Vieja zonata Care Guide
Vieja zonata is a large Mexican cichlid from the Pacific-slope Tehuantepec basin, kept in hard alkaline water in spacious aquaria.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Vieja zonata is a large Central American cichlid from southern Mexico. It belongs to the genus Vieja within the heroine cichlids and is a robust, deep-bodied species kept by specialist cichlid hobbyists.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Vieja
- Scientific name: Vieja zonata
- Described: Meek, 1905
Habitat
The species occurs on the Pacific slope of Mexico, in the Tehuantepec River basin. It is a freshwater, benthopelagic cichlid of tropical rivers.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 400 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 7.0-8.0
- GH: 8-18 °dGH
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
Diet
Vieja zonata is omnivorous, with a comparatively low trophic level indicating a substantial plant component in its diet. A varied aquarium diet combining prepared foods with vegetable matter suits the species.
Compatibility
This is a large, semi-aggressive and territorial cichlid best kept with other robust Central American cichlids and large catfish in a spacious tank. It is not plant-safe and is unsuitable with small fish.
Breeding
Vieja-group cichlids are substrate spawners. Eggs are laid on a cleaned firm surface and tended by both parents.
Vieja zonata Breeding Guide
Overview
Vieja zonata is a cichlid endemic to Mexico's Isthmus of Tehuantepec region, occurring on both Pacific and Atlantic slopes including the Rio Niltepec, Rio Tehuantepec and Rio Coatzacoalcos and their tributaries. According to AquaInfo it inhabits flowing rivers, stagnant pools, lakes and lagoons, preferring sandy substrates. Females can reach 30 cm and males up to 35 cm.
Sexing
AquaInfo reports that males grow larger with more pronounced head profiles and display vibrant coloration including blue sheens and green-yellow iridescent spots, while females remain smaller, exhibiting more yellow-brown tones and sometimes pink coloration at the gill area.
Breeding Setup
AquaInfo lists a temperature of 24-28 degrees C, pH 7.5-8.5 and hardness 12-20 degrees GH for this species. A breeding tank should provide alkaline, medium-hard to hard water with a sand substrate that allows the natural digging and substrate preparation these fish use. The Aquairi record classifies the species as a substrate spawner of intermediate breeding difficulty.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
AquaInfo describes Vieja zonata as an open substrate brooder that establishes spawning territories through digging and substrate preparation. The female deposits about 100 to 1000 eggs.
Egg & Fry Care
According to AquaInfo the eggs hatch in approximately three days depending on temperature. Parents actively guard the offspring and in nature feed them by swirling up the soil, while in the aquarium fry may consume parental skin secretions if other nutrition is insufficient.