# Cutteri non-cichlid tankmates



## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

I have four juvenile C. cutteri in a 40 long (same footprint as a standard 55 gal, just not as tall). I got them a few months ago with the intention that a pair would form and I'd remove the others, and use the tank as a species tank with the pair only. However, as they are maturing, the largest (I assume a male) is not showing any interest in any of the others and is being a tyrant - which I know is a problem with cutteri among their own species, which is why I was aiming for a pair only in the tank. Whether they just aren't large enough to be worried about pairing up (larger dominant fish is only about 2", others are slightly smaller), or I had my usual run of luck and they are ALL males I have no idea, but I'm getting kind of sick of watching three fish cower behind filters and being chased all the time. So, I'm considering my options. Part of me wants to pull them all out and just go a different route with the tank entirely...but that dominant male is really starting to "colour up" and he's a really nice fish.

Supposedly, these guys are good in community tanks if they are the only cutteri...so if I were to move out the other three cutteri and just leave the one fish, what sort of community fish could I put with him?

My other thought is to throw him into the 8ft tank with the juvenile marbled fenestratus and see if he can hold his own with them...


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Hello S-K,
Your posts are like a breath of fresh air..... even when you just ask questions.  
I had the honor of collecting WC Cutters _(Amatitlania septemfasciata)_ from Honduras. Remembering back, that species were truly endemic to that locale. They were - THE Cichlid - you discarded, when you netted out something else considered, well.... more interesting. 
And, I look back fondly and remember just how amazing, all of those WC Cutteri were.
The so-called, seven stripe Cichlid? Heh.... They were indeed, beautiful.
And over the years, I sold literally 'tens of dollars' worth of F1 Cutter's to LFS, on-line and even auctions from those original, WC fish....
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So, my recommendation? Cull the rest of those hiding, cowering Cutteri losers and keep your colored up, dominant male. When you ultimately need to cull a male out of your A. fenstratus group.... Place him in with the Cutteri in the 40 gallon long tank.

https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpbb/vie ... 3&t=453821

You'll wind up (hopefully) with the situation I experienced with the 'Mongrel' (Blue-Eyed/T-Bar Cichlid) kept with with the larger, F1 _Aequidins didadema _. It was a good group! And ultimately, those two 'knuckleheads', got along rather famously..


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Haha I knew I could count on your reply! Thanks.


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

At one time, _cutteri_ was considered a junior synonym for _spilurus_, but the name was resurrected when they started looking at them more closely. The big revision that shuffled all the convict types around placed _cutteri_ in the Genus _Cryptoheros_, with _spilurus _and _chetumalensis_. However, _septemfasciata _was moved to _Amatitlania _with most of the other convicts. Cutter's come from Honduras; _septemfasciata _has a very limited range in Costa Rica, and is currently more at risk due to the banana plantations.

My experience with Cutter's was that they were best kept in groups or with other fish. I put a single large pair of proven breeders in a 20 gallon tank, and the male destroyed the female. I've had them spawn at a really small size, about an inch and a half, but I think those were severely stunted before I got them.


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

My experience is that they are NOT best kept in groups. As I said, I've got 4 of them, and they aren't playing nicely. Hence be coming here to ask for suggestions what to keep with the solo male.


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Yeah, it sounds like you may have wound up with an all-male group in your Cutteri. And yes, it's possible that this species is not quite as pugnacious in the aquarium as the supposedly 'baseline model', Black Convict is. 
But, I wouldn't bet on it..... :roll: 
So, the alternative you mention in placing this little tyrant in with the marbled fenestratus group, sounds kind of promising. 
Andy Woods captures this situation pretty well here,






As long as they had safe/secure hiding places to tuck into when things got sketchy, the little Convicts in his tanks seemed to adapt their roll just fine when kept with those big thugs.


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

I threw all four of the cutteri into the 8ft with the fenestratus today. See if they get along a little better with 8ft of space and larger tank mates to babysit them. They've already settled in and don't seem to be worried about swimming amongst the giants at all. I'll see how long it lasts for before I need to haul them out of there too!


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Whew.... looks like your little Cutteri group really are now, 'ALL IN' with those Marbled Fenestratus.  
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And actually, the more I think about this - the more I like it. The little Cutteri in there might help to keep the Big Boyz somewhat distracted (dither fish?), so they won't (hopefully) start thumping on each other so hard as they mature in size. And, with those four Cutteri placed in there, this will be a pretty nice looking mix of cichlids in your aquarium. Plus, who knows - a female Cutteri might eventually emerge from that little group and pair off with one of the males.
Then, spawning drama could begin - and things are REALLY gonna get interesting in that tank!


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Lol yep, we will see how it plays out!


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