommend size is 30 gallons. They got on great for five months with no problem at all. They reach sexual maturity at around 7 months old so they will be ready to breed then. Female Convicts have red on their bellies. As prolific breeders, they make fantastic parents; therefore their parenting ability is another common behavior you will see. Breeding is usually quite easy and is usually a matter of putting a mature male and a female in the tank together. But the only thing that keeps me from believing it is a female is that its dorsal fin is about the same length as its tale fin. Interestingly all Convict Cichlids are monomorphic so you’ll need to wait until they are sexually matured to tell the difference between males and females (more on this later). I now have 17 in a 20 Gallon, and 18 in a 25 Gallon. Origin: The ancestors of the Black Convict lived in Central America.But now they live in aquariums all over the world. You should also avoid keeping conspecifi… After a further 5 days you should expect them to abandon their yolk sac and start to swim.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_23',137,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_24',137,'0','1'])); As a side note this can be the time where the father can become aggressive to the fry. Like she is a carrot snack. The Black Convict Cichlid is an active fish that is known for its aggressive and territorial behavior. Convict Cichlid Breeding - FAQ aka the 'Convict Capers' This is a day by day journal of two pairs of breeding convict cichlids who share an aquarium, and who spawn happily together. Egg laying may be encouraged by very slowly raising the water temperature to 79°F (26°С) and later introducing a small amount of cooler water into the tank to simulate rainfall. Once the eggs hatch (usually within 3-5 days) Convict Cichlids usually make great parents. Because of this, you should make sure to have a strong filtration setup to stop the water getting murky. Here is a video showing mine a few weeks ago. Males will be longer and generally have larger dorsal and anal fins. One model that has been repeatedly tested is the sequential assessment model (SAM; Enquist and Leimar, 1983; Leimar et al., 1991). Also you should not keep breeding pairs in a community tank as you’re asking for aggression and trouble. Unusually for fish, the females will have a brighter coloration, with yellow/red spots on their belly once they are sexually mature. A male has longer anal and dorsal fins and as it matures, the male Pink Convict will develop a nuchal hump on its head and will grow out to be much larger than a female. I have additional 55 with 30 fry and 2peacocks. Cichlid Sizes and Shapes In most types of cichlid fish, the male will be larger than the female, measuring up to a full inch inch longer. These stripes are 8 to 9 in numbers. It’s during this stage you will notice what great parents they make as they will find them food and shelter and keep any other fish away from them. You should ensure this pellet is produced specifically for Cichlids. Here are a few pointers on how to tell the difference between a male and female. When being just juveniles create stable couples. Your email address will not be published. web browser that Due to their wide natural habitat, they have learned to survive in a wide variety of water conditions and because of this, they are very hardy fish. Mine did. If [Continue reading …]. These cichlids are some of the most aggressive and territorial of all cichlid species so they generally need to be kept alone or in large tanks. It predicts that evolution should favor rules of engagement that minimize the risk of injury to the opponents while at the same ti… The Black Convict Cichlid readily pairs and forms a patriarch/matriarch family and both the male and female will care for the young. How large do Convicts … To stop this you can remove him from the tank and leave the fry with their mother. As for substrate you should be looking to use sand, you can also use driftwood.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'fishkeepingworld_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_7',115,'0','0'])); Convicts are strong swimmers and like to ‘re-arrange’tanks, so make sure you use strong plants (Amazon Swords or Java Ferns) and anchor them. Due to their territorial nature it isn’t recommended you place them with other species, instead you should keep them in a separate tank. Hi, I live in India and I recently bought a convict cichlid and want to know if it is a male or female. Convict Cichlid. There are several ways to tell male convict cichlids apart from the females. Once the fry are able to swim on their own they can be fed crushed up flake food or baby brine shrimp. Convict cichlid spawning happens all the year round with some small breaks. The name Mbuna Cichlids is generally used to describe any of the rock-dwelling species of cichlids native to Lake Malawi. How Do You Tell The Difference Between A Male And Female Convict Cichlid? Convict cichlids are serially monogamous, so pair bonds may form first before they establish a territory together, or the male and female may each obtain a territory before pairing with each other. In addition to rivers they will be found in streams. It is much smaller than the other 4 and has an orange spot on its belly. Hopefully now you know enough to figure out if the Black Convict Cichlid is the right fish for your aquarium. Black Convict Cichlids get their name from their appearance of white and black stripes. How Do You Tell If A Convict Cichlid Is Male Or Female? Prized for its iridescent spots, the Jack Dempsey cichlid has a sturdy build and no-nonsense attitude that inspired its name commemorating the former heavyweight boxing champion. She will also have more vivid black strips than her male counterpart.eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'fishkeepingworld_com-leader-1','ezslot_15',114,'0','0'])); Convict Cichlids naturally inhabit the warm rivers of Central America, ranging from Costa Rica across to Panama. With each Convict being different it’s hard to make general statements, but in general you will find a male taking over the whole tank if the aquarium is too small for them; so make sure you use at least a 50 gallon tank.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-netboard-1','ezslot_29',120,'0','0'])); One area that Convicts excel in is breeding; they are incredibly easy to breed and make great parents. Other South American Cichlids (Jewel and Firemouth). This female has much more red than most Convicts. For the best results you should pair a single male with multiple females rather than keeping more than one male in the same tank. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-box-3','ezslot_6',110,'0','0']));The Black Convict Cichlid, also known as the Zebra Cichlid, is one of the most popular members of the Cichlidae family. results showed that the convict cichlid males preferred to consort with the largest available female, even when that female was larger than the male himself. Thanks. The male grows to approximately 7cms whereas the female only grows to approximately 5cms. Due to their hardiness you don’t need to worry much about pH levels, but try to keep it within 6.6-7.8. This concerns both separ… Thanks, Robert. Thanks, Robert, I had a pair of convict cichlids and they easily had more than 100 babies. There are also several color varieties being bred. Now my babies are havin babies.. I introduced a male and female convict cichlid and a jack dempsey at the same time into a densely planted 10 gallon tank. The information, content and material contained on the site is intended to be of a general nature only and is not intended to constitute professional/medical advice. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a Some females will spawn between a cave and an open area. About a 100 fry, I reduced to 30 now 60 days later mom still ptotecting. They are a natural omnivore and aren’t fussy eaters; they will eat most things that are placed in the aquarium.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-leader-4','ezslot_19',117,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-leader-4','ezslot_20',117,'0','1'])); Omnivore means that they will eat both plant and meat matter. After a successful mating, the female will lay up to 300 eggs and will immediately begin to guard them. If you’re planning to keep a pair of Convicts, the smallest suitably sized tank would be 30 gallons. I had a 30 gallon tank, lots of caves and plants, with five Mollies, a Rainbow shark, a juvenile Jack Dempsey and three Kuhi loaches. Very protective parents. Leaving lots of swimming room and sand substrate. Derek, I got 3 on sale at Petsmart over 5 years ago. But other than that, it has everything that females have. In the wild females will lay their eggs inside caves or on rocks so you need to emulate this inside your breeder tank as closely as possible. The Black Convict Cichlid is a cave-breeder and will accept a range of water conditions. Do I relocate mom to small tank she looks weak, Hi Rain, yes I would definitely remove her to a separate tank if she is being picked on. Aquarium Care How to successfully keep Pink Convict Cichlid in the home aquarium. A male has grey color scales, and paler black lines. 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