---
type: species
title: "Convict Cichlid Care Guide: Tank Setup, Diet & Tank Mates"
slug: "convict-cichlid"
category: "freshwater"
scientificName: "Amatitlania nigrofasciata"
subcategory: "Central American Cichlid"
lastUpdated: "2026-04-24"
readingTime: 10
url: https://www.fishstores.org/species/convict-cichlid
---

# Convict Cichlid Care Guide: Tank Setup, Diet & Tank Mates

*Amatitlania nigrofasciata*

Learn how to care for convict cichlids — tank size, water parameters, diet, compatible tank mates, and breeding tips.

## Species Overview

The convict cichlid (*Amatitlania nigrofasciata*) is the cichlid most freshwater keepers cut their teeth on, and for good reason. It tolerates a wider range of water chemistry than almost any other Central American species, eats anything you put in the tank, breeds without coaxing, and shows the full range of cichlid behavior — pair bonding, brood defense, substrate digging, territorial display — in a body that maxes out around 5 inches. The trade-off is the same trait that makes the species rewarding: convicts pack the personality of a 12-inch oscar into a fish small enough to bully your entire community tank.

Native to the warm streams and lake margins of the Central American isthmus, the convict cichlid earned its name from the bold black vertical bars that wrap a pale silver-gray body. The same species is widely sold in a pink or peach selectively bred form (the "pink convict" or "albino convict"), which lacks the dark barring entirely. Behavior and care are identical between the two color morphs.

| Field       | Value                   |
| ----------- | ----------------------- |
| Adult size  | 4-6 in (10-15 cm)       |
| Lifespan    | 8-10 years              |
| Min tank    | 30 gallons (pair)       |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive cichlid |
| Difficulty  | Beginner                |
| Diet        | Omnivore                |

### Natural Habitat & Origin

Wild convict cichlids range across Central America from Guatemala through Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. They favor rocky stream beds, lake shorelines, and slow-moving river margins where dense rockwork and submerged wood provide cave-like spawning sites. Water temperatures in the native range hold steady in the high 70s year-round, with neutral to slightly alkaline pH driven by limestone-influenced geology.

The species is hardy enough that feral populations have established themselves in warm waters far outside its native range — Australia, parts of the southwestern United States, and even hot-spring outflows in Europe. That same toughness is what makes them ship well, survive uncycled tanks longer than they should, and outlive almost any beginner mistake short of complete neglect.

For broader context on hardy starter species, see our [freshwater fish overview](/guides/freshwater-fish).

### Appearance & Color Variants

The classic wild-type convict carries 8-9 vertical black bars on a silver-gray body, with the bars often fading toward the belly and intensifying when the fish is stressed, breeding, or asserting dominance. Females develop an iridescent orange or pink belly patch as they reach sexual maturity — this is the most reliable sexing mark in the species, and it brightens dramatically when a female is in spawning condition.

Selectively bred color morphs are common in the trade. The pink convict (sometimes labeled "albino convict") is a recessive variant that drops the dark barring entirely, leaving a uniform peach to white body. Black convicts, marble convicts, and various calico patterns also turn up at hobbyist auctions but rarely at chain stores. All variants share identical care requirements — they are the same species with the same temperament and the same breeding behavior.

> **The pink/white convict is selectively bred, not a separate species**
>
> Pink convicts and albino convicts are color morphs of the same fish — *Amatitlania nigrofasciata* — produced by hobbyist breeders selecting for a recessive trait. They are not a different species, and they are not natural in the wild. Behavior, aggression, breeding readiness, and care needs are identical to the standard barred form. Buy whichever color you prefer aesthetically; they will act the same in your tank.

### Size & Lifespan

Adult males reach 5-6 inches in well-maintained aquariums, while females stay smaller at roughly 4-4.5 inches. Growth is fast for a cichlid — well-fed juveniles can hit breeding size within 6-9 months and full adult size within 12-18 months. Lifespan in captivity runs 8-10 years, with 12+ years documented in pristine systems.

Sexually mature males develop slightly elongated dorsal and anal fin tips, a steeper forehead profile, and sometimes a small nuchal hump in older specimens. Females are rounder, smaller, and carry the orange belly patch year-round once mature.

## Water Parameters & Tank Requirements

The convict cichlid's reputation as bulletproof is well-earned, but bulletproof does not mean immortal. Stable water chemistry and adequate space prevent the chronic stress that shortens cichlid lifespans.

### Ideal Water Conditions

Target a temperature of 72-82°F, with the sweet spot for most adult fish around 75-78°F. Convicts tolerate pH from 6.5 to 8.0, though they show their best color and most natural behavior in neutral to slightly alkaline water (pH 7.2-7.8). General hardness should fall in the 10-15 dGH range, matching the moderately hard, mineral-rich water of their native limestone-influenced streams.

Ammonia and nitrite must read zero. Nitrates should stay below 30 ppm — convicts tolerate higher nitrate than blue rams or discus, but chronic exposure to elevated nitrate stunts growth and erodes long-term health. A weekly 25-30% water change with temperature-matched, dechlorinated water keeps nitrate manageable in most setups.

### Minimum Tank Size & Layout

A 30-gallon tank is the practical minimum for a single pair. The footprint matters more than the volume — a 30-gallon long (36 inches of floor space) outperforms a 30-gallon tall every time, because convicts claim horizontal territory rather than vertical water column. For a community tank with convicts and other Central American cichlids, step up to 55-75 gallons.

Aquascape with a sand or fine-gravel substrate, a layer of smooth river rocks, several stacked stone caves or terra cotta pots tipped on their sides as spawning sites, and a few pieces of driftwood for visual breaks. Skip delicate plants — convicts dig, uproot, and shred most plant species during normal foraging and especially before spawning. Anubias and Java fern attached to driftwood are the rare exceptions that survive long-term in a convict tank.

For beginners considering whether a 30-gallon tank is the right size for cichlids, see our [20-gallon fish tank guide](/guides/20-gallon-fish-tank) for a comparison of what fits at smaller scales.

### Filtration & Flow

Convicts produce a heavy bioload for their size — they eat aggressively, dig constantly, and stir up substrate. Run a hang-on-back or canister filter rated for at least 1.5x your actual tank volume. A 30-gallon convict tank benefits from filtration rated for 50 gallons. Sponge filters work as supplemental biological filtration but cannot handle the mechanical load on their own.

Flow should be moderate. Convicts evolved in slow-moving streams and lake margins, not whitewater. If your filter outlet pushes the fish around or scours sand into one corner of the tank, baffle the output with a spray bar or filter sponge. Adequate surface agitation matters more than current speed for oxygen exchange in a warm cichlid tank.

## Diet & Feeding

Convicts are opportunistic omnivores. In the wild they eat insect larvae, small crustaceans, algae, and detritus pulled from substrate digs. In captivity they accept anything edible without hesitation, which makes feeding the easiest part of their care and overfeeding the most common mistake.

### What Convict Cichlids Eat

Build the diet around a high-quality cichlid pellet sized appropriately for the fish (small pellets for juveniles, larger for adults). New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula, Hikari Cichlid Excel, and Fluval Bug Bites Cichlid Formula are all well-regarded staples that supply complete nutrition. Supplement with frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and chopped earthworms 2-3 times per week for variety and protein.

Convicts also benefit from plant matter. Blanched zucchini, spinach, peas, and spirulina-based flakes once a week balance the diet and reduce digestive issues. Avoid relying on freeze-dried foods alone — they expand in the gut and can cause bloat in cichlids prone to overeating.

### Feeding Schedule & Portion Size

Feed twice daily for adults, three times daily for fast-growing juveniles. Each feeding should be consumed within 1-2 minutes — anything left after that is overfeeding. Skip one feeding day per week to give the digestive tract a rest and reduce the risk of bloat.

Convicts beg constantly and will eat themselves into a barrel-shaped silhouette if you let them. A healthy adult convict has a slightly rounded but not bulging belly. If your fish looks pregnant year-round and you do not have a breeding pair, you are overfeeding.

## Tank Mates & Compatibility

This is where most convict cichlid setups go wrong. The species is sold as a beginner cichlid alongside community tank fish at every chain store in North America, and the resulting mismatched stocking decisions account for most of the dead tank mates blamed on "aggressive cichlids."

### Why Convicts Are Aggressive

Convicts defend territory year-round and intensify that defense to lethal levels during breeding. A bonded pair will claim half a 55-gallon tank and attack any fish that enters their zone — sometimes pursuing intruders to exhaustion. The aggression is not a personality quirk; it is a hardwired reproductive strategy that protects eggs and fry from predators in a habitat full of competing cichlids.

Even non-breeding convicts are pushy at feeding time and during territorial reshuffling. Single specimens are calmer than pairs, and pairs in 30-gallon tanks are more aggressive than pairs in 75-gallon tanks. Space and visual breaks (rockwork, driftwood, dense terracotta) reduce conflict but do not eliminate it.

> **Aggressive when breeding — can kill tankmates**
>
> A breeding pair of convicts in a 30-gallon tank will attack and frequently kill any other fish sharing the tank, including species twice their size. The behavior is sudden, sustained, and ruthless — both parents tag-team intruders for hours at a time. If you plan to breed convicts, either commit to a species-only tank or use a 75+ gallon tank with hard sight breaks dividing it into separate territories. Do not assume a bigger tank mate is safe; convicts have killed jack dempseys, oscars, and even goldfish during peak brood defense.

### Suitable Tank Mates

In a 55-gallon or larger tank, convicts can coexist with similarly sized robust Central American cichlids: firemouth cichlids (*Thorichthys meeki*), salvini cichlids, green terrors, and [jack dempseys](/species/jack-dempsey) all hold their own against convict aggression in adequately sized systems. Giant danios make excellent dither fish — they are fast enough to evade convict charges and their constant midwater activity reassures the cichlids that no predators are present.

Robust catfish can work as tank mates in larger setups. Common plecos, sailfin plecos, and synodontis catfish all coexist with convicts because their armored bodies and nocturnal habits keep them out of conflict. Smaller plecos and corydoras get harassed off their feeding spots and slowly starve.

### Species to Avoid

Skip every small or slow-moving fish in the hobby. Tetras, guppies, mollies, platies, fancy goldfish, angelfish, gouramis, and any long-finned variant fish are convict food or convict targets. Other dwarf cichlids — including [blue rams](/species/blue-ram) — get bullied off territory and food.

Do not attempt to keep two convict pairs in anything smaller than 100 gallons. The territorial overlap guarantees one pair eventually exterminates the other. Same-sex pairs of convicts also fight, especially among males, with the loser typically dying of stress or sustained injury within weeks.

> **Breeds prolifically — sex-separate or population spirals**
>
> Convicts are the rabbits of the cichlid world. A bonded pair will spawn every 4-6 weeks year-round, producing 100-300 fry per clutch with high survival rates because both parents defend the brood aggressively. Within a year, an unmanaged convict pair can fill a tank with 500+ offspring, overwhelming filtration and forcing emergency rehoming. If you do not want runaway breeding, buy two same-sex juveniles (a tricky proposition since juveniles are hard to sex), keep a single specimen, or accept that you will be giving away convict fry to your local fish store on a regular basis.

## Breeding

Convict cichlids breed so readily that pairs often spawn in store display tanks before purchase. If you keep a male and a female together in adequate space with cave-like structures, they will breed — there is no triggering required.

### Sexing Convict Cichlids

Sexing mature convicts is straightforward. Females show the iridescent orange or pink belly patch that intensifies during spawning and is visible year-round in mature fish. Males are larger (5-6 inches versus 4-4.5 inches for females), more streamlined, and develop slightly elongated dorsal and anal fin tips. Older males may also show a small nuchal hump on the forehead.

Juveniles under 2 inches are difficult to sex reliably. The orange belly patch does not develop until females approach sexual maturity around 4 months of age. If you need a guaranteed pair, buy 6-8 juveniles, raise them together, and let a pair form on its own — then rehome the rest before territorial fighting starts.

### Spawning Behavior & Egg Care

Convicts are cave spawners. Provide a stacked rock cave, terra cotta pot tipped on its side, or pre-cut PVC pipe section as a spawning site. The pair will clean the chosen surface obsessively for 1-2 days before spawning, then the female lays 100-300 adhesive eggs in neat rows across the cave ceiling or back wall.

Both parents guard the eggs and fry with combined ferocity. The female fans the eggs with her pectoral fins and removes infertile (white or fungused) eggs, while the male patrols the perimeter and chases off intruders. Eggs hatch in 3-4 days at 78-80°F, and fry become free-swimming around day 5-7 post-hatch.

### Raising Fry

Once free-swimming, convict fry follow their parents in a tight cloud, picking microscopic food off the substrate as the adults dig and stir up debris. First foods include baby brine shrimp, microworms, crushed flake food, and powdered fry food. Both parents continue to herd and defend the fry for 4-6 weeks, after which the adults typically begin preparing for the next spawn.

Survival rates in a parentally guarded convict tank are extremely high — often 80-90% of fry reach 0.5 inches without intervention, which is why convict populations spiral so quickly in unmanaged tanks. Move fry to a separate grow-out tank once they reach 0.75-1 inch if you want to raise them to sale size, or accept that the parents will eventually start eating older fry as the next spawn approaches.

## Common Health Issues

Convicts are remarkably disease-resistant — most health problems trace back to water quality, overfeeding, or stress from incompatible tank mates. Address those root causes before reaching for medication.

### Ich & Skin Flukes

White spot disease (*Ichthyophthirius multifiliis*) presents as salt-grain spots on the body and fins, often accompanied by flashing against decor and clamped fins. The classic treatment is to raise tank temperature to 86°F for 10-14 days, accelerating the parasite's life cycle so it cannot complete reproduction. Convicts tolerate the elevated temperature well. Add a malachite-green-and-formalin medication if the infestation is severe or unresponsive to heat alone.

Skin and gill flukes show as flashing, scratching against rocks, and excess mucus production without visible spots. Praziquantel is the standard treatment, dosed per manufacturer instructions in the main tank or a quarantine setup.

### Hole-in-the-Head Disease

Hole-in-the-head (HITH or HLLE — head and lateral line erosion) shows as small pits or eroded patches on the head and along the lateral line. The condition is most often linked to chronic poor water quality, nutritional deficiency (especially vitamin and mineral gaps in a flake-only diet), and the protozoan parasite *Hexamita*. Carbon filtration has also been implicated as a contributing factor, though the evidence is mixed.

Treat by improving water quality immediately — increase water change frequency to 30% twice weekly, switch to varied frozen and live foods, supplement with vitamin-enriched gel foods, and dose metronidazole if Hexamita infection is suspected. Catching HITH early gives the fish a real chance at full recovery; advanced cases often leave permanent scarring even after the underlying disease is controlled.

> **Hardy and bulletproof — the easy starter cichlid**
>
> Convicts are the most forgiving cichlid in the freshwater hobby. They tolerate pH from 6.5 to 8.0, temperatures from the low 70s to mid-80s, dGH ranges that would stress more sensitive species, and feeding regimes that range from flake-only to varied frozen rotations. They survive uncycled tanks longer than they should, recover from mistakes that would kill a blue ram, and breed in conditions that would suppress reproduction in most other cichlids. If you want to learn cichlid behavior — pair bonding, brood defense, territorial display, sand sifting — without the chemistry overhead of more sensitive species, the convict is the right starting point.

## Where to Buy & What to Look For

Convicts are produced in commercial volume by fish farms in Florida and Southeast Asia, which means they are widely available, cheap, and almost always captive-bred. Quality varies enormously between sources.

### Finding Healthy Convicts at Your Local Fish Store

Spend 5-10 minutes watching the display tank before picking a fish. A healthy convict swims actively, holds its dorsal fin erect, displays bold barring (or full pink color in pink morphs), and responds when you approach the tank. Listless drifting, hiding in corners, faded color, or clamped fins all signal stress or disease.

Inspect the tank as much as the individual fish. Skip any tank with dead fish floating, regardless of how good the surviving stock looks — disease spreads through shared water systems, and a recently introduced infection may not yet be visible on the fish you are about to buy. Check for white spots, frayed fins, sunken bellies, cloudy eyes, and visible HITH-style head erosion.

Ask the store to feed the fish while you watch. A convict that ignores food at the store is either sick or has been recently shipped and is still acclimating — wait 48-72 hours and re-evaluate before purchasing.

### Price & Availability

Standard barred convicts typically retail for $5-$10 at chain stores and local fish shops. Pink convicts and albino variants run $8-$15, slightly higher because of the recessive genetics required to produce them. Premium color morphs (calico, marble, true black) can reach $20-$30 at specialty stores or hobbyist auctions.

Avoid the temptation of bargain-bin convicts. Stock priced below $4 often comes from overcrowded, undermanaged farms and arrives with parasites, fungal infections, or genetic defects. Pay the modest premium for fish from a reputable local source — your survival rate and long-term health outcomes will be far better.

### Acclimation

Convicts are tolerant of chemistry shifts but still benefit from proper acclimation. Float the bag in your tank for 15 minutes to match temperature, then drip 2-3 drops per second from the tank into the bag for 30-45 minutes until the bag volume has roughly doubled. Net the convicts out and release them into the tank — do not pour bag water into your display.

For step-by-step acclimation guidance, see our [acclimating fish guide](/guides/how-to-acclimate-fish). After release, dim the lights for several hours to reduce stress and let the new fish establish a baseline territory before you turn the tank lights back on.

## Quick Reference

- **Tank size:** 30 gallons minimum for a pair; 55-75+ gallons for a community
- **Temperature:** 72-82°F (sweet spot 75-78°F)
- **pH:** 6.5-8.0 (neutral to slightly alkaline preferred)
- **Hardness:** 10-15 dGH
- **Ammonia / Nitrite:** 0 ppm
- **Nitrate:** Below 30 ppm
- **Diet:** Omnivore — cichlid pellets, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, blanched vegetables
- **Feeding:** 2x daily for adults; one fast day per week
- **Tank mates:** Firemouth cichlid, salvini, green terror, [jack dempsey](/species/jack-dempsey), giant danios, robust plecos
- **Avoid:** Tetras, guppies, mollies, fancy goldfish, angelfish, dwarf cichlids like [blue ram](/species/blue-ram), other convict pairs in small tanks
- **Lifespan:** 8-10 years typical; 12+ years documented
- **Difficulty:** Beginner (hardiest cichlid in the freshwater hobby)
- **Breeding:** Cave spawner; bonded pairs only; biparental fry care; spawns prolifically

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How big do convict cichlids get?

Convict cichlids typically reach 4-6 inches, with males growing larger than females. In a well-maintained aquarium with a quality diet, they can approach the upper end of that range within 12-18 months.

### Are convict cichlids aggressive?

Yes — convicts are moderately to highly aggressive, especially during breeding. They will defend territories and attack smaller or passive fish. Best kept with similarly sized, robust species or in a species-only setup.

### What is the minimum tank size for convict cichlids?

A 30-gallon tank is the practical minimum for a single pair. If breeding is expected or additional tank mates are planned, a 55-gallon or larger tank significantly reduces aggression and territorial conflict.

### How easy is it to breed convict cichlids?

Convicts are among the easiest cichlids to breed — pairs form naturally, spawn readily in caves or flat rocks, and both parents aggressively guard eggs and fry. Accidental breeding in community tanks is common.

### Can convict cichlids live with other fish?

Convicts can coexist with robust, similarly sized Central American cichlids like firemouths or salvini. Avoid small, slow, or long-finned species. Tank size and territory breaks (rocks, caves) are critical to reducing aggression.

---
*Source: [FishStores.org](https://www.fishstores.org/species/convict-cichlid)*
*Last updated: April 24, 2026*