Vieja Hybrid Question

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SeaHorseRanch

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 16, 2025
22
28
16
United State
I am totally new to vieja's and just wanted to know what kinda of vieja hybrid they might be and what your opinions are on the pair as a whole (Color, body, size). I have been looking online for vieja hybrids and cant find anything on this color. Previous owner said they were a breeding pair and the female is a fader. Since they're a pair, can they live in the same tank? Or only during breeding?

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Ask the owner how they keep the pair, if they're kept together all the time then you've got an answer. Sometimes the male can beat up on the female or the other way around come spawning time but others get along just fine it just depends on the individual.

IMO they are probably a Vieja sp x Amphilophus mix with the amph genetics coming from a flowerhorn seeing as the male has a flowerline and the female has fader genetics which almost always come from amph. Her pearling is also very flowerhorn like. If they're a proper breeding pair the male has high vieja content to be fertile. That aside they look great.
 
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Ask the owner how they keep the pair, if they're kept together all the time then you've got an answer. Sometimes the male can beat up on the female or the other way around come spawning time but others get along just fine it just depends on the individual.

IMO they are probably a Vieja sp x Amphilophus mix with the amph genetics coming from a flowerhorn seeing as the male has a flowerline and the female has fader genetics which almost always come from amph. Her pearling is also very flowerhorn like. If they're a proper breeding pair the male has high vieja content to be fertile. That aside they look great.
Thanks for the info. Is this color desirable?
 
That depends on your expectations + the cost of the fish.
If they are just pets for your home and you think they're nice and worth the price then its a good fish no matter what anyone says. Since you're buying them as a breeding pair I'll go over them with that in mind too.

Also this is kinda pedantic but on second look I'd call the female a kamfa rather than a vieja hybrid. It's technically not wrong because she is one but generally most breeders only call something a vieja hybrid if its super vieja looking. Standards with hybrids are murky at best so pay this no mind it doesn't change anything about the fish.

Female -
From a breeding perspective quality of color goes from yellow -> orange -> red from least valuable to most for one color faders. She has nice big fins with pearling but it's incomplete. Body also has incomplete pearling but has strong shape. That said pearling is a fairly easy trait to increase if you're thinking about offspring. She's a nice fish, there are nicer fish sure but they can cost a lot.
Personally it's a cool fish, technically yellow isn't as valuable but there are tons of orange and red faders yellow not so much for single body color. Would probably look more yellow with clearer water and a nice light.

Male -
The male is more of an intermediary step if the fish has traits you like and want to carry into future generations. Color is washed out and fins aren't bad but not as impressive as the female.
For personal keeping colors can be improved with good foods feed stuff with astaxanthin for reds and spirulina for pearling. Also he'll probably get way nicer with age a lot of early generation vieja hybrids take long to fully develop just like the pure species.

Also he has the craziest face I've ever seen on a fish.

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