Can anyone tell me about Vieja heterospilus?

[FINWIN]

I like their color/pattern. Their care, size and temperament? I'm looking at two final additions to the main tank...one is a red rainbow cichlid I have my eye on, and another smaller fish that is 'reasonably' peaceful. My recent additions have been extremely positive overall and have brought 'calm energy' to the big fish. There is shoaling everywhere and some posturing, but no real fighting. I'd be looking at a male. The tank has a lot of 'top down' aquascaping (been tweaking) with shade and plants raised over the sand bed. Two larger open areas. Lots of nooks crannies that the smaller fish currently enjoy.

All of the smaller fish are different colors/patterns and I want to keep it that way.

 

[kno4te]

duanes

 

[duanes]

They are reasonably more peaceful (as a rule than most Vieja) although they have been reassigned to the genus Oscura, so no longer Vieja.
They can get large so their less aggressiveness nature aside, a large tank is recommended. As adults I would consider a 6ft tank minimal.
In nature, in southern Mexico they come from waters like Lake Lacanja, with a pH range 7.5 -8.5, prefer slow moving current, sometimes in dense vegetationn.
Other cichlids they are found with include Petenia splendida, Mayaheros uropthalmus, and a number of Thorichtys species.
Dither fish would be the multitude of live bearers such as Poecilia yucatan, or velifora and tetras like Astyanax.

 

[FINWIN]

They are reasonably more peaceful (as a rule than most Vieja) although they have been reassigned to the genus Oscura, so no longer Vieja.
They can get large so their less aggressiveness nature aside, a large tank is recommended. As adults I would consider a 6ft tank minimal.
In nature, in southern Mexico they come from waters like Lake Lacanja, with a pH range 7.5 -8.5, prefer slow moving current, sometimes in dense vegetationn.
Other cichlids they are found with include Petenia splendida, Mayaheros uropthalmus, and a number of Thorichtys species.
Dither fish would be the multitude of live bearers such as Poecilia yucatan, or velifora and tetras like Astyanax.

Thanks for the write up...I had some bad information that said they maxed out at 6".

 

[duanes]

In nature an average size of only is 6" is normal, probably because of predation by birds and reptiles and other factors where they don't make it much larger or longer.
But in aquariums without that type of predation pressure they easily live longer, and get much larger, 10" or larger, individuals (especially males) were very common when they became the "Vieja type" to have in the Chicago/Milwaukee area a decade or so ago. They are making a come back.
They can be easy prey for birds like cormorants in the pools they are common in in mexico.

 

[newworld]

I think the biggest I’ve ever seen was like 8”, another Chicago fish you couldn’t give away...

 

[dogofwar]

It's funny when you realize how few people actually constitute the "market" for fish like this, especially when you only include the folks who are actually going to keep and breed a fish.

I think the biggest I’ve ever seen was like 8”, another Chicago fish you couldn’t give away...

 

[ryansmith83]

It's funny when you realize how few people actually constitute the "market" for fish like this, especially when you only include the folks who are actually going to keep and breed a fish.

So true. I’ve stopped advertising fry because most of the time I can’t give them away if the fish is uncommon/rare. Especially if it doesn’t have a catchy trade name. Lots of people want “red tiger” severums but won’t give them a second look if you call them Heros severus. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[duanes]

Lots of people want “red tiger” severums but won’t give them a second look if you call them Heros severus. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I wonder if I had called them Black Nasty's, instead of Nandopsis haitiensus, if I wouldn't have had to give hundreds away

 

[C. Breeze]

So true. I’ve stopped advertising fry because most of the time I can’t give them away if the fish is uncommon/rare. Especially if it doesn’t have a catchy trade name. Lots of people want “red tiger” severums but won’t give them a second look if you call them Heros severus. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

selling fish is the worst. If it’s rare nobody wants it if it’s common nobody wants to pay for it.