A few species that would make suitable tankmates for the Convict cichlid include:You should also be mindful that very large fish could easily swallow a Convict cichlid, so bear that in mind when choosing tankmates.Although you can sometimes get away with keeping several Convict cichlids together, they are highly aggressive when spawning and will take on other fish that are several times their size. Sometimes their body can take on a grey, almost metallic sheen in the right lighting.Males have bigger dorsal and anal fins than females. You should use a hang-on-the-back filter that is very powerful. The Convict Cichlid is probably ranked number 3 out of all cichlids as far as popularity goes, with Angelfish and Oscars being 1 and 2 respectively.. Convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) is a species of fish belonging to the Cichlidae. Another reason that has been considered is … Convict Cichlid Care Guide 1. Convict cichlids pair up as juveniles, and they should be removed from a larger group to avoid confrontation and aggression.Convict cichlids engage in a pre-spawning courtship ritual, shaking their heads at each other and circling around. As the name suggests, it causes white spots to form on the fish, and it’s caused by parasites. The parents may benefit by adopting smaller young by taking advantage of the dilution effect, which is when the risk of predation for an individual is reduced because the group size is larger. The front aspect of the fins is soft, enabling the fish to position itself very precisely and maneuver effortlessly in the water, although Convict cichlids are not fast swimmers.Another notable feature of all cichlid species is that they have one nostril on either side of their snout, whereas other fishes have two sets. Interestingly, the fish can retain the water for long or short periods, depending on how much the animal needs to sample the scents that the water contains. Some of these fish have little flecks of gold or pink, which only adds to their overall beauty.Male convict cichlids can grow up to six inches, while females usually grow to be 4.5 inches at the most. While they can be fairly peaceful, they do have strong territorial instincts that can be triggered very easily. The pH range should be kept consistently between 6.0 and 8.0. It is a good idea to use a secondary filter as well, just to be safe.Keep in mind that these fish tend to rearrange their surroundings fairly often, so nothing will stay in place for very long.
The name, Convict cichlid, comes from the dark vertical bands, which give the fish a traditional “jailbird” look.The finnage is clear to pale yellow in color.