I recently bought a couple of convicts.(traditional black and white).One has remained very light colored while the other (I think it is a male) will change from solid black, b&w striped, to very pale all over.They are both about 1 1/4" long. Anybody gotta clue?
CONVICT COLOR CHANGE
- Thread starter cburkhart78
- Start date
thanks for the reassurance super g.they have been acting normal but i bought them from one of the big chains so i was kind of nervous.
ridether said:Convicts change colors when in heat.
Does that mean he will also drag his ass on the carpet?
Sweet, maybe I'll be a father soon.
ridether said:
Those fish are like rabbits when it comes to making babies. When they begin to breed there colors are magnified 10x.
This is my first time keeping cichlids(other than a lone Oscar I had for awhile).I read they bred very easily, but I don't think they will get much peace from the 2 firemouths, Texas cich., pleco, crayfish, bichir, and pictus I have (eventually crammed) in my 40G tank.
they change color based on their mood. if they're stressed or submitting to a more dominant fish, their color will turn very pale. if they're in aggression mode or are the dominant fish in the tank their color will be darker than normal. they also change colors when in spawning mood and they'll gain a "black mask" normal for the Cryptoheros genus. 
their colors will definitely change on the fly. nothing to be concerned about. i will not be surprised if they still decide to go and breed on you, even with all those other tankmates. you'll be able to tell right away somethings different in the tank. good luck, nice pickup.
