Yellow Convict Cichlid (Amatitlania nanolutea)

Yellow Convict Cichlid (Amatitlania nanolutea) is a compact Central American cichlid with warm yellow colour, strong pair-bonding behaviour and the classic confidence people expect from convict-type cichlids. It is also still seen under the older name Cryptoheros nanoluteus, so both names may appear in hobby references.

This is not an African cichlid, not a catfish. The previous page mixed those signals and pushed repeated search phrases into the copy. This version keeps the useful search intent naturally while centring the real fish, the live Shopify variants and the care a keeper actually needs.

Quick Care Summary

Common name	Yellow Convict Cichlid, Gold Convict Cichlid
Scientific name	Amatitlania nanolutea
Older trade/scientific name	Cryptoheros nanoluteus
Current variants	6892 at 3-4 cm is in stock; KH11 at 4-5 cm and KH12 at 5-6 cm currently read back with zero inventory
Adult size	Usually around 7-10 cm in aquarium guidance; FishBase lists 6.4 cm standard length
Minimum aquarium	100 litres or larger for a pair; more space if mixing with other cichlids
Temperature	24-28 C for routine aquarium care
pH and hardness	Neutral to alkaline water, roughly pH 7.0-8.0 with moderate hardness
Temperament	Pair-forming and territorial, especially when breeding
Diet	Quality cichlid pellets, flakes, frozen foods and some vegetable matter

Appearance and Behaviour

Yellow Convict Cichlids are smaller than many Central American cichlids but still behave like real territory holders. Expect a stocky body, yellow to gold colour, subtle darker markings and plenty of interaction with the aquarium layout. A settled pair may dig, guard a cave or flat stone and move sand as part of normal cichlid behaviour.

They are often sold as manageable cichlids, and that is fair, but manageable does not mean passive. Singles can be bold and curious; pairs become more defensive when preparing to spawn. Plan the aquarium around territories and sight breaks from the start rather than trying to add structure after conflict begins.

Aquarium Setup

Use a mature aquarium with sand or fine smooth gravel, stable rockwork, caves, wood and open front swimming space. Any heavy decor should be placed securely because these fish can dig underneath loose stones. Hardy plants such as Anubias or Java fern can work if attached to wood or rock, but soft rooted plants may be moved during digging.

Good filtration and regular water changes matter more than chasing a perfect number. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero, keep nitrate controlled, and avoid sudden swings in temperature or pH. The best everyday range is warm, stable freshwater with enough oxygen and enough structure that each fish can break line of sight.

Tank Mates

The safest plan is a species-focused pair or a carefully chosen Central American cichlid community in a larger aquarium. Suitable companions must be robust, similarly sized and able to live in the same warm, neutral-to-alkaline water. Do not put them with tiny fish, shrimp, delicate long-finned species or timid fish that cannot handle cichlid confidence.

Because this species can be territorial, avoid stacking several cave-breeding cichlids into a small tank. If you want a mixed display, use a longer aquarium, multiple caves, broken sight lines and a backup plan in case a bonded pair claims too much space.

Feeding

Feed a varied omnivorous diet. Use good cichlid pellets, small granules or quality flakes as the staple, then rotate in frozen brine shrimp, bloodworm, daphnia, mysis and occasional vegetable or spirulina-based foods. Small portions are better than heavy meals because cichlids are enthusiastic feeders and messy water quickly causes problems.

Juveniles at 3-4 cm need food small enough to swallow easily. Watch that each fish gets food, especially if you are adding them to an established cichlid tank with faster or larger fish.

Breeding Notes

Amatitlania nanolutea is a substrate-spawning cichlid with strong parental care. Pairs may lay eggs on a cleaned stone, cave wall or hidden surface, then guard eggs and fry. This is fascinating behaviour, but it also increases territorial aggression. If you do not want breeding pressure in a community tank, keep the layout open enough to monitor pair formation and be ready to separate fish if needed.

Ordering, Delivery and Guarantee

The live Shopify readback for this cleanup shows SKU 6892, the 3-4 cm size, in stock. The 4-5 cm and 5-6 cm variants remain on the product for future stock but currently show zero inventory. Prices, variant IDs and inventory item IDs have been preserved exactly from Shopify.

Eligible livestock orders are packed for a UK live-fish courier service with oxygen, insulation and weather-aware dispatch timing. The Tropical Fish Co Live Arrival Guarantee applies when the delivery and acclimation instructions are followed. New customers can use WELCOME10 for 10% off a first order where the promotion is active.

Best For

• Keepers who want a colourful pair-forming Central American cichlid.
• Structured aquariums with sand, caves, rockwork and stable filtration.
• Aquarists comfortable managing territorial behaviour during breeding.
• Medium cichlid displays where tank mates are chosen carefully.

Not Ideal For

• Peaceful nano communities with tiny fish or shrimp.
• Small bare tanks with no caves or visual breaks.
• Delicate long-finned tank mates.
• Anyone wanting a loose shoaling community fish rather than a territorial cichlid.

Care Sources Used

This cleanup cross-checks Petra supplier identity with FishBase, Fishipedia, Aquatic Arts, Aquatropics archive data and Google Search guidance. The result keeps natural keywords, corrects the old catfish/African-cichlid drift and removes duplicated keyword blocks from the live customer copy.