I need vieja synspila identification HELP !!

[Dale76]

Can someone please help identify if this little bugger is a true synspila or a cross ??? I got him/her a few days ago as a synspila from lfs, but leary if it is true synspila blood ??? Thanks for any help !!! Upload photos from gallery in a second. The photos are not best, but on dorsal and anal fins there are spots ??? I find weird, and they have a pinkish, redish tinge throughout on those fins??? And throughout body I see lots of blue tones on scales. And if you look closely I see blue/green streaks on face, reminds me what you would see on green terror or dempsey, but I also see red on face- cheecks as you would on an synspila ????? PLEASE HELP !!! By the way he/she is a little over 3 inches..

[Dale76]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=2775&pictureid=30714 ( here is one photo THANKS, )

[Dale76]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=2775&pictureid=30713 (here is the othe photo, THANKS AGAIN-Dale76)

[steve_58]

Pictures won't work for me .

[steve_58]

I bet i bought one of that fishes tankmates a couple weeks ago,lol. If i'm right then everyone i ask is confident its a paratheraps zonatum.I am not convinced of that cause mine is turning more yellowish in the body with red coming thru on the fins and the head.

[steve_58]

Ok pics work now for some reason ,lol. Yours looks like mine did when i bought it.

[thor meeki]

Here's my 4" to compare.

I ordered it from Bluegrass Aquatics so I know it's what it should be.

[Dale76]

Im sorry but I think that you are right and wrong, looks like mine even though mine is a juvie hard to tell, But It still does not look like a true synspila, for starters look at my juvie and your photo (thor) see the dots on the dorsal and anal fins? And from your photo the body seems to take on more of an pink/red overtone, maybe a new hybrid????

[crenipterus svenagalus]

Looks legit to me. Just looks like a regular Juvie Synspillum.

[Dale76]

I also thought that a true synspila had an additional arc (small) above the middle arc around the middle of the fish??? Look up a few good photos on the net???

[fishluvr12]

I'd let it grow some and see for sure.

[buddha1200]

here is my juvi just alittle over 3 inches(got it from jeff rapps so it is what it should be)i agree let i grow some more and see how the color changes.
http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo109/buddha1200/DSC00021.jpg

[Legomypleco]

Aa with most of the vieja, to small to tell. Repost pics in a couple months.

[steve_58]

here is the one i bought roughly two weeks ago from same place and probally same tank dale76 got his from. first pic is 2 weeks ago and second pic is same fish today.the fish is around 3 1/2 ".

[buddha1200]

what ever it is steve 58 that looks like it will turn out to be a nice fish,(not to sure with the color or pattern maybe so one who breeds them will know better)

[thor meeki]

Im sorry but I think that you are right and wrong, looks like mine even though mine is a juvie hard to tell, But It still does not look like a true synspila, for starters look at my juvie and your photo (thor) see the dots on the dorsal and anal fins? And from your photo the body seems to take on more of an pink/red overtone, maybe a new hybrid????

I think not. Bluegrass is just as reputable as rapps.
Guarantee you mine is not a hybrid.
Eddie Martin has very good reputation for supplying quality fish especially cichlids.

[buddha1200]

the only thing got me confused is the pattern(looks like a salvini pattern,just my opinion)and color,i still say wait and let it grow some,might end up with a nice fish anyway

[buddha1200]

here is a better picture of mine(pattern a little more broken up)it is now 3 maybe 4 inches got it in may at 1 inche from rapps,colors have improved month by month,hope this helps.http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo109/buddha1200/DSC00275.jpg

[steve_58]

i've had and bred salvini's and i'm pretty positive theres no salvini in it.i'll try posting pics as it grows and colors change . i do agree that i think what ever they are they will turn out to be great looking fish.

[buddha1200]

keeps us posted would like to see how they turn out

[Dale76]

I sure will keep everyone posted and keep pics going out every couple months, Hopefully mine and Steve_58 viejas will be some knockout fish?!? Got fingers crossed, either way will give him/her a good home.

[Noddy]

Here's mine for comparison.
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/vv191/noddy176/Vieja%20Synspilum/Vieja2.jpg

http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/vv191/noddy176/Vieja%20Synspilum/ViejaSynspilumandOscar.jpg

looks a little different from your new fish.

[steve_58]

Nice looking fish Noddy. It does appear to be a bit older and bigger than the ones Dale76 and i have tho. I sure am anxious to see how ours transform now,lol.

Is there a way to tell the males from females by looking at them?

[buddha1200]

when older males get a nuchal hump females dont,keep us posted

[Noddy]

When I went to buy mine, I had been looking at a tank with several 4-5"Viejas and I thought those were the ones on sale.
Than the guy from the LFS says that the big ones where downstairs.
There was a huge monstertank with a lot of mostly fullgrown Viejas.
The males where incredible.
I chose the smallest what looks like a female and she was still 10".
The males where bigger then the biggest O i ever seen.

[steve_58]

Thanks guys