Oaxaca vieja

Care at a glance

Overview

The Oaxaca vieja is a large grazing cichlid from southern Mexico for a very big tank. It is rarely exported, so most keepers meet it through specialist channels or not at all. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Caring for the Oaxaca vieja

Give the Oaxaca vieja a very large tank of at least 132 gal (500 L), with stone, wood and open floor. The stone and wood help it define a territory.

Keep the water warm and moderately hard, at 75 to 84°F (24 to 29°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.2. Its genus is largely herbivorous, so real vegetable content in the diet is a requirement rather than a preference. A protein-only diet causes problems in this group.

The Oaxaca vieja is aggressive, so choose tank mates that can hold their own. A pair will claim a wide area to spawn. It is a substrate spawner, and both parents care for the young. Breeding it is of medium difficulty.

Good to know

The Oaxaca vieja, Vieja zonata, belongs to the family Cichlidae. It is belted in charcoal bars over olive-gold.

In the wild

The Oaxaca vieja lives in rivers of the Tehuantepec slope in Oaxaca, southern Mexico. Those rivers run warm and moderately hard.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Window vieja

  Vieja fenestrata

  11.8 in (30 cm) · 55 gal (210 L)

  11.8 in (30 cm)55 gal (210 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)

• 

  Breidohr's vieja

  Vieja breidohri

  7.9 in (20 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)

  7.9 in (20 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)

• 

  Twoband vieja

  Vieja bifasciata

  14.2 in (36 cm) · 63 gal (240 L)

  14.2 in (36 cm)63 gal (240 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)

• 

  Blackbelt cichlid

  Vieja maculicauda

  12.6 in (32 cm) · 66 gal (250 L)

  12.6 in (32 cm)66 gal (250 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Redhead cichlid

  Vieja melanurus

  14.6 in (37 cm) · 132 gal (500 L)

  14.6 in (37 cm)132 gal (500 L)77–82°F (25–28°C)

• 

  Tailbar cichlid

  Vieja hartwegi

  11 in (28 cm) · 92 gal (350 L)

  11 in (28 cm)92 gal (350 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)