A pair of Lago Petén V . melanura with free swimming fry
© Kelvin Simms
Cryptoheros spilurus , exCichlasoma pearsei , ex- Cichlasoma salvini , exCichlasoma urophthalmus , Parachromis friedrichsthalii , Paratheraps bifasciatus , Petenia splendida , Rocio octofasciatus , Thorichthys affinis , Thorichthys helleri , Thorichthys meeki , Thorichthys pasionis , Vieja heterospila .
Aquarium Care & Observations
Vieja melanura wide tolerance to different water quality certainly makes this fish one of the easiest to keep . For long term , I would advise to keep a large pair in a tank no less than 6 ’/ 200cm in length ; community tanks should be much larger with a height and width of at least 2 ’ / 60cm . Good filtration is recommended as like all large members of Central American cichlids , they can become quite a messy fish . A strong flow isn ’ t necessary , as they are considered lascturine , however , good water management by replacing 25 % of the water twice weekly will be beneficial to growth , health and colouration . V . melanura can be omnivorous , but are mainly regarded as herbivorous . Higher protein shell fish such as prawns can be offered occasionally , also offer plenty of vegetable food or dry foods with added spirulina .
The aquarium should be at least 6 ’/ 200cm in length , with a good filtration system . Decorate the tank with a sand substrate with a little bit of mixed gravel to give a natural appearance . Large river rocks and driftwood can be used to setup spawning sites or territory boundaries , especially if you plan to keep them within a large cichlid community . I have kept many different populations of V . melanura , but the two that stand out were populations from Lake Petén and Rio sarstun , Belize . The Belize fish are the red headed morph that displays a beautiful blue / green and yellow iridescence on the unpaired fins . The Lake Petén fish are an orange morph . The best way to get a bonded pair is to grow out a small group of fish . In both cases pair bonding and spawning happened with fish well before maturation , sometimes at only 5 ”/ 12cm in size . Sexual dimorphism in young fish is quite weak , however , older fish become more apparent . Males become more colourful , develop a thicker profile and display a steeper cranial profile . Both dominant sexes will develop a large nuchal hump over time , but this will be more noticeable in males .
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