Vieja Argentea help/info

[duanes]

When my male argentea hit around 10" he started killing everything (any fish with a silver hue 1st) in the tank, (much like Modest mans experience) mine had a dovii and 14" managuense pinned in opposite corners.
They rate up there in aggression with zonatum in my experience.
Mine could only be kept alone.

 

[heavyhitter]

You've got that backwards bro. Argentea are a large aggressive CA cichlid. Hence keep them with other large aggressive CA or SA cichlids. Severums are out.

I've kept mine with fish like midas, festae, carpintis, gold saum, red bay snook, etc. He doesn't mess with larger fish (get's picked on sometimes) but is in the process of trying to kill my 8-9" umbee so he's got to be divided.

While mine never backed down from a fight he would often lose. While I love the Argentea, my 13" male would get DOMINATED by a 9-10" Midas. This was in a 180 that I kept. I put him in a 500g with a Haitensis and Beani and both of them pounded this fish even though he was larger than both.

I have kept (and still do keep) maculicauda, argentea, synspila, and bifasciata, males and females and I have never seen the level of aggression of these Veija as I have experienced with Amphilophus, Nadpopsis, or Parachromis species. I am not claiming to be the bottom line authority on species aggression I am just stating my observation on keeping multiple samples of these species over the last 25 years.

It call comes down to individual fish personalities.

 

[paulz01]

thanks all seems like the vieja Agentea is way too aggressive for my semi-aggressive tank.good thing i didn't buy it on impulse.