Future wet pet :)

[urs4]

Hi my name is Steve and have been keeping aquarium's for years. I just recently sold away all my Big Hap's (Pheno's) and decided to try something old/new. I used to have a beastly Rose Queen as a wet pet and wanted to go that way once again. I would have just picked up another RQ, but they have not been available and then ones that have weren't my cup a tea. Here he was when I had to sell him. As you can see he even lived through a battle with HITH when he stopped eating for roughly 5 months. He was truely a wet pet though.

So I picked these up in my LFS because I think there is potential in these hybrid's as a show fish/wet pet.
I cannot get a good picture of him just yet. He does not stay still very long but I think you'll get the idea.

This is the best picture I can get with the lights on

All his colors seem to smear like this until I can figure it out.

What do you think?

Steve

 

[f1shy]

I like him! The way his face is shaped makes him look cute lol. I really like the markings around his mouth. Well good luck with him!

 

[urs4]

Thanks f1shy,

i think this guy is going to turn out fine.

BTW: this is a v.Bifas/carpentis cross if you couldn't see it.

Steve

 

[Water]

Welcome to MFK! And that was one beastly RQ you had. Keep us updated on your hybrid. IMO it looks Vieja Hartwegi X Carpintis, but whatever it really is, it's a nice fish.

 

[urs4]

Thanks I like him so far and he likes a red texas

My crappy pictures don't really show the pink in his jaw/belly below his texas markings. You can only see it in natural light like in the two pictures. With the light on I don't see it yet at 3-4", but he is just a lad. They were labeled V.Bifas/carpentis but I did not see the parents.
Do you still think it a Hartwegi? I will look them up because I'm not familier with their looks.
Steve

 

[Water]

Idk, I see a lot of Hartwegi blood lol. Kinda makes me want to jump back into the hybrid keeping game again D:

 

[urs4]

I do see why you think its Hartwegi now that I've done a little research, thats of course if they are correct pictures Until I get better versed with central american cichlid's, these vieja's seem tough to idenify except for some of the obvious ones. Oh well, I've always enjoyed learning about a new group of fish.

I will post pictures again as he grows along with his 5 brothers and sisters. My hope is to possibly keep a pair of fish in a 90 gal with some clown loaches and a couple plecos. The male pictured here seems to like them right now and can be found eating right in the middle of their hurd. Is it a bad expectation that this will continue? Even if I end up with 1 vieja and the clowns/plecos it would be great for what i'm looking for.

Steve

 

[Water]

If he's being nice to them now, then he'll probably grow to tolerate them when he's bigger. If you get a pair(M/F) and they attempt to breed, your fish are in for a hell of a beating lol.

 

[urs4]

I hear you on the beating but at what age/size roughly do they begin breeding. My guess is around 5-6" for a fish this size??

When I've bred large african's 12"> they have left the loaches alone except to skirt them away from a breeding site. Is your warning because of the total area these fish take over as a breeding site? Or vieja's just get that nasty? I have seen a pair of Festae's breed and that was something to behold as far as aggress goes but I did not think these were that bad from what I've read. I also know this is a hybrid so all bets are off.

I am not really looking to breed this fish but he seems to already have a GF

It also seems that these fish at this size like to be over stocked like a Mbuna tank to reduce aggr.



Steve

 

[the animal guy]

they look great. The texas cross is very unique with those patterns.