Cryptheros Pair or Harem?

[TheFishDodo]

What would be the best species of Cryptheros to fit my semi-biotope
The stocking list is
6 Green Swordtails or 4 Yucatan Mollies
3 Breeding tiny pleco when I say tiny they only get to be 2" tops
I was thinking a harem of Nanoleatus maybe or A pair of Panamensis
Maybe a pair of Sajica or would they get to big I am leaning towards the panamensis though.

 

[Gourami Swami]

In a 40 gallon, could try to do a pair or a small group of any amatitlania/cryptoheros.
The nanoluteus would be the best. They are supposed to be the smallest, but I have seen males that were about as large as any other crypto species male I've seen. But they are less aggressive it seems, and nice bright colors.
Panamensis are great fish too. I have had a group for a couple years but sold all but a pair of them now. They honestly did better as a group of four plus, now that it's just a pair the female hides all the time. And this is in 75 and 90 gallon tanks. For the 40 a pair might be better or 1m 2f. Some of these species get pretty nasty, so no guarantees you won't get a psycho male. I keep a divider on hand in case I need to separate fish, and have had to take fish out to other tanks and put them back later, to get things to work out.

my panamensis

 

[TheFishDodo]

In a 40 gallon, could try to do a pair or a small group of any amatitlania/cryptoheros.
The nanoluteus would be the best. They are supposed to be the smallest, but I have seen males that were about as large as any other crypto species male I've seen. But they are less aggressive it seems, and nice bright colors.
Panamensis are great fish too. I have had a group for a couple years but sold all but a pair of them now. They honestly did better as a group of four plus, now that it's just a pair the female hides all the time. And this is in 75 and 90 gallon tanks. For the 40 a pair might be better or 1m 2f. Some of these species get pretty nasty, so no guarantees you won't get a psycho male. I keep a divider on hand in case I need to separate fish, and have had to take fish out to other tanks and put them back later, to get things to work out.

my panamensis
View attachment 1313533

That panamensis is a beauty. My only concern about panamensis is how rough they can be on each other and the aquarium is only a semi open top so there is no way I could fit a divider into the tank without making some cuts to the tank. So fish which arnt to rough on each other seem like a better choice to me now that I am thinking about it. I am thinking about a pair of T. Aureus or something from that genus because ive heard that they only shoal when they are juvies.

 

[duanes]

A 40 gallon (to me anyway) is too small for anything but the nanoluteus.
Although I agree panamensus would work for quite a long time, as they seem to be slow growers. I had a spawning pair years ago, the male uncharacteristically hit almost 8", way too big for a 40 gal, my pair did well in a 90 gal with some live bearers.
But nano's would that tank size best
male

female

I had a group of 6 nanos in a 75 gal very comfortably.

 

[Gourami Swami]

That panamensis is a beauty. My only concern about panamensis is how rough they can be on each other and the aquarium is only a semi open top so there is no way I could fit a divider into the tank without making some cuts to the tank. So fish which arnt to rough on each other seem like a better choice to me now that I am thinking about it. I am thinking about a pair of T. Aureus or something from that genus because ive heard that they only shoal when they are juvies.

You should be able to fit a divider, tank as 15" wide and the openings on top are 15", I have the slightly bigger version of your tank

A 40 gallon (to me anyway) is too small for anything but the nanoluteus.
Although I agree panamensus would work for quite a long time, as they seem to be slow growers. I had a spawning pair years ago, the male uncharacteristically hit almost 8", way too big for a 40 gal, my pair did well in a 90 gal with some live bearers.

Wow ,almost 8"! Bet he was impressive. If you happen to have some pics of him kicking around I'd love to see. Hope mine gets that big. As you say, they seem to be pretty slow growers. My dominant male is about 4.5", had him almost 2 years now

 

[duanes]

I wish I had pics, it was before I had a real camera, it was about of 5 years when he kicked the bucket, the female only 4, maybe because they produced many spawns, where he could grow yet all that energy producing eggs, and raising fry held her growth back.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Yes, my male has grown to twice the size of the female, and they have had 3 spawns in past 6 months or so. Hopefully he will keep growing. The male is like a wet pet", always at the front begging. Shame about the pictures.
OP, sorry to derail the thread a bit, but I do think this info will all be useful for you as well

 

[TheFishDodo]

I'm down to 4 choices of fish
2 pairs or a harem of Nanoletus
1 Pair or 1 male and 2 female of Panamensis
2 pairs or a harem of Rainbow Cichlids
Or 1 pair of fish from the Thorichthys genus (I would get 6 and remove the 4 which didnt pair up)

Yes, my male has grown to twice the size of the female, and they have had 3 spawns in past 6 months or so. Hopefully he will keep growing. The male is like a wet pet", always at the front begging. Shame about the pictures.
OP, sorry to derail the thread a bit, but I do think this info will all be useful for you as well

Its completly fine I can use all of the info I can get and from before it didnt look like the openings were 15" ill defitnelty consider panamensis now considering how beautiful they are.
Edit oh yea there are going to be some small pleco breeding along with one of these choices as dithers
Yucatan Molly
Green Swordtail
Shortfin Molly
Some Central American tetra if I can find them and I would prefer not to go with buenos aires tetras.
Edit 2: Maybe 2 pairs of HRP probably not because they can get so aggressive.

 

[Gourami Swami]

2 pairs of anything is very unlikely to work out long term. I would go for a 1m 2-3f group of whatever species you choose, possibly remove extras if they are getting smashed.

 

[duanes]

Astyanax tetras are very common in Cenral America, they get quite large (4"+), are very quick, and can be aggressive, and will eat any fry in the tank, and can shred cichlid fins.
A video below from Cenote Aktun Ha with Astyanax, that were constantly biting my neck and ear lobes.
Aktun Ha
If it were me, I'd go the route Gouramai Swami suggested with the nanos, and maybe swordtails.
Yucatan mollies can also get quite large, in Cenote Cristalino, I saw 7" males.
If HRPs a harem might be best in that size tank, I kept a small pair with some green swords, in a 45 gal, but when they spawned no other fish remained alive.