Scientific Name: Cryptoheros nigrofasciatusCommon Name: Convict cichlid, zebra cichlid

Region: Central America (Guatemala, El Salvadore, Costa Rica & Panama)Size: Up to 6" (15cm). Females are smaller

Color: White body, black vertical bars (hence the name convict). The stripes and any color on the belly become more pronounced during breeding. Males usually have darker stripes and pointier fins, are typically larger than the females, and fully mature males will have a bit of a hump on their head. Females have more color on their bellies, usually pink and green. There is also a pink albino strain.Water Chemistry: pH 6.0 - 8.0; medium hardnessTemperature: 68°- 80°F (20° to 27° C). Warmer water when breedingAggression: Aggressive, especially when mating. Compatibility: Aggressive, robust, larger fish (if you want them to live...)Diet: OmnivorousBreeding: It would difficult to stop this fish from breeding. All you need is a pair, and they'll do the rest! It's a pleasure to watch these fish guard their fry.General Experience: Convicts were my introduction to the world of cichlid keeping. Needless to say, I was completely hooked. I was overjoyed when they started to breed, thinking I was going to make a million dollars by selling the babies. I was wrong of course, no one wanted them.

Anyhow, convicts are an excellent choice for a starter cichlid.  A pair of these in a well filtered 20 gallon aquarium, and you're good to go!

Even though I quickly graduated on to nicer fish, I would still have to say that cichlids hold a special place in my heart. This is partly due to the fact that while I was spending some time in Honduras, we stopped off at a local river on the way home from a game of futbol (soccer).  There was an old algae-covered dam that we were climbing up and sliding down like a water slide. As I  reached the top of the dam, I looked down the water's edge, and there about 12 inches below the surface was a wild pair of cichlids guarding their eggs on the wall of the dam. It was a pretty awesome experience!

Anyhow, feel free to leave your experiences in the comments!

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