TankBud

Breidohr's vieja

Vieja breidohri

Also known as Angostura cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Breidohr's vieja (Vieja breidohri)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F
24–29°C
pH
7.0–8.2
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
119 gal
450 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Upper Grijalva basin, Mexico

Overview

Breidohr's vieja is a big, substrate-grazing Central American cichlid with a firm temperament. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

Breidohr's vieja was described from Mexico's largest reservoir, the Presa de la Angostura on the Grijalva. That reservoir also gave it its common name, the Angostura cichlid. A dammed river became the type locality for the species.

Caring for the Breidohr's vieja

Keep a single Breidohr's vieja or a bonded pair, since it does not live in groups. It needs at least 119 gal (450 L), and a pair needs its own large territory. Give it a sand floor, stacked rock and driftwood for cover and territory, and strong filtration.

Keep the water medium-hard to hard, at 75 to 84°F (24 to 29°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.2. Its diet leans vegetable, so feed a spirulina-based pellet and greens alongside some frozen foods. Skip live plants, which it will eat or uproot.

Breidohr's vieja works the lower half of the tank, digging and grazing, so expect to rearrange the rockwork. It turns aggressive around a spawning site, so choose sturdy, similar-sized tank mates.

It is a substrate spawner. A pair lays its eggs on a cleaned surface and guards the fry together, and breeding is of medium difficulty.

Good to know

Vieja breidohri belongs to the cichlid family and is compact for a genus whose members often pass 30 centimeters. Adults are smoky blue-gray, with a dark stripe and blotches along the side.

In the wild

Vieja breidohri comes from the upper Grijalva basin in Mexico. It lives in rivers, rapids and reservoir margins over rock, sand and silt, and it favors well-oxygenated water with some current.

Common questions

What size tank does a Breidohr's vieja need?

A Breidohr's vieja needs at least 119 gal (450 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Breidohr's vieja need?

A Breidohr's vieja is comfortable at 75–84°F (24–29°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.2.

What does a Breidohr's vieja eat?

Breidohr's vieja eats a diet that leans vegetable. Feed it a spirulina-based pellet and greens alongside some frozen foods, and skip live plants, which it will eat or uproot.

How big does a Breidohr's vieja get?

An adult Breidohr's vieja reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

How does a Breidohr's vieja breed?

Breidohr's vieja is a substrate spawner. A pair lays its eggs on a cleaned surface and guards the fry together, and breeding is of medium difficulty.

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