Vieja bifasciata Breeding Guide
How to breed Vieja bifasciata, a Grijalva-Usumacinta cichlid that, like all studied Vieja, is a biparental substrate-spawner producing very large clutches.
Overview
Vieja bifasciata, the Red-spotted or Two-banded cichlid, is found in the Rio Grijalva and Usumacinta basins of western Mexico and Guatemala, in still or slow-moving waters with luxuriant vegetation and algae. All studied members of the genus Vieja are biparental substrate-spawners.
Sexing
The male is larger and much more colourful, with red around the face and throat and gold, yellow and blue on the flanks. The female is comparatively drab. The fish has two prominent lines running between the eyes.
Conditioning
The species is a herbivorous detritivore, so conditioning is high in vegetable content, supplemented with frozen peas, spinach, bloodworm, earthworm and prawn. Mammalian meats such as beefheart and chicken should be avoided.
Breeding Setup
- Temperature 27-29 °C (80-85 °F).
- pH around 7.0-8.5; hardness in natural waters ranges 8-33 °H.
- A flat stone or similar surface as the spawning site.
- A large tank, as the species grows to about 30 cm and is moderate to very aggressive.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As a substrate-spawner, the pair selects and cleans a surface for egg deposition. Aggression varies considerably between individuals, so pairing should be monitored.
Egg & Fry Care
Clutches can number two thousand or more eggs, which hatch in around 72 hours. Fry become free-swimming within a week and are fed Artemia nauplii and microworm several times daily, with both parents guarding the brood.
Common Challenges
Variable, sometimes severe aggression and the large tank required are the principal challenges. The recorded breeding type is substrate-spawner, matching the biparental substrate-spawning described by the source used here.