Looking for a little perspective

Mythic Figment

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 27, 2012
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Florida
Most Vieja (Paraneetroplus) types need lots of space.
A single specimen in a 75 might work, and with patience become quite dog like.
But in that small space, aggression would become an issue with more than one.
Even in a 125 luck would need to go your way, to avoid aggression.
In a 150 gal I've had zonatus, argentea and regani pin larger managuense and dovii in corners.
Don't get me wrong, Vieja are some of my favorites, and some of the most beautiful, but space is the key, or they become sociopaths. The only way I'd try to keep more than one species together as adults, would be in a minimum, 300gal.
some I've kept.
argentea

bifasciata

breidhori

regani
You take some awesome pics, duanes. :) I'm loving the blues and violets in the regani and zonatus.


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justarn

Arapaima
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May 24, 2011
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another option is pollenii, i had one which was as close to an oscar as i have kept... my butti also has great personality but would been a 180g eventually. i have the opposite of your current set up, aggressive cichlid community 300g, i have mine well balanced atm but it has been a long tiresome journey of exchanging fish to find ones that work. a 125 is too small to comm various veija imo, a pair could work. maybe a cuban pair or a creamsicle midas pair... rtm pair.. i think a pair is the best you can hope for. on the flip side im comming 3 species of jewels in a 100g, 5 star generals, frempongii and reds, thats a fun tank with skunk cory cats, small spiney eels and an asian bumblebee cat.
 

decoy50

Polypterus
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Jan 25, 2012
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Here is my 2cents - I've had a vieja comunity for over 2 years now & its neen my favorite tank I've ever owned. I have not experienced any of the aggression people speak of - frequent chases, split fins & sloshed water, but no deaths or bad fights. I keep the tank overstocked & I have to do frequent large WCs to keep my water pristine - these guys are big & messy. Maybe they show more personality when kept solo, but mine have next to none when kept as a heavily stocked community.

My biggest mistake is having too small of a tank - 150gal, same footprint of a standard 125 just taller. I've commented on other threads that if I were to do this again, I would want no smaller than a 240 for a community.

My advice if you want to get your feet wet with big centrals & you want personality is set up your 75gal & go amph to see if they are for you. I loved the Trimac that I grew out from a 1in juvie, and it was one of the few fish that I've owned that actually made me sad when I lost him. The zonatus aould not be a bad idea - never kept them, but from all I've read they are one of the meaner & more personable vieja.

All this is coming from a guy working on setting up a 125 SA community haha. If we were closer, we could just swap setups!
 

Crazy mike

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2012
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I say do a single vieja in a75 or a pair in 125. I'm doing a male blackbelt in my 90 and I love him very personable and inquisitive. I have tried multiple vieja in a 125 but the aggression and overcrowded look got to me and I sold them.ImageUploadedByMonsterAquariaNetwork1406225050.306455.jpgImageUploadedByMonsterAquariaNetwork1406225087.447294.jpg


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Jc1119

Feeder Fish
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Dec 27, 2010
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Our big Argentea cannot co habitate with other fish in less than 8' long tanks unless they are much smaller fish.
Tried twice once he reached the 15" mark and...... No bueno.

Might work for awhile but longterm many veija are just like Duane said......nuts in small spaces.

On a side note, our new Trimac has an awesome personality. Maybe best on the house. He's in a 125 with some cutteri.

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Mythic Figment

Feeder Fish
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Jul 27, 2012
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This is the zonatus the guy from my fish club is rehoming. He says it follows him around and will eat out of his hand.

I'm thinking I may rehome my Guianacara stergiosi and the severum and keep the acaras in the 75 with the zonatus in the 125. That or keep the SAs in the 125 and grow the zonatus in the 75 until he needs a 125 home. I would rehome the SAs later if I'm not happy with how they turn out.


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Mythic Figment

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 27, 2012
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Florida
I'm not a big oscar fan. They look awesome when they are small, but not a fan of how they look when larger than 6". I also don't like the look of nuchal humps, so most Amphs are out. Was thinking of a pair of stalsbergi in the 75 if the other SAs don't last.


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justarn

Arapaima
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May 24, 2011
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thats a pretty fish, get him... you will regret it if you dont. nice veija are hard to come by.
 

Quo Vadis

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2014
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Wisconsin
I think you will like Viejas, I am really enjoying my Synspilum's beauty and they are very peaceful. I also don't really like the look of adult normal Osacrs, but have you seen photos of adult Crassipnnis or Orbicularis? I personally think they are much prettier, and Oscars really can't be beat for interactiveness. (Not my pic, my Crassipnnis is still a baby.)

ao.jpg

ao.jpg
 
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