New 29G Stocking

[RyanTheFishGuy64]

The 29g is pushing it, but I have not myself maintained this species so I can only offer the accepted recommendation that a pair in a 3-foot (40 gallon) tank is best.  I authored over 200 fish profiles for another form a few years back, after extensive research with the accepted authorities.  As we cannot link other forums (and rightly so), I will copy my original draft on this species which may be of interest.
 
Amatitlania nigrofasciata

 ​

Family: Cichlidae, Subfamily Cichlinae

Common Name: Convict Cichlid, Zebra Cichlid

Origin and Habitat: Widely distributed in Central America: Pacific slope from Guatemala to El Salvador, Atlantic slope from Guatemala to Honduras. Not native to Panama, Costa Rica or Nicaragua (as previously thought, but see additional species comments under Description). Introduced elsewhere, including the USA and Australia. Occurs in flowing water streams and rivers, also in lakes and ponds, preferring a rocky habitat with wood and debris; never in open water.

Compatibility/Temperament: This is not a community fish. Best in a species tank; a pair may be kept in a 36-inch (40+ gallon) tank. In much larger tanks (over 6 feet) it may be kept with a few other Central American cichlids that are robust. This species is very aggressive and territorial, and when spawning becomes very violent to all other fish including much larger cichlids.

Convict Cichlid Diet

Convict cichlids are omnivorous feeding naturally on worms, crustaceans, insects, fish and plant matter. They are not fussy eaters and will accept any food, but a variety will ensure better health.

Size

Males attain 10cm/4 inches though some sources report 15cm/6 inches; females slightly smaller.

Minimum Tank Suggestion

36-inch (40 gallon) for a pair alone.

Water parameters for Convict Cichlid

Medium hard to hard (9-20 dGH), basic (pH 7-8), temperature 20-36C/68-100F. This is the "tolerated" temperature range [Fishbase] but the fish will be better within a more normal range with a maximum of 26C/79F.

Description

Convict cichlids, also sometimes seen under the common name of Zebra Cichlid, are widely available; they are very hardy, very easy to spawn, and are thus frequently sold as good beginner fish. This is unfortunate, since this fish is not a community fish; and being easy to spawn and prolific, the fry are not easy to get rid of.

It is best in a species tank with a pair. Pea gravel substrate, several rocks, and chunks of bogwood will replicate its natural habitat. Rock must be secure, as this fish will dig and dislodge everything. Substrate-rooted plants are not possible, but Java Fern and Anubias secured to rock and wood are useful. Floating plants are advisable, as this fish naturally never ventures into open water but remains under cover.

Sexual dimorphism is very easy. Males are the larger and have a more pointed tip on their dorsal fin. Females, on the other hand, are smaller with an orange patch on their bellies.

In recent years, a convict with red on the fins has become popular. This may be a distinct species [see below] but this is uncertain, and now hybrids are also available, so the species may not be true. It is generally referred to by the common name "Honduran Red Points" or HRP Convict.

The species was originally described by A. Gunther in 1867 as Heros nigrofasciatus. The species epithet is Latin, meaning black banded. In 1980 it was transferred into the genus Cichlasoma and the species epithet was changed to nigrofasciatum to agree with the gender of the genus name. It was moved into the genus Archocentrus (as A. nigrofasciatus) by Kullander & Hartel (1997). R. Allgayer (2001) moved it into Cryptoheros, but it wasn't there long.

In his revision of the genus Archocentrus, Juan Schmitter-Soto (2007) identified four distinct "convict" species and placed them in his newly-erected genus Amatitlania. The genus was named for the type locality of the type species; 'Amatitlan' means 'a place abundant in amate' in Nahuatl, 'amate' is a kind of rustic paper made from the bark of Ficus petiolaris or Ficus indica [source: Fishbase]. A. nigrofasciatus, the type (and original) species, occurs throughout the given habitat range, while A. siquia occurs on the Atlantic slope of honduras and Costa Rica, A. coatepeque is endemic to Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador, and A. kanna occurs on the Atlantic slope in Panama.  This classification is accepted as valid, except that A. coatepeque was subsequently determined to be conspecific with A. nigrofasciatus by McMahan, et al. (2014).

References:

Fisbase: Amatitlania nigrofasciata, Convict cichlid : aquarium

Kullander, S.O. and K.E. Hartel (1997), "The systematic status of cichlid genera described by Louis Agassiz in 1859: Amphilophus, Baiodon, Hypsophrys and Parachromis (Teleostei: Cichlidae)," Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, volume 7 (no. 3), pp. 193-202.
 
McMahan, C.D., W.A. Matamoros, E. Barraza, J. Kutz and P. Chakrabarty (2014), “Taxonomic status of the Lago Coatepeque endemic convict cichlid Amatitlania coatepeque (Teleostei: Cichlidae),” Copeia 2014 (no. 4), pp. 633-638.

Schmitter-Soto, J.J. (2007), "A systematic revision of the genus Archocentrus (Perciformes: Cichlidae), with the description of two new genera and six new species," Zootaxa No. 1603, pp. 1-76. 

This is wonderful, thank you so much. I appreciate the information provided. Every result on the first 2 pages of Google when typing "Convict Cichlid Tank Size" comes up with 30g or 20 long. I think I will try it out with overkill filtration and a close eye on them

 

[Byron]

I wouldn't argue over your 29g here, so fine.  But, just to correct something...the filtration is not really the issue/answer.  It is simply the physical space around the fish.  Filtration can do nothing about this.  it is true that water quality will be good, but that is only half of the story.  Aside from the physical space, when fish are in a confined volume of water, they are releasing pheromones that cannot be removed by any filtration, only water changes.
 
Byron.

 

[RyanTheFishGuy64]

I wouldn't argue over your 29g here, so fine.  But, just to correct something...the filtration is not really the issue/answer.  It is simply the physical space around the fish.  Filtration can do nothing about this.  it is true that water quality will be good, but that is only half of the story.  Aside from the physical space, when fish are in a confined volume of water, they are releasing pheromones that cannot be removed by any filtration, only water changes.
 
Byron.

This makes sense, but what effects would the "pheromones" have on the fish?

 

[NickAu]

 
This makes sense, but what effects would the "pheromones" have on the fish?

Huge.
 
I have 2 baby BN plecos 1 in a 6 foot tank and 1 in a 2 foot tank both are the same age eat the same food in fact the 1 in the 6 foot tank has to compete for food while the 1 in the 2 foot dont, yet the 1 in the 6 footer is 2 1/2 times the size.
 
My breeding pair of BN's were in the 2 footer when I moved them to the 6 footer they doubled in size almost over night.

 

[Byron]

 

I wouldn't argue over your 29g here, so fine.  But, just to correct something...the filtration is not really the issue/answer.  It is simply the physical space around the fish.  Filtration can do nothing about this.  it is true that water quality will be good, but that is only half of the story.  Aside from the physical space, when fish are in a confined volume of water, they are releasing pheromones that cannot be removed by any filtration, only water changes.
 
Byron.

This makes sense, but what effects would the "pheromones" have on the fish?
 

 
Fish, all fish, release chemicals.  Pheromones are picked up ("read") by fish of the same species, and allomones are picked up by fish of other species.  Fish use these for many things, from communication, initiating spawning, warning of danger, advertising aggression, establishing hierarchies, and so forth.  Aggressive fish release these to strengthen their aggression; in other words, a fish can be aggressive by the chemicals it releases as much as by actual physical aggression.  
 
Think of it like this: a vicious dog is chained in one corner of a room, and a cat is introduced.  The dog cannot get at the cat, so there is no physical aggression between them.  But the cat "reads" the situation and will be utterly terrified, even though it really has nothing to fear from the dog who is unable to attack.  The stress this causes to the cat can be so strong that it permanently harms and may even kill it.  Fish are no different.  The fact that an aggressor is just present in the tank can be all it takes to weaken and even kill other fish.
 
In nature these chemicals spread over entire creeks and streams and sections of rivers, and are an essential aspect of fish interaction.  But in nature, fish are able to avoid the actual problem by simply swimming away; within the confines of the aquarium, this is impossible, which only adds to the stress.
 
This is only one reason why significant regular water changes are so crucial to fish health.
 
Byron.

 

[RyanTheFishGuy64]

 

 


I wouldn't argue over your 29g here, so fine.  But, just to correct something...the filtration is not really the issue/answer.  It is simply the physical space around the fish.  Filtration can do nothing about this.  it is true that water quality will be good, but that is only half of the story.  Aside from the physical space, when fish are in a confined volume of water, they are releasing pheromones that cannot be removed by any filtration, only water changes.
 
Byron.

This makes sense, but what effects would the "pheromones" have on the fish?
 

 
Fish, all fish, release chemicals.  Pheromones are picked up ("read") by fish of the same species, and allomones are picked up by fish of other species.  Fish use these for many things, from communication, initiating spawning, warning of danger, advertising aggression, establishing hierarchies, and so forth.  Aggressive fish release these to strengthen their aggression; in other words, a fish can be aggressive by the chemicals it releases as much as by actual physical aggression.  
 
Think of it like this: a vicious dog is chained in one corner of a room, and a cat is introduced.  The dog cannot get at the cat, so there is no physical aggression between them.  But the cat "reads" the situation and will be utterly terrified, even though it really has nothing to fear from the dog who is unable to attack.  The stress this causes to the cat can be so strong that it permanently harms and may even kill it.  Fish are no different.  The fact that an aggressor is just present in the tank can be all it takes to weaken and even kill other fish.
 
In nature these chemicals spread over entire creeks and streams and sections of rivers, and are an essential aspect of fish interaction.  But in nature, fish are able to avoid the actual problem by simply swimming away; within the confines of the aquarium, this is impossible, which only adds to the stress.
 
This is only one reason why significant regular water changes are so crucial to fish health.
 
Byron.
 


This is very helpful, and I will think of it while picking fish. Do you think that this will be too much of a problem to try  convicts?

 

[Byron]

This is very helpful, and I will think of it while picking fish. Do you think that this will be too much of a problem to try  convicts?
 

 
One thing all of us quickly realize in this hobby is that there is frequently a difference of opinion, or more bluntly, conflicting advice.  Hard and fast rules are rare, partly because we are dealing with nature, and this means there is sometimes considerable elasticity.  Individual fish do not always follow the norm for the species, just as individual humans vary.  But it is always wisest to accept the norm and assume this or that fish will behave accordingly.  The exception is a risk.  I have seven tanks in my fish room, and more than once I have had to move a species from the initial tank to another, sometimes several times, and these are species I know fairly well and should be able to predict behaviour.  Not everyone has the facility to do this, and that means the fish suffers.
 
The other thing is the "advice" we get.  The internet is an extremely valuable tool, but it can also be extremely dangerous.  Anyone can start a website, or assume the role of some sort of "authority" on forums.  The source of the advice is crucial.  When I carry out research, I determine the degree of reliability I can have in the advice by knowing the source, and taking the majority of those sources.  After doing this for several years, one learns who can and cannot be trusted.  One great benefit of a forum like TFF is that the views expressed by a member are subject to peer review.
 
With the above in mind, and turning to your question, I would say that I would never attempt this in anything smaller than your 29g, and the "reliable" sources do say that this may work even though a 3-foot 40g is recommended.  It is difficult to predict fish behaviour, especially cichlids; I have had several of the dwarf species over the years, and encountered problems that forced me to separate pairs a couple of times, even when they were in fairly large tanks.  Recognize the issue, and that these are living creatures who are not always going to conform to our thinking.
 
Byron.

 

[Jeremy180]

I'm thinking a good question here Ryan  would be not:
How can I make convicts work for my aquarium?
But instead:
Are there any similar fish that would be better suited to my tank and water conditions?
I mean seriously, with well over a thousand cichlid species alone, I should think that you could find a match that would make both you and the fish happy.

 

[RyanTheFishGuy64]

I'm thinking a good question here Ryan  would be not:
How can I make convicts work for my aquarium?
But instead:
Are there any similar fish that would be better suited to my tank and water conditions?
I mean seriously, with well over a thousand cichlid species alone, I should think that you could find a match that would make both you and the fish happy.

Accordinf to cichlid-forum, nothing works in my tank size, according other sources, I could easily house oscars in my tank. I find both to be wrong. Its really hard to find "the truth" on the internet, but I would be absolutely more than happy to look into any suggestions given to me, but i seem to find someone telling me "absolutely no" to anything I say

 

[Byron]

Cichlids are fish with issues, always.  When one addresses the issues, things go fairly smoothly.  But this is not a group of fish that is easily accommodated just anywhere.
 
I myself prefer small fish in smallish tanks, as you can have a lot of them and create some nice interaction and interest.  One cichlid option here would be the shellies of Lake Tanganyika.  You could add a bit of aragonite to the filter to up the GH a bit more.
 
I know you said no livebearers, but ironically they are well suited to your water.  As are some of the Rainbowfishes, but not the larger species.
 
There are some smaller shoaling fish that could work.
 
Byron.

 

[Jeremy180]

Hello, I've taken a bit of a "crash course" so to speak, in some of the smaller cichlid species, and according to more than one reputable website, your water and tank size is within the tolerance range of:
Captive-bred cockatoo dwarf cichlids
Captive bred Bolivian rams
Kribensis (best kept singly in your tank if you want a community aquarium)
Flag acara/Dwarf Flag cichlid
African butterfly cichlid
 
And your tank size is borderline for these, both of which I have Seen described as, and I quote, "arguably the smallest Central American Cichlid"
Herotialpia Multispinosa Rainbow cichlid
Cryptoheros nanoluteus Yellow Dwarf, Yellow Convict
 
While from what I gather most of the above would work in a carefully-selected community, they seem to be mostly incompatible with one another in a 29 gallon,
with the possible exeption of bolivian ram and cockatoo dwaves.
I have a VERY reliable sources that states (EDIT:a single) bolivian ram and a cockatoo dwarf pair can be kept together in a 36 inch long aquarium if there are enough broken lines of sight, So I'm guessing that one could reasonably assume that a single, non-breeding Bolivian could be kept with a pair of cockatoo Dwarves in a 29, which is only 6 inches shorter..

 

[Byron]

I agree with most of Jeremy, but would caution on the combo of different species (Bolivian Ram and Cockatoo).  This is not advisable.  Generally, cichlid species should not be combined in an aquarium unless it is very large.  The sole exception is African rift lake cichlids obviously.  But with the Neotropical species, only one species per tank is advisable.  I have combined species, but only in 4-foot and 5-foot tanks, and even then had some issues requiring separation.  [Jeremy, if your source for this is in writing, could you let me know who?]
 
Another caution I would mention here is with "pairs" of cichlids.  Most (if not all) cichlids must select their mates.  Putting a male and female together frequently does not work, and usually the female will be hounded and killed, if they do not decide to bond.  I have had this sad experience with Apistogramma, Mikrogeophagus (Bolivian Rams), and Dicrossus (checkerboard) species, and in 4-foot tanks which one might have thought would be safe.
 
A single Bolivian Ram is perhaps the most ideal "cichlid in a community" arrangement.  This species is thought to live in isolation except when a pair bonds and spawns, so a single male Bolivian is a nice addition to many community tanks, though the other fish have to be selected with the Bolivian in mind.
 
Byron.

 

[Jeremy180]

I agree with most of Jeremy, but would caution on the combo of different species (Bolivian Ram and Cockatoo).  This is not advisable.  Generally, cichlid species should not be combined in an aquarium unless it is very large.  The sole exception is African rift lake cichlids obviously.  But with the Neotropical species, only one species per tank is advisable.  I have combined species, but only in 4-foot and 5-foot tanks, and even then had some issues requiring separation.  [Jeremy, if your source for this is in writing, could you let me know who?]
 
Another caution I would mention here is with "pairs" of cichlids.  Most (if not all) cichlids must select their mates.  Putting a male and female together frequently does not work, and usually the female will be hounded and killed, if they do not decide to bond.  I have had this sad experience with Apistogramma, Mikrogeophagus (Bolivian Rams), and Dicrossus (checkerboard) species, and in 4-foot tanks which one might have thought would be safe.
 
A single Bolivian Ram is perhaps the most ideal "cichlid in a community" arrangement.  This species is thought to live in isolation except when a pair bonds and spawns, so a single male Bolivian is a nice addition to many community tanks, though the other fish have to be selected with the Bolivian in mind.
 
Byron.

Ah, apologies, I misremembered, the actual statement was that a single Bolivian Ram could cohabitate with a Cockato dc pair in a 3 foot 180L.
Indeed, Neale Monks recommends Against keeping two such pairs in a tank that size.
http/www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/ramcompfaqs.htm
(Convo begins at the top of the page)

 

[Byron]

 

I agree with most of Jeremy, but would caution on the combo of different species (Bolivian Ram and Cockatoo).  This is not advisable.  Generally, cichlid species should not be combined in an aquarium unless it is very large.  The sole exception is African rift lake cichlids obviously.  But with the Neotropical species, only one species per tank is advisable.  I have combined species, but only in 4-foot and 5-foot tanks, and even then had some issues requiring separation.  [Jeremy, if your source for this is in writing, could you let me know who?]
 
Another caution I would mention here is with "pairs" of cichlids.  Most (if not all) cichlids must select their mates.  Putting a male and female together frequently does not work, and usually the female will be hounded and killed, if they do not decide to bond.  I have had this sad experience with Apistogramma, Mikrogeophagus (Bolivian Rams), and Dicrossus (checkerboard) species, and in 4-foot tanks which one might have thought would be safe.
 
A single Bolivian Ram is perhaps the most ideal "cichlid in a community" arrangement.  This species is thought to live in isolation except when a pair bonds and spawns, so a single male Bolivian is a nice addition to many community tanks, though the other fish have to be selected with the Bolivian in mind.
 
Byron.

Ah, apologies, I misremembered, the actual statement was that a single Bolivian Ram could cohabitate with a Cockato dc pair in a 3 foot 180L.
Indeed, Neale Monks recommends Against keeping two such pairs in a tank that size.
http/www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/ramcompfaqs.htm
(Convo begins at the top of the page)
 

 
Thanks Jeremy for clearing this up.  I am online friends with both gentlemen, Bob and Neale, and my article on salt is on that site at Bob's request.  And it is nice that while I had not previously read this exchange (honestly), my advice is near bang-on with Neale's.  I think the male or female Bolivian is very pertinent too.
 
I had a male Bolivian Ram in my 5-foot planted 115g tank for over 7 years; he died a couple months back, into his 8th year, not bad for a fish with an expected average lifespan of 3-4 years (some say 5, but I've never seen more).  Anyway, this Ram owned the tank, without question.  He never attacked anyone, physically, but he made his presence felt, and every other fish (well over 100 characins, corys, loricariids) clearly deferred to him.  At times it was comical to watch; he became annoyed with the Bleeding Hearts one day, and literally herded them into a group and kept them in one area of the tank for several minutes..  So Neale's distinction is well taken.
 
Byron.