Vieja/Paratheraps ID Request

[ToeB]

Folks at Monster Pets had Breidohri, "Synspilum", Zonatus, and Guttulatus but they weren't properly sorted or marked.

Zonatus or Guttulatus?



All from the "Synspilum" tank










I also got two from the Syn tank that look like Carpintis. I picked up a couple Breidohri as well.

 

[duanes]

Guttulatus and zonatus are often considered sister species, and some consider them to simply be location variants of the same species, so telling them part is often nearly impossible at a young age.
But for comparison here is a young synspillum/melanurus

and a young breidhori

and just for grins a young bifas

 

[Rafini]

I also picked up a "Synspilus" several years ago that I had no clue what species it was. It looked identical to your first picture when I got it. let me find you some pics of how it changed before I sold him.

This guy was a real ******* he ripped the eye out of an oscar and stripped all his scales off one side. Fortunately the oscar recovered and grew into a very nice fish.
Heres the oscar a few weeks later in quarantine

 

[duanes]

I feel Oscars are just not aggressive enough to stand up to most Central American cichlids (especially Vieja), other than the more passive Thorichthys, unless the tank is very large (300+ gals).
Because most Vieja or their kin, will see oscars as competition, and end up beaten up like what happened to yours.

 

[Rafini]

I feel Oscars are just not aggressive enough to stand up to most Central American cichlids (especially Vieja), other than the more passive Thorichthys, unless the tank is very large (300+ gals).
Because most Vieja or their kin, will see oscars as competition, and end up beaten up like what happened to yours.

This was in a 225 3 foot wide aquarium. The vieja just snapped, He was dominant but the oscar was the only fish that didn`t fight back. I agree they are so passive that I feel they would get bullied by almost all other cichlids. I guess that`s why oscars are usually the only cichlid species in an aquarium.

 

[ballinouttacntrol]

I also picked up a "Synspilus" several years ago that I had no clue what species it was. It looked identical to your first picture when I got it. let me find you some pics of how it changed before I sold him.

This guy was a real ******* he ripped the eye out of an oscar and stripped all his scales off one side. Fortunately the oscar recovered and grew into a very nice fish.
Heres the oscar a few weeks later in quarantine

Dang poor Oscar.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[ToeB]

Thanks for the replies! I'll try to post updates as they mature. I am keeping an eye out for aggression or pairing and have room to relocate them as they outgrow the growout tank. My current fish are all hard as **** so I'm not too worried about any particular one. Thanks again!