Vieja/Paratheraps tankmates

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titansfever83

titansfever83

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Aug 30, 2007
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A few questions....

What could i keep with approx. 6 V. Zonatus?
Will that many V. Zonatus work together? (when they're not breeding)
Can I keep other Viejas or Paratheraps together, say maybe V. Argentea?

I know these guys get big, I just wanna know if they are compatable and what other tankmates would look really good together, including some type of bottom feeder(s). Whatever I do get will be purchased small and grow up together and will be bumped up to larger tanks as they grow.


Thanks in advance;)

Jamie
 
Really depends on the size of tank, I have 4 different Viejas including a Zonatus in my 125 with my pikes. I am going to add another plus a Pearsii when I move everything over to the 8 footer.
On a side note pretty much all Vieja/paratheraps are conspecifically aggro. So when those 6 start getting some size you will probably have to start seperating especially with a pair.
Ive read of several members keeping Parachomis with them. If you don't want to deal with to much aggro, use different shaped/colored species.
If nothing else fails go with pikes. My Veijas mix well with them.
 
Will Viejas breed with other kinds of Viejas? I plan on putting my Cren. Proteus with them.
 
They will absolutely breed with each other...... hence the big mess there is IDing some of these fish!

Generally speaking, it's best to keep different types of fish together. So, good tank mates would be any other than Vieja types. Astatheros, Amphilophus, etc. would be good choices as they wouldn't be seen as competition (at least to the degree conspecifics are viewed!).
 
i agree.
i keep my zonatum in a 230 with a couple jags, a female umbee, a carpinte, carpinte/festae cross, a silver aro, and temporarily a pair of dempseys with
next to no agression between all of them except the stupid carpinte.
 
I bought 6 two inch zonatum a while back, by the time they reached 6 ", they had whittled themselves down to a pair in a 150 tank. The pair kept a 12"dovii and 12" managuense hovering in opposite upper corners of the tank.
Never tried them with pikes though.
And I agree totally with cchhcc, they will interbreed if they don't kill the other V/P type 1st.
 
I think out of all the viejas Zonatum and Guttulatum are some of the bad boys around. If your going to pair them in a community you're asking for trouble. What size tank are they going in? I've got 5 species of vieja in my 300g, but if i had a breeding pair in their i think i'd be in trouble.
 
nutty;1555389; said:
I think out of all the viejas Zonatum and Guttulatum are some of the bad boys around. If your going to pair them in a community you're asking for trouble. What size tank are they going in? I've got 5 species of vieja in my 300g, but if i had a breeding pair in their i think i'd be in trouble.
Click to expand...


Thanks nutty, but I'm not going to now, that is why I asked the question before purchasing them. I will probably buy a few of each kind and weed out the ugly ones and keep the others for my show tank(s).
 
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