I have raised several Vieja species to adult size, including hartwegi, red head synspillum, orange mellanurum, pink fenestratus and bifasiatus. My largest Veija is hartwegi (14") and the smallest bifasiatus (10"). My other Vieja species are between 11" to 12". Since I haven't kept all the Veija species out there and individual size can vary, I want to hear your experience?
Ranking Vieja species size
- Thread starter viejafish
- Start date
Most of the vieja/Paratheraps will hit 13 to 15 inch, the only ones that do regularly get bigger then that is maculicauda 16/18 inch, herd reports of Vieja melanura getting that size to but not seen any. My bifasciatus is 12 inch and 3 years old, so should hit 14 inch.
I had 2 Bifa's, both females, and I was surprised how big they got. Like 12 inches in a little under 2 years. Rio Chacamax from CoA. I'd think the males would get huge.
I have a WC Black Belt, and it hasn't gotten up to 10 inches yet, I think mine's a runt.
I have a Syn and a Melanurum, they grow really fast, they're around 12 inches now.
I have Zonatus, those get thick, long, high-bodied, BIG fish. And they eat a lot, too--at least twice what all my other Vieja eat.
Argentea grow so slow, I couldn't tell you how big they get--just that they take forever to get however big they're gonna get. Regani same thing. I've kept both species for 3 years now, and I don't have a truly adult fish, yet.
I kept some red head Fenestratus for a couple years and they got real big real fast. Easy to confuse with Hartwegi, too. If you have a 14" Hartwegi, you might want to throw his pic up here and let everybody see--might be a Fenestratus. I'd heard Hartwegi only get about 10 inches? Not sure about that, though.
I have a WC Black Belt, and it hasn't gotten up to 10 inches yet, I think mine's a runt.
I have a Syn and a Melanurum, they grow really fast, they're around 12 inches now.
I have Zonatus, those get thick, long, high-bodied, BIG fish. And they eat a lot, too--at least twice what all my other Vieja eat.
Argentea grow so slow, I couldn't tell you how big they get--just that they take forever to get however big they're gonna get. Regani same thing. I've kept both species for 3 years now, and I don't have a truly adult fish, yet.
I kept some red head Fenestratus for a couple years and they got real big real fast. Easy to confuse with Hartwegi, too. If you have a 14" Hartwegi, you might want to throw his pic up here and let everybody see--might be a Fenestratus. I'd heard Hartwegi only get about 10 inches? Not sure about that, though.
so....I guess if we're gonna rank by size....
I'd say Zonatus and Bifa's are the 2 biggest Vieja species.
Blue and Red Fenestratus are a very close 2nd.
Then it's Synspilum and Melanurus.
But like Dan said, ALL these species will hit 12-13 inches for sure if they're males.
I'd say Zonatus and Bifa's are the 2 biggest Vieja species.
Blue and Red Fenestratus are a very close 2nd.
Then it's Synspilum and Melanurus.
But like Dan said, ALL these species will hit 12-13 inches for sure if they're males.
I guess there is substantial variation in size depending on strain, even of the same species. I am surprised my Bifas are the smallest, and don't get beyond 10 inch after 3 years. My hartwegi picitured in my avatar is the largest one, 14 inch. It is not a fenestratus because of the lack of full vertical bars in juvies, but could be a guttulatus as hartwegi and guttulatus are indistinguishable except for the mouth part. My red head sysnpillum is larger and taller than my orange melanurus, around 11-12 inch, and look like two different species. I am referring to full grown males after 3 -5 years. My measurement is not precise, but the relative ranking is.
Think we need pics of them allPics of male melanura and synspilum?