How to Breed Convicts

African cichlids are some of the most vibrantly colored and lively aquarium fish. They are also among the most aggressive, so breeding them requires an understanding of the breed and the proper technique. Convict cichlids, so named for their black-and-white prison-stripe coloring, are among the most prolific breeders.

Things You'll Need

  • Male convict cichlid
  • Female convict cichlid
  • 10-gallon aquarium
  • 1 6-inch flower pot
  • Fish food flakes
  • Tap water
  • Sand
  • Aquarium net
  • Dechlorinater
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill a 10-gallon aquarium with a few inches of sand.

    • 2

      Place a 6-inch flower pot on its side so that half of the pot is buried in the sand.

    • 3

      Fill the tank with tap water.

    • 4

      Add a dechlorinater to the water to make it chemically safe for fish.

    • 5

      Net a male convict cichlid and transfer it to the 10-gallon aquarium.

    • 6

      Net a female convict cichlid of the same size as the male convict cichlid and transfer it to the 10-gallon aquarium. A larger male can bully and even kill a smaller female. If the parent fish are very aggressive or will not breed, remove one of the pair and select another mate.

    • 7

      Observe the pair. The female will lay about 20 to 40 eggs at a time inside the shelter of the flower pot, then the male will fertilize the eggs until 100 to 300 eggs have been laid and fertilized. The female will then transfer the eggs to the sand where they will gestate for 48 to 72 hours. The eggs will hatch and the newly hatched fish will live off of their egg sacks for six to eight days.

    • 8

      After about six to eight days -- once their egg sacks have been depleted -- begin feeding the baby fish finely crushed fish food flakes.

    • 9

      Transfer the male and female parent cichlids into another aquarium. The newly hatched fish will be able to survive on their own and the parent fish may eat them if they are left in the aquarium. Separate the male and female if no further breeding is desired. Convict cichlids are prolific breeders and a successfully mated pair can produce huge numbers of offspring.