(Please note that the fish shown in the photo is only a representative of what an adult specimen would look like. The color may vary based on the age and sex of the fish you receive.)
Scientific Name: Archocentrus nigrofasciatus
Common Name: Pink Convict Cichlid, Golden Pink Convict Cichlid
Adult Size: 6 inches
Life Expectancy: 8 - 10 years
Habitat: Central America
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature Range: 75 - 82°F
- pH Range: 7.0 - 8.0
- Water Hardness: 5 - 15
Temperament: Aggressive, territorial fish and will attack and bite other fish that invade their territory or look like potential rivals.
Diet & Nutrition: Omnivore; in the wild, they feed on a variety of small invertebrates, insects, and plant matter. In captivity, provide a balanced diet with high-quality pellets, flakes, and occasional live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, and small invertebrates.
Breeding & Spawning: Challenging since these fish can be so aggressive and don't appreciate the presence of a conspecific—even if they were raised together—in a huge tank. Reproduce the fish in a separate breeding tank to make breeding easier. A pot filled with a few inches of peat, crushed snail shells, or clay flower pots will aid the spawning process. The fish will use this as a spawning and egg-laying site. The female will deposit the eggs under the mop or in the flowerpot and will guard the eggs for 3-4 days. The eggs will hatch after four days, and the fry will drop down to the bottom of the tank. The parents will take care of their fry until they’re one week old. Feed the fry with newly hatched brine shrimp or infusoria. Once the fry mature into juvenile fish, feed them finely powdered fry food and later on more complex foods like shrimp pellets.
Gender: Males feature larger dorsal and anal fins, while females have shorter fins and an orange patch on their bellies.