Vieja species are gentle giants of the CAs, belonging to different level from RD, Jaquar or Trimac league. You don't even have to employ zero decors or crowding to manage their aggression, as they have no aggression outside breeding time. I am keeping about 5 Vieja species in a 125 gal between 6 to 10 inch, and they have been getting along peacefully until one paired up. I had to separate the pair and the peace is retored. Now I have an all male Veija tank plus a number of smaller African haps and the community is in harmony. There is no way you can have more than a couple full grown RD in a 125 gal.
Does zero decor mean zero aggression
- Thread starter PaleAle
- Start date
Do you have Maculicauda, Zonatus and Breidorhi in your mix? I have trouble keeping harmony in my 240 because of those. Not all vieja are gentle.
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First off, this is not a photo from the Shedd aquarium, nor is it a 300 gallon tank.
http://www.capitalcichlids.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4822&stc=1&d=1347110080
Many members of MFK keep mixed aggro CA cichlids in tanks under 300 gallons. No one said that it is easy, but it is doable - just as it is with African cichlids, even in 55 gallon tanks. (been there, done that)
Certainly size of tank and number of fish will determine the overall success one has. The OP has a 6x2x2ft tank, which is large enough to house several male SA/CA cichlids, his potential success or failure cannot be determined by anyone reading this discussion. These types of set ups are always a roll of the dice and usually require some adding and/or subtracting along the way. Usually best to get the fish young & grow them out together, but even that doesn't guarantee success.
And I agree, some vieja can be stone cold killers, and not even remotely close to a gentle giant. As always it depends on the individual temperament of the fish.
http://www.capitalcichlids.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4822&stc=1&d=1347110080
Many members of MFK keep mixed aggro CA cichlids in tanks under 300 gallons. No one said that it is easy, but it is doable - just as it is with African cichlids, even in 55 gallon tanks. (been there, done that)
Certainly size of tank and number of fish will determine the overall success one has. The OP has a 6x2x2ft tank, which is large enough to house several male SA/CA cichlids, his potential success or failure cannot be determined by anyone reading this discussion. These types of set ups are always a roll of the dice and usually require some adding and/or subtracting along the way. Usually best to get the fish young & grow them out together, but even that doesn't guarantee success.
And I agree, some vieja can be stone cold killers, and not even remotely close to a gentle giant. As always it depends on the individual temperament of the fish.
i like decor in my tanks.... helps lower aggression. i also like to keep the temps in the lower 70s . this may not be opitimal growth conditions, but it sure helps my fish get along. i think the 125 will work but maybe not in the long-long run
I'm not sure if décor really matters in general. I think it's all down to the individuals in the tank. If you have a hyper aggressive fish that will attack anything it sees, decor is better so you can try to break line of sight. If you want to take away territory claiming, less décor would be more beneficial to help take away "territory". I keep a 180g tank with many decent size SA/CA and mixed sexes. It's all a gamble, as people have said. Almost everyone has to add and subtract fish until it works. I have almost zero aggression in my tank currently. Sometimes they go through a little quarrel, but then it's silent for months again.
The behavior of cichlids can vary drastically with the size of the tank. RD is infamous to be a glass banger in a small tank as a loner, and would not tolerate other tankmates including plecos and his own reflection. But I have seen colonies of RD in a public aquariums to be very docile showing no aggression towards one another. I had a Vieja sysnspillum that had grown up to 11 inch in a 75 gal and became pushy on every fish in the tank. But soon after I moved him to a 125 gal with the same tankmates, he mellowed down completely and wouldn't bother any other fish.
The aggressiveness of cichlids is relative, because even angels and discus show aggression at certain times. I agree that some Veija species are more aggressive than others, but as a group, they are no where near the level of aggressiveness as RD, Jaquar or Trimac. For example, I have not heard of any loner Vieja that is a glass banger. In fact, Viejas are so timid that they should never be kept alone.
The aggressiveness of cichlids is relative, because even angels and discus show aggression at certain times. I agree that some Veija species are more aggressive than others, but as a group, they are no where near the level of aggressiveness as RD, Jaquar or Trimac. For example, I have not heard of any loner Vieja that is a glass banger. In fact, Viejas are so timid that they should never be kept alone.
I'm gonna put the RD back in his 4x2x2 by himself & the Festae back in the community 6'. Trouble is my Festae got a short fuse as well, but I think it will work better anyway. On a Sidenote, my Synspillum get picked on by everyone but he's a tough cookie. I'm sure if he gets a chance he'll outgrow my RT & rule the tank. For a while anyway...
