Convict Cichlids
Keeping Convict Cichlids
It has been called the Zebra Cichlid very often, although it is known as the convict cichlid. We must not confuse it with an African Zebra Cichlid, which is totally different though. You will find that the convict cichlid has black stripes set upon a gray background and a greenish hue upon its fins. You will also find that the convict cichlid is surely one of the most easy to keep fishes.
So, it is an ideal fish for beginners. Their name obviously comes from the beautiful colouring and stripes on their back.
The Gender Of Your Fish
The male will always be larger, he has a flatter forehead, his colours are less bright and it has longer fins. You can tell which one is the female by the orange colouring on the lower part of her body. With the passage of time, the male will grow a large lump on its forehead. You may also see an albino or pinkish type.
The albino variation of the colour has lead to the name of Ivory Cichlid and the pink variation has lead to the name Pink Convict. These other, rarer types are known to be more difficult to breed, but so long as you have plenty of patience, keep the fish well fed, their water clear and clean, you should succeed in making them breed eventually.
It is a wonderful addition for any aquarium, but you should be careful if you plan to put the convict cichlid in a crowded tank. It does have a tendency to be aggressive. You should get them a large tank, of at least 30 gallons, put some gravel on the bottom, some rocks, plants and lots of places for it to hide, perhaps some pots or cups.
Some floating plants might be a good choice as well. As said before, the convict cichlid is an aggressive type so you should house it only with similar aggressive fish that are about its size or larger.
Ideal Conditions
The convict cichlid will thrive in various conditions and is known to be a cave breeder. It’s adaptability to any conditions makes it the most suitable fish for beginner aquarists.
The temperature of the water should be kept a little above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of the females have been seen to spawn between some caves and any open area. The convict cichlid forms a sort of family, each of the two parents having specific roles in the care of the young. Their fry will be sensitive to the calls of both the mother and the father.
Do not forget to decorate the aquarium you intend to use for keeping your convict cichlids with some plants and a rock or perhaps two.
Get used to the idea that most of the plants will definitely be destroyed by then eventually, but they are nice to have so you should get some that can endure more, like java ferns and Amazonian swords. As for food, the convict cichlid will eat most foods as it is omnivorous. Cichlid pellets, tubifex, plankton or even frozen blood worms.
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Cichlid Pictures
Send me some pictures of your favorite pet cichlid fish and I’ll post them on my site for all the world to see! Just email paul@cichlidssite.com with your cichlid pictures attached.
Here are some photos that have been sent in to The Cichlid Site already. Enjoy!
Click An Image To Enlarge:
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- Convict Cichlids – Cain
- Benga Peacock Cichlid — Cain
- Red Empress Cichlid – Cain
- Yellow Lab Cichlid — Cain
- Auratus Cichlid – Cain
- Demasoni Cichlid — Shannon Auer
- Yellow Morley Cichlid — Mick Reynolds
- Flower Horn Cichlid — Mick Reynolds
- Fontosa Cichlid — Sarah Watts
- Jack Dempsey Cichlid — Jackie Grace
- Jaguar Cichlid — The Big Kahuna
- Jewel Cichlid — The Big Kahuna
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- Convict Cichlids –Sam
- Red Tail Cichlid — Sarah
- Red Cichlid – Sarah
- Blue Cichlid — Sarah
- Tropical Cichlid – Peter
- Walteri African Cichlid — Andrew
- African Cichlid — Andrew
- Frontosa Cichlid — Andrew
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Common Cichlid Species
Cichlid Species…
Here is a little info about the most common cichlid species and even the not so common. Cichlids first became popular aquarium fish in 1945. Aquarium enthusiasts found them suitable for home tanks because of their size and because they were easy to feed and bred readily, caring for their brood even in captivity.
Among the more than 1,900 species of cichlids, here are the most common cichlid species that have gained popularity among aquarium enthusiasts around the world. There are many reasons for their popularity. Some are well-loved because of their stunning appearance, while others for being hardy cichlid species that are easy to keep, feed, and breed.
The Five Most Common Cichlid Species:
Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)- Originating from the Amazon, Orinoco, and Essequibo rivers in South America, the angelfish has become one of the more popular cichlids because of its unique, elegant appearance, inquisitive nature, and mild-mannered disposition.
Oscar fish (Astronotus ocellatus)- Also called Oscar, tiger oscar, velvet cichlid, or marble cichlid, the oscar fish comes from South Americaand have even been considered food fish. Hardy and tough, they can tolerate a wide range of water conditions and high toxin levels. This fast-growing fish (it can grow beyond 18 inches) will eat a range of food, including pellets, live food, and flakes. Make sure you feed themenough live food so they stay healthy and their colors stay bright.
Convict cichlid (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) - This type of cichlid is a good fish for beginners because of its small size and its ease in keeping and breeding. They are not fussy about food or water conditions. When keeping convict cichlids, one needs to recreate their original habitat, putting in rocks and artificial caves-they’ll eventually use these for breeding-into the aquarium. They tend to burrow intothe substrate, so external filtration is best for this type of cichlid.
Discus fish (Symphysodon sppi) – Another favorite among aquarium enthusiasts, the discus fish is probably one of the more socialized cichlids. They are probably one of the few schooling cichlids and, in their original habitat, live in large groups. They require much social interaction for them to enhance their character, so when getting discus fish, it is wise to get more than two of them. Their breeding tanks are simple at best-no substrate needed, simple filtration system, and a lot of spawning sites. The aquarium water should be soft enough to let the eggs develop properly.
Jack Dempsey – Named after a boxing heavyweight, Jack Dempsey cichlids are easy to breed and feed and can live up to 10 years. It is their stunning coloration that piques people’s interest. When they are young, Jack Dempsey cichlids show a tan or light gray color with some turquoise specks. As they mature, their colors turns purple gray with some blue and green highlights while its specks turn gold.
Lately I have been asked a lot about Cichlid species, so I thought I would put together a bit of a list including their common names as well as their scientific names.
Cichlid ( sik-a-lid ) fish stem from what’s known as the Cichlidae (sik-li-day) family. The Cichlidae family is an extremely large & diverse family having nearly 2000 specimens described and it’s believed the still many more to be described scientifically.They would have to be the largest family of vertebrates.The exact number of existing cichlid species is an extremely hard thing to estimate because of the constantly found new specimens.These fish come in some of the strangest looking shapes to the most breath taking colors and throw in some peculiar mannerisms and it makes for quite the character.
Cichlids are found all across the globe ranging from Africa throughout Asia to North and South America.Cichlid fish which tend to be kept in captivation can come from the African waters as well as the Amazon basin area and also from some the famous lakes like Lake Malawi, Great African Rift Lake and Lake Tanganyi.Presently there is a massive diversity in the behavior and eating habits of these fish because of the greater number of types.
The majority of cichlids are herbivorous fishes and feed on vegetation or even algae. The other cichlid varieties are generally omnivorous, will eat anything or they are carnivorous fishes that live on other fish & insects.The broad range of eating habits has really allowed cichlid fish to occupy numerous habitats. Cichlid fish do not survive in salt water although funnily enough their ancestors did.
A Few cichlid kinds are fairly meaty in size and many among them tend to be referred to as game types. Consequently a multitude of cichlid types are farmed for food. On the flip side, we can’t deny the amount of fish tank enthusiasts that enjoy cichlid species because of their eye-catching colorings and tendencies.Angelfish, Oscar fish, Discus fish and Convict cichlid are among the most popular with aquarium enthusiasts.
African Cichlid Species
Most of the Cichlid types that we see in captivity today come from the African Amazonian regions. Sowith that said, on with the listings:
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi is one of the largest lakes known to man and is home to over 300 varieties of cichlid fish. Here are some of the better known of the cichlid species.
Profiled Cichlids with Scientific names
| Cichlids | |
|
Common
|
Scientific
|
| Auratus |
Melanochromis auratus |
| Angelfish | Pterophyllum scalare |
Blue Acara |
Aequidens pulcher |
| Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid |
Apistogramma cacatuoides |
Convict |
Amatitlania (Archocentrus) nigrofasciata |
Discus |
Symphysodon aequifasciata |
| Eartheater |
Satanoperca jurupari |
| Electric Yellow Labidochromis |
Labidochromis caeruleus |
| Fairy Cichlid |
Neolamprologus brichardi |
Festivum |
Mesonauta festivus |
Firemouth |
Thorichthys (Cichlasoma) meeki |
| Flower Horn Fish |
Hybrid species |
| Frontosa | Cyphotilapia frontosa |
| Giraffe Cichlid |
Nimbochromis venustus |
Green Terror |
Aequidens rivulatus |
Jack Dempsey |
Rocio octofasciata,(Cichlasoma octofasciatum) |
Keyhole Cichlid |
Cleithracara maronii |
Kribensis |
Pelvicachromis pulcher |
Oscar |
Astronotus ocellatus |
| Pseudotropheus ornatus |
Pseudotropheus elongatus-ornatus |
Rainbow Cichlid |
Herotilapia Multispinosa |
Ram |
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi |
Red devil |
Amphilophus labiatum |
Redfin kandango |
Copadichromis borleyi |
| Red Striped Eartheater |
Geophagus surinamensis |
| Severum | Heros efasciatus |
| Uaru | Uaru amphiacanthoides |
| Zebra cichlid |
Maylandia zebra (Pseudotropheus) |
| Livebearers | |
|
Common
|
Scientific |
Black Molly (and other mollies) |
Poecilia latipinna, Poecilia sphenops |
Guppy |
Poecilia reticulata |
Platy |
Xiphophorus maculatus |
Swordtail |
Xiphophorus hellerii |
Wrestling halfbeak |
Dermogenys pusilla |
| Tetras (Characoidei) | |
|
Common
|
Scientific
|
Anostomus |
Anostomus anostomus |
| Banded Leporinus |
Leporinus fasciatus |
| Black-finned Pacu |
Colossoma macropomum |
Black Neon Tetra |
Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi |
| Blackskirt (Goldskirt) Tetra |
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi |
| Bleeding Heart Tetra |
Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma |
| Cardinal Tetra |
Paracheirodon axelrodi |
Congo Tetra |
Phenacogrammus interruptus |
Glass Bloodfin Tetra |
Prionobrama filigera |
Glowlight Tetra |
Hemigrammus erthrozonus |
| Lemon Tetra |
Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis |
Marbled Hatchet |
Carnegiella strigata |
| Neon Tetra |
Paracheirodon innesi |
Penguin Fish |
Thayeria boehlkei |
| Pinktail Chalceus |
Chalceus macrolepidotus |
| Red-Bellied Piranha |
Pygocentrus nattereri |
Rummy Nose Tetra |
Hemigrammus rhodostomus |
| Serpae Tetra |
Hyphessobrycon serpae |
Silver Dollar |
Metynnis argenteus |
| Silver Hatchet |
Gasteropelecus sternicla |
| Slender Tetra |
Iguanodectes spilurus |
| Barbs, Danios and Rasbora (Cyprinids) | |
|
Common
|
Scientific
|
| American Flag Fish |
Jordanella floridae |
Arulius Barb |
Puntius arulius |
Bala Shark |
Balantiocheilos melanopterus |
| Chinese Algae Eater |
Gyrinocheilus aymonieri |
| Denison Barb, Red Line Torpedo Barb |
Puntius denisoni |
| Dwarf Rasbora |
Boraras maculatus |
| Harlequin Rasbora |
Trigonostigma heteromorpha |
| Red-Finned Shark (Rainbow Shark) |
Epalzeorhynchos frenatum |
| Red-Tailed Black Shark |
Epalzeorhynchos bicolor |
Rosy Barb |
Barbus conchonius |
| Siamese Algae Eater |
Crossocheilus siamensis |
Tee Barb |
Barbus lateristriga |
| Tiger Barb |
Puntius tetrazona |
White Cloud |
Tanichthys albonubes |
Zebra Danio |
Danio rerio |
| Anabantids | |
|
Common
|
Scientific
|
Betta |
Betta splendens |
Dwarf Gourami |
Colisa lalia |
| Honey Gourami |
Colisa chuna, Colisa sota |
Kissing Gourami |
Helostoma temmincki |
| Opaline Gourami |
Trichogaster trichopterus |
Paradise Fish |
Macropodus opercularis |
Pearl Gourami |
Trichogaster leeri |
Sparkling Gourami |
Trichopsis pumila |
Spotted Climbing Perch |
Ctenopoma acutirostre |
| Loach | |
|
Common
|
Scientific
|
| Angelicus Botia Loach |
Botia kubotai |
| Blue Loach |
Botia modesta |
| Burmese Border Loach |
Schistura Mahnerti |
| Chain Loach |
Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki |
| Cheni Loach |
Psuedogastromyzon cheni |
| Clown loach |
Chromobotia macracanthus |
| Dojo, Weather loach |
Misgurnus anguillicaudatus |
| Horsefaced loach |
Acanthopsis choirorhynchus |
Kuhli Loach |
Pangio kuhlii |
Yo yo loach |
Botia almorhae |
Zebra Loach |
Botia striata |
| Catfish- common terms | |
|
Common
|
Scientific |
Adolph’s Cory |
Corydoras Adolfoi |
Adonis – L155 Pleco |
Acanthicus Adonis |
| Bristlenose Pleco |
Ancistrus temminckii |
| Bronze Catfish |
Corydoras aeneus |
| Channel Catfish |
Ictalurus punctatus |
Chinese Algae Eater |
Gyrinocheilus aymonieri |
| Clown Pleco |
Panaque maccus |
| Columbian Shark |
Sciades seemanni (Arius seemani) |
| Common Pleco |
Hypostomus plecostomus |
| Electric Catfish |
Malapterurus electricus |
Farlowella Cats |
Farlowella acus (SP) |
Giant Black Upside Down Asian Catfish |
Mystus leucophasis |
| Oto Cat |
Otocinclus sp. |
| Panda Cory |
Corydoras panda |
| Pictus Cat |
Pimelodus pictus |
| Pygmy Cory |
Corydoras Pygmaeus |
| Skunk cory |
Corydoras arcuatus |
| Sudan squeaker |
Synodontis Frontosus |
| Miscellaneous species | |
|
Common
|
Scientific
|
| African Clawed frog |
Xenopus laevis, etc. |
| African Dwarf Frog |
Hymenochirus Sp. |
| Amano algae eating shrimp |
Caridina multidentata (Caridina japonica) |
| American Flag Fish |
Jordanella floridae |
| Apple Snail |
Pomacea bridgesii |
| Archer fish |
Toxotes jaculatrix |
Arowana |
Osteoglossum bicirrhosum |
Black crappie |
Pomoxis nigromaculatus |
| Black Ghost Knife |
Apteronotus albifrons |
| Boesemani Rainbowfish |
Melanotaenia Boesemani |
Bumble Bee Goby |
Brachygobius Xanthozona |
| Butterfly Fish |
Pantodon buchholzi |
Celebes rainbow |
Marosatherina ladigesi |
| Cherry Red shrimp |
Neocaridina denticulata sinensis? |
| Clown-Knife Fish |
Chitala chitala |
| Dragon Goby, Dragon Fish |
Gobioides broussonnetii |
| Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish |
Melanotaenia Praecox |
| Dwarf Puffer |
Carinotetraodon travancoricus |
Dwarf Rainbow |
Melanotaenia maccullochi |
Elephantnose |
Gnathonemus petersi |
Fahaka Puffer |
Tetraodon lineatus |
| Ghost Shrimp |
Palaeomonetes species |
Green Puffer |
Tetraodon nigroviridis |
| Knight Goby |
Stigmatogobius sadanundio |
| Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish (Turquoise Rainbow) |
Melanotaenia Lacustris |
| Limpit fish |
Humanicus fishicus strangeicus |
| Mbu Puffer |
Tetraodon mbu |
Mudskipper |
Periophthalmus argentilineatus |
| Peacock Gudgeon |
Tateurndina ocellicauda |
| Red claw crab |
Perisesarma bidens |
| Reedfish / Ropefish |
Erpetoichthys calabaricus |
Scat |
Scatophagus argus |
| Senegal (Cuvier) bichir |
Polypterus senegalus |
| Tire-Track Eel |
Mastacembelus armatus |
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Cichlid Breeding
Cichlid Breeding
As you go along raising cichlids, you will soon find yourself entertaining the idea of cichlid breeding. And why not? Cichlids are wonderful freshwater fish that are delightful to raise and breed, more so when they have endeared themselves to you. Cichlid breeding will enable you to observe firsthand how cichlids raise their young. You will find it interesting to know that in many ways cichlids are as protective as humans, but other times they can also be detached, even aggressive, parents. Such are the wonders of nature.
Before you start cichlid breeding, you need to work out what type of breeder your cichlid is.
Open Brooders
Open-brooding cichlids are those that spawn on open surfaces such as rocks, leaves of plants, logs, and gravel or other substrate. Discus fish, German blue ram, and angelfish are among the cichlids that breed in open spaces. Open brooders usually lay as much as 10,000 eggs. The male cichlid guards the territory while the female cichlid fans the eggs to increase oxygen supply and leads the fry in foraging. Strange cichlid-breeding behaviors such as leaf turning and fin digging have been seen in some cichlid species in South America and America.
Cave Brooders
Cave-brooding cichlids lay their eggs in caves and other areas that are covered by rocks, plants, and flowerpots. Examples of these are the Kribensis and the convict cichlids. Some strange cichlid-breeding behaviors such as digging a pit to lay eggs have been observed in certain cichlids. Among cave-brooding cichlids, biologists have noticed that parents and free-swimming fry communicate through body movements such as shaking and flicking of pelvic fins.
Mouth Brooders
The third type of cichlid breeder is one that carries the eggs and fry in its mouth to protect them from predatory fish. Ovophile mouth brooders such as the African cichlids incubate their eggs in their mouth after laying them and may even continue keeping the fry in their mouth for many weeks. Other mouth brooders are larvophiles, which means they first lay their eggs in the open or in a cave, then once the eggs have hatched, take the larvae into their mouth to keep them safe. Cichlid-breeding species that carry their fry in their mouth are mainly females.
Some Things To Consider
The ability of the female cichlid to breed depends on factors such as her health, age, and species.
Other external factors that affect cichlid breeding are water quality and temperature. Cichlid breeding and hatching become more conducive when water temperature is between 76 and 78 Fahrenheit and the pH level is alkaline.
The environment also plays a big role in making cichlid breeding possible. Cave brooders feel much more secure in laying their eggs if there are hiding places, so if your cichlid is this type, make sure your aquarium has many of these.
Cichlid breeding is not always successful the first time, because young and inexperienced female cichlids may not be able to carry their eggs for the full term. But over time, they will learn how to breed successfully. As a cichlid raiser, you need to be patient. Cichlid breeding is not carried out mechanically but occurs when the time is right.
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