Cichla & Vieja eggs???

[dankfishtanks]

I recently began housing an adult peacock bass with my subadult Vieja zonatus. Woke up this morning to find a batch of eggs laid by the Vieja.

My first impression was that the Vieja simply laid a batch of unfertilized eggs. However, the two are behaving similarly to a mated pair, the peacock bass standing guard and chasing off my two turtles and pleco I house with them while the Vieja hovers directly above the eggs. When I feed them, the peacock bass trades places with the Vieja when she goes to get food. Has this ever happened before? In the event that the eggs have been fertilized by the bass, I doubt they will be able to hatch due to Cichla being so far from other cichlids. I just think seeing them behave as a mated pair is fascinating!

 

[tlindsey]

I recently began housing an adult peacock bass with my subadult Vieja zonatus. Woke up this morning to find a batch of eggs laid by the Vieja.
View attachment 1370658View attachment 1370659
My first impression was that the Vieja simply laid a batch of unfertilized eggs. However, the two are behaving similarly to a mated pair, the peacock bass standing guard and chasing off my two turtles and pleco I house with them while the Vieja hovers directly above the eggs. When I feed them, the peacock bass trades places with the Vieja when she goes to get food. Has this ever happened before? In the event that the eggs have been fertilized by the bass, I doubt they will be able to hatch due to Cichla being so far from other cichlids. I just think seeing them behave as a mated pair is fascinating!

Wow buddies for sure.

 

[duanes]

An aquarist I knew in Chicago had a P-bass spawn with a cichlid of another genus. (can't remember what, it was years ago) He kept a few fry and grew them out, quite the fascinating looking result, ended up almost the size of a P-bass.

 

[dankfishtanks]

An aquarist I knew in Chicago had a P-bass spawn with a cichlid of another genus. (can't remember what, it was years ago) He kept a few fry and grew them out, quite the fascinating looking result, ended up almost the size of a P-bass.

Interesting! While I know hybrids are often frowned upon in the hobby I can’t help but be curious lol.
Sadly, the eggs did not survive. I suspect the bass might not have fertilized the eggs, although it could have just been a water quality issue.
My Vieja went into a fit of rage when I cleaned the decaying eggs off the rock. She because so angry with the P-bass that he was corralled up in the corner of the tank for days. The Vieja diligently cleaned off the rock and laid another clutch within days, but this time wouldn’t let the bass anywhere near them (thus they weren’t never fertilized). Those have come and gone as well, but the two are now hanging out together again and I have witnessed the Vieja cleaning off the rock here and there.
I don’t know what will come of all this, if anything, but needless to say it has been fascinating for me!