Is it not that orange V. melanuras the smallest Vieja species? My 3 year old male melanuras is about 11 inch and 1/3 shorter in length and height than my same age sysnpillum. Please don't tell me they are one and the same species as they are morphologically different fish to me.
Vieja zonatus and regani
- Thread starter jaws7777
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I started with four heterospilus from Rapp's and finally found the one I wanted to keep and sold the others. All I have is a juvenile picture at the moment which is not very impressive.
Now that it is in my 210g it shows a very dark black body with some of the purple and yellow showing.
These are some pics from someone who also got Rapp's hets so you can see what they turn out to look like.
Not my picture but fish from Rapps, picture from: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=194068
The common name is is the Montecristo cichlid... (really it is)
Like the sandwich!
People will use those on the bottom of glass tanks to prevent tank damage if the fish dig out the heavy rocks and cause any sort of collapse.
Beside as a cushion for falling rocks, a horizontal section attached to the vertical part of a divider helps steady, and keep it from being pushed over by strong overly charged fish.
I also put rocks on the horizontal parts for even more insurance.
I also put rocks on the horizontal parts for even more insurance.
Hmm. We're calling our fish wet pets, then some people, maybe without realizing it, want to keep them in conditions comparable to commercial breeding operations that in themselves are not too far removed from industrial farming of animals intended to live just long enough to fatten up and be processed for McDonalds. Not my business to tell someone else how to keep their fish and that's not my intention. Most of us have kept fish in less than ideal tanks, so my point is a more general philosophical one-- if we care about these fish do we really want to think in terms of the smallest possible tank or use betta bowls the size of teacups as a point of reference?
Speaking for myself, I'd like to see hobbyists get away from "what's the smallest tank" questions in favor of "what's a reasonable minimum". Subtle distinction, maybe, but a different mindset, more in keeping with the real reasons most of are in the hobby.
I know it's an afterthought to this thread. Not meant to argue with anyone. Just something to think about.
Speaking for myself, I'd like to see hobbyists get away from "what's the smallest tank" questions in favor of "what's a reasonable minimum". Subtle distinction, maybe, but a different mindset, more in keeping with the real reasons most of are in the hobby.
I know it's an afterthought to this thread. Not meant to argue with anyone. Just something to think about.
I've owned 2 maculicaudas (black belts) so far. One I had in a 90 gallon with a few cichlids, he was killed by one of the weaker ones and never stood a chance (He was 5"). The one I have now is 6" and kind of a wild card. He mauled my polleni, gold saum and a thoricthys meeki pair to the point I had to separate them and eventually give them away/sell them. HE's living in a 75 gallon with a syspilus (another vieja, fairly calm but has his episodes) along with a chocolate cichlid all of equal/nearly the same size. They got along for 3 months so far with nothing worse than a nipped fin (Though usually the only aggressive thing they do is dash at them to shoo them away) I'm getting a 270 gallon soon to add them along with some other fish. I tried adding my green severum who is 4" to my tank, he used to live in a 30 gallon planted but I decided to move him to give him more space. My black belt shreded his fins and I came back from school with my severum breathing hard and nearly dead. He's ok now, thankfully. It all depends on the personality.
