Let's Discuss Some CA Cichlids for Smaller Tanks

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aclockworkorange

Dovii
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Jun 24, 2010
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I've been bitten by the CA bug pretty bad and have decided I want to convert all my tanks (except one for my SA species) to housing them. My 125 and 90 are fully stocked now, but I've got the following to work with:

-33 gallon long: 48x12x12" NOTICE this is a short 55 gallon, very large footprint.
-20 gallon long: 30x12x12"

My main criteria is that it has to stay small enough to reasonably be housed in these tanks for quite a while and nothing common--NO convicts. I want to be able to actually sell the fry locally if anything breeds, and you cannot even give convicts away here.
I already have a nice pair of Cryptoheros cutteri, so those are off the list but anything else is fair game.

Here's what I'm considering so far:
-Archocentrus centrarchus
-Herotilapia multispinosa
-Any cryptoheros besides cutteri

I know there has to be a few other species that would work? Any input?
 
There is of course firemouths and Elliotis. Most of the Archocentrus genus would work as well, like Sajica.

About Centrarchus, they do get pretty big, I have seen them 8 inch and pretty thick, that's almost as big as a GT.

Multispinosa are great, I had one that was new in my tank and started fighting my Dempsey male after 1 minute, the Dempsey was twice his size..

If you don't want convicts maybe you like Honduran Red Points, they are like convicts but with more colour and more rare.

As for other Cryptotheros.. Cryptoheros Nanoluteus for example look amazing. But there are so many Cryptotheros species, I saw a full grown pair of Spirilus last week, they look nice as well.

You might also want to consider Neetroplus Nematopus.
 
Thank you Mark.

I don't know why I didn't list Thorichtys? I have two meeki I need to re-home (bought them as some dithers in a community tank and that didn't work out too well ;)). We have a couple other species available locally in the genus. For whatever reason, they don't seem to like the tap water here in the NW--I've heard this from several knowledgable locals here and seen it myself. No idea why.

I am leaning towards the multispinosa and a cryptoheros in the 33--maybe Sajica as I have a local source.

I was considering neets, but I've seen first hand how aggressive they can be, and they would likely lead to a species tank, which I would consider, but am exploring other options. I think they're easily going to be the most aggressive out of all the choices I have for the size of fish I'm looking at.
Also considering nics.
 
Ahh okay, forget about the Thorichtys then. In my opinion they aren't the most interesting genus of small CA's anyways.

Yes Neets are more aggressive then the others indeed, but a species tank would be very nice.

Multispinosa and Sajica are almost at the same aggression level if I'm correct.. both a little less aggressive then convicts. Maybe Multispinosa is a little more aggressive though. But those in a 33 would be a nice tank.

I know that species have been renamed but I really don't know which ones. I was just guessing that Sajica was Archocentrus but it might as well indeed be Crypthotheros.
 
firemouths, convicts, rams, or even the rainbow cichlid
 
Yellow_Perch;5116374; said:
firemouths, convicts, rams, or even the rainbow cichlid
Click to expand...

If you read through the thread before responding, I mentioned no convicts, already discussed firemouths and rainbows. Rams are SA. ;)
 
Here are a few interesting possibilities. The taxonomy could be (probably is) outdated, as I found these in Stratton's book on CA cichlids, published 2001.

Cryptoheros (Cichlasoma, Archocentrus) septemfasciatus - "Copper Cichlid". A quite small but striking ciclid from Southern Central America.

Archocentrus (Cichlasoma) spilurum - "Blue-Eyed Cichlid". On my wish list. Please find some and then breed them so I can help take some fry off your hands.

Aequidens coeruleopunctatus. An interesting fish as it is the only CA species of this SA genus.

It would be very interesting to hear from people that have kept any of these species. :popcorn:
 
You really can't go wrong with Archocentrus, Cryptoheros, or Thorichthyes species. :) Although I am a huge fan of the convict, you mentioned wanting to try other species, so my top choices would be:

- Cryptoheros sajica for the 33g
- Cryptoheros nanoluteus or Heterotilapia multispinosa for the 20g long. IMO anything larger is going to look cramped in that tank.
 
Thorichthys are my favorite of the small cichlids from C. America. I am currently raising 9 aureus and they have been loads of fun, really cool fish. Don't understand what it is about your water that would stear you away from this group of cichlids..?.. one thing I have found about my aureus is they like there water a little cooler then most C. Americans, but other then that they have don very well.

Anthoer small cichlid you might look at is panamensis, very cool and for the life of me I can't keep them alive... but I hear from others there really easy to keep. Very attractive cichlid,I would add these to your list simply based on them being uncoomon and absolutly stunning.

Good luck on whatever you decide to go with.
 
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