Convict zebra sole

Where they come from

Convict zebra soles are Indo-West Pacific flatfish that hug sandy shallows, tide channels, and seagrass edges from Southeast Asia down into northern Australia. They spend the day buried in fine sand with just the eyes showing. Those black-and-white bars are not for fashion; they break up the outline so well you will swear the fish vanished.

Setting up their tank

Think footprint, not height. A single adult reaches around 8-10 inches and appreciates room to cruise the bottom. A 55 gallon with a 36 x 18 inch footprint is a good starting point for one fish. Bigger is easier.

• Sand bed: 2-3 inches of fine, soft sand (sugar-grain aragonite or smooth silica). Skip crushed coral and sharp blends.
• Rockwork: set rock directly on the glass, then add sand. Keep open sand lanes for burying and ambush.
• Flow: moderate overall with a calm zone. They like gentle water near the bottom.
• Filtration: a decent skimmer helps keep oxygen high. Soles sit on the bottom where O2 can dip.
• Mature tank: give it a few months so microfauna builds up. New, sterile tanks are tough for this fish.
• Covers and guards: lid on top, sponge or mesh over overflows and powerhead intakes.

• Temperature: 75-80 F (24-27 C)
• Salinity: 1.024-1.026
• pH: 8.0-8.4
• Zero ammonia/nitrite, nitrate under ~20 ppm

What to feed them

They are ambush micro-predators. New arrivals often ignore prepared foods, so plan on starting with live and working toward frozen.

• First week or two: live blackworms (rinsed well), live glass/ghost shrimp acclimated to salt, small shore shrimp, amphipods from a refugium.
• Then mix in frozen: PE mysis, enriched brine (as a carrier, not a staple), chopped raw shrimp, clam, squid. Add a few live items to get them interested.
• Target feed: use tongs and gently wiggle food in front of the mouth, or tuck it into the sand right by the eyes. They key in on movement.
• Timing: feed at dusk or with the room dim. They get bolder as lights go down.
• Frequency: small portions 5-6 days a week. They do better with many small feedings than big dumps.
• Boost nutrition: soak frozen foods in a vitamin/HUFA supplement once or twice a week.

How they behave and who they get along with

Calm fish, but all business at mealtime. Anything bite-sized that lingers near the sand can disappear. Most of the day they half-bury and watch the world go by.

• Good tankmates: peaceful midwater fish that are too large to swallow, like bigger ocellaris clowns, larger cardinalfish, robust fairy/basslet types that ignore the bottom.
• Use caution: tiny gobies, firefish, small dartfish. Juveniles can be a snack.
• Not a match: aggressive wrasses, triggers, puffers, goatfish, large sand-sifting gobies that will harass them. They hate being pestered.
• Inverts: snails and large hermits are usually fine. Small shrimp and tiny crabs are food.

Breeding tips

Realistically not a home project. Flatfish have pelagic larvae that go through a wild metamorphosis where one eye migrates. Public aquariums have tackled it; hobbyists usually have not. If you notice pairing behavior, enjoy the show, but do not expect to raise fry.

Common problems to watch for

• Feeding strike: the big one. Start with live foods and wean slowly. Watch body profile; a pinched-in look behind the head means you need to step up feedings.
• Abrasions: coarse substrate scrapes their skin. Switch to finer sand and keep it clean.
• Parasites/worms: very common on wild flatfish. Quarantine and run two rounds of praziquantel. Freshwater dips can help with flukes if done carefully.
• Medication sensitivity: like many scaleless/bottom fish, they do not handle heavy copper well. If you must treat, test often and keep copper on the low end of the therapeutic range, or use an alternative method under guidance.
• Mouth damage: check before buying. A torn mouth means trouble eating and slow recovery.
• Flow and intakes: they will sit right on a pump guard. Make sure guards are secure so they do not get sucked in or abraded.
• Heat and low oxygen: they live at the bottom where O2 can run low. Keep surface agitation up and avoid summer spikes.