Fish Care Tips

Many people think the pink and black convict cichlids are different, but they are actually the same species. The convict is one of the more popular cichlids. The Convict got its name from the black vertical stripes on its body. It’s also often called the “zebra cichlid”.

This cichlid has a bluish lavender body, with a pink tinge on the belly. During breeding the colors of the fish are more dramatic. Female convicts are usually a bit smaller and they have more distinguished pink on their bellies. These fish are ideal for aquariums. They adjust easily and are great survivors, although they are not known for their gentle dispositions. They are aggressive and will need to be kept with others of their own disposition and size. The average life span of this cichlid is 10 years.

Aquarium Care

One of the best things about the Convict is that they are so easy to take care of. There really isn’t any specifications for this species. Some good requirements to go by are they do like to have a brighter light in their tank.

Some hiding places in the tank are good because of their aggressive behavior. The Convicts usually rearrange any decorations or plants in the tank. Basic setup is fine for these highly adaptable cichlids. Some ideal tank mates would be other South American Cichlids like, the Green Terror, Jack Dempsey, Red Devils, and Texas Cichlids.

Feeding

Another reason why these cichlids are recommended for someone who hasn’t had initial luck with other cichlids is because they are not at all picky. They will eat almost anything and don’t have any special requirements for their diet. They generally accept all aquarium fish foods. Flakes, Frozen, Live, Freeze dried and Cichlid pellets all are good for the convict.

Breeding

The convicts are very easily bred. Get a male and female together and it is almost inevitable that they will breed. They will usually pair off and do a mating dance. All you need is a cave or a flower pot in the tank. The female will lay the eggs inside of the cave or pot. Sometimes it is best to separate the convicts from other non-aggressive fish when breeding.

They are highly territorial and may harm the other tank mates. Eggs normally hatch within 3-4 days and in another 5-6 days you should see your little convicts swimming around. When they are old enough to swim around it is best to feed them flakes or brine shrimp. The convicts are great parents’ great entertainment.

Name: Jack Dempsey (Archocentrus Octofasciatus)

The Jack Dempsey is a Central American Cichlid. It is an energetic and beautiful fish that has several colorful speckles across its body and a stained-glass effect on its dorsal fin that is especially displayed in certain lighting.

The Jack Dempsey gets its name after former heavyweight boxing champ, Jack Dempsey.

As aquarium fish, they are fairly easy to care for, but cannot share a tank with just any fish because of their aggressive nature. Their tank mates need to be of the same size or larger and need to be able to fend against the Jack Dempsey, such as firemouths, convicts, terrors, select Oscars etc.

Jack Dempsey’s can live for 15+ years. The males can grow from 9-10 inches and the female from 6-8 inches.

Aquarium: Since wild Jack Dempsey Cichlids live in waters that are muddy and sandy it is good to use these substrates in the aquarium.

They require a good deal of space so they need to be in a 55 gallon or larger tank.

They usually eat and/or destroy live plants, so it is not recommended to have live plants in the  tank.

Rocks, wood and pottery are good to use with these cichlids because they use them for territory boundaries and if there are mates to breed they use the flat rocks or hard flat surfaces to lay eggs on.

Water temperature for Jack Dempseys should be between 72-80 degrees [22-30 degrees C]

pH range is 7.0-8.0 and the dGH should be between 9-20.

Breeding

Aquarium bred Jack Dempsey Cichlids are common.

They will clean off a piece of slate or flat rock for the female to lay her eggs on, then the male quickly fertilizes them. As the mother fans the eggs the male stands watch over them.

Because of their ultra protection of their young, there should not be any other fish in the tank while they are breeding.

The parents will actually chew food and spit it out for their fry to eat.

After their young reach about ½ inch they should be removed from the tank.

Feeding

Jack Dempsey’s can be trained to eat most fish foods, but need to be fed a variety such as: crayfish, shrimp, grasshoppers, earthworms, Hikari pellets and spriulina flakes. Also, some vegetation such as lettuce and plankton.

When they are fed a variety of nutritional foods their color is at its most beautiful…

Photo credit: shaletann

One of the many South American, or (New World) cichlids species is called the German Blue Ram.

This fish is also commonly known as the butterfly cichlid and is similar to a butterfly in that it is beautiful, and has a lot of color.

This fish has bright Grey and blue flanks. The head and chest have yellow, gold, black and blue with a red patch on the belly. Also, a black vertical line runs across the eye, with a red patch around it. Seeing this fish shows the true beauty over just reading the description.

This type of cichlid comes from the rivers of Venezuela and Columbia. These cichlids are very popular for hobbyists and must be kept in a minimum 20 gallon tank. Two Rams would be comfortable in a 20 gallon tank but no more than two.

These cichlids require water temperature of 72-85 Fahrenheit. The pH range needs to be 5.5-7.5, and the hardness needs to be 6-14 degrees. Soft water is best for this fish but they can adapt to moderately hard water. With these specifications, it makes it a bit hard to keep these fish. A lot of times the fish only lives a few days after purchased.

The water temperature, Ph, and hardness levels have to be just right for the cichlid to survive after a move. Along with the majority of other cichlids the Blue Ram needs hiding spots in the tank.

Along with hiding spots, plants, and deco rational items are also helpful. Hiding places are necessary because of aggression, especially while breeding. These cichlids have a life span of approximately 2-4 years. They grow up to approximately 2-3 inches. The male is the larger of the two.

Most other fish can be kept in the tank with these cichlids as long as they aren’t extremely aggressive or larger than the cichlid.

Blue Rams are omnivores. They prefer frozen or live food but will usually eat most food. When the Ram is first moved into a new environment they may be finicky or picky eaters, at this point it is best to feed them bloodworms or brine shrimp at this time and after they get used to their surroundings you can experiment with other foods like fresh green vegetables and pellets.

When the female becomes pregnant and has her eggs, the male and female both take care of the eggs. A lot of the time they will take the eggs into they’re mouths to keep them safe. When the rams have the eggs, care should be taken so the eggs aren’t sucked into the filter.

The Oscar (Astronotus Ocellatus) is a member of the South American Cichlid (pronounced “sik-lid”) family and is one of the more popular aquarium fish in North America.

Oscars are very well-known for their aggressiveness (although they are far from being the most aggressive Cichlid) and their interactivity with their owners. They do know who their owner(s) is and will act differently with others.

Oscars are great pets, but one thing that many people do not realize is that they require alot of maintenance and care. Oscars are very “dirty” fish, as they are very messy eaters and produce alot of waste. Because of this, weekly, 1/3 tank water changes and strong filtering are needed.

Types of Oscars

Contrary to popular belief there is only one type of Oscar and that is the Wild Oscar. The Wild Oscar is the original Oscar found in the Amazon River, which was later bred into their different color variations, which are now known as the:

Tiger Oscar, Red Oscar, Albino Oscar, Pink Oscar, Lutino Oscar, Veil Tail Oscar, Pink Veil Tail Oscar, Chocolate Oscar, Gold Oscar, Green Oscar, Lemon Oscar, Purple Oscar, and more…

Food

Oscars are carnivorous, meaning they are meat eaters. There are various things you can feed them, but it’s very important to alternate and give them a variety! Probably the most healthy choice is Cichlid pellet food, as it contains all of the nutrients they need. The following are some other types of food you can feed an Oscar:

Gold Fish or Minnows - Oscars love live food and there is nothing wrong with giving them some on occasion, but it’s not a good idea to make this part of their regular diet. Many of the “feeders” you get at your local pet shot are injected with growth hormone many of them can and will bring Ick (Ich,) a common fish disease, along with them. This means there is a good chance that you’re feeding your Oscar(s) growth hormone (bad) and/or Ick. These feeders do not provide all of the nutrients your Oscar needs either.

Water Specs

Aquariam Size

Compatibility