# Photo and question about my black convict



## UFOo (Feb 27, 2015)

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and also pretty new to aquarium (got it a month ago).

Here is my black convict (at least the name in my local pet store)










I looked up on internet and the images of black convicts are quite different than what I have. Is the mine really a black convict? Will it change color to what is shown on internet? I really like its looking now, and I'm actually a bit afraid that it will change.

And a second question: I heard that female black convict can mate with many other species, is it possible for her to mate with African Cichlids, such as yellow labs, Kenyii, or aurotus?

Thank you very much!


----------



## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Welcome to the forum.

How long have you had the convict? Color can change based on mood/disposition. Are you housing it with the African mbuna?

Cons are substrate spawners and the mbuna are mouthbrooding cichlids. No chance of them mating.


----------



## UFOo (Feb 27, 2015)

Iggy Newcastle said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> How long have you had the convict? Color can change based on mood/disposition. Are you housing it with the African mbuna?
> 
> Cons are substrate spawners and the mbuna are mouthbrooding cichlids. No chance of them mating.


I had the convict for roughly a month. It was similar to this color already when I bought it from the pet store (maybe a little bit darker but not much)

Yeah I'm housing it with mbunas.

Thanks for the info on mating!


----------



## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

No chance of them mating, but they should definitely not be kept together. Very very different fish with different needs, and not a good mix together. I'd consider rehoming the convict or getting her a tank on her own.

Her colour is probably a combination of genetics (seem to be a lot of overbred convicts around the last few years and their markings are getting more and more washed out; can't remember the last time I saw a really nice looking one), and the fact that she's over a white substrate. A dark substrate would probably cause her to darken up. And yes, she's probably very stressed and unhappy living with mbuna.


----------



## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Sinister-Kisses said:


> they should definitely not be kept together. Very very different fish with different needs, and not a good mix together..


Explain this a little further and how or why their "needs" are so different in captivity?


----------



## Mihai Boldor (Feb 27, 2015)

The Black Convict cichlid is a South American cichlid so as far as water parameters go, thing ar a little bit different, they thrive in a more acidic water and the African Cichlids love a harder water


----------



## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Mihai Boldor said:


> The Black Convict cichlid is a South American cichlid so as far as water parameters go, thing ar a little bit different, they thrive in a more acidic water and the African Cichlids love a harder water


 :roll: 
A black convict is most certainly NOT from South America. It comes from Central America (which, if you are going to consider it part of any continent is part of North America, not South America!)

Nevertheless, convicts generally come from basic water; very seldom are they found in acidic water. African cichlid is a very general term; refers to a whole continent of cichlids. If by African cichlid you mean cichlids from lake Malawi, then NO they do not actually come from hard water. Lake Malawi has a dGH 4-6 and has an electrical conductivity of around 200- 240 us which is NOT hard water by any standards! Convict cichlid is found in harder water pretty much through out it's range.


----------



## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

Ahhh the old mixing question. 
BC all that you say above is of course correct. As far as mixing CA and mbuna, to a large extent I don't think there is a clear 'it's right' or 'it's wrong' (other than personal preference). It's a question of each case on its merits, and that in turn implies a degree of experience with both groups of fish is important.
My experience is that throwing some mbuna into a tank of centrals tends not to be too much of an issue (generally speaking). But, centrals do not tend to do well in a tank of mbuna. In this particular case, if it is a case of putting the convict in a tank of mbuna, especially if it includes kenyi and auratus (two of the most aggressive mbuna) then I think that's not a good idea. Con will probably struggle, be stressed, and may wind up dead.


----------

