Viejita dwarf cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

A single male with one or two females fits a 75 liter tank at 24 to 28 C and pH 5.5 to 7.0, with soft water. Provide caves and planted cover to hold territories. Feed small live and frozen foods. It is mostly peaceful and only defensive around a female's breeding cave.

In the wild

Apistogramma viejita comes from tributaries of the Rio Meta in the Orinoco drainage of Colombia. It lives in shallow, slow, densely vegetated savannah waters with very low mineral content. It is a small, harem-forming dwarf cichlid. Provide caves, leaf litter, and dense planting.

Good to know

Apistogramma viejita was described by Kullander in 1979 and reaches about 7 cm. Males show a diagnostic red or orange edge along the dorsal fin, which gives it the trade name Rotsaum. Most fish sold as viejita are actually the related Apistogramma macmasteri or hybrids.

Did you know

The true species is uncommon, since the viejita name has been attached for years to line-bred color forms that are really other Apistogramma.

Related species

• Inca dwarf cichlid

  Apistogramma baenschi

  2.8 in (7 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Panduro apisto

  Apistogramma panduro

  3 in (7.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Hongsloi dwarf cichlid

  Apistogramma hongsloi

  3.1 in (8 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–84°F (23–29°C)

• 

  Macmaster's dwarf cichlid

  Apistogramma macmasteri

  2.4 in (6 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Agassiz's dwarf cichlid

  Apistogramma agassizii

  3.5 in (9 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–84°F (22–29°C)
• Elizabeth's dwarf cichlid

  Apistogramma elizabethae

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)