TankBud

Twoband vieja

Vieja bifasciata

Also known as Bifasciatum cichlid, Red spotted vieja

FreshwaterFish

Twoband vieja (Vieja bifasciata)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F
24–29°C
pH
7.0–8.2
Adult size
14.2 in
36 cm
Minimum tank
63 gal
240 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Grijalva and Usumacinta basins, Mexico and Guatemala

Overview

The twoband vieja is a large, robust Central American cichlid with real presence. It needs firm management, which makes it a fish for keepers past the beginner stage.

Did you know

Vieja means old woman in Spanish, the everyday name Mexican fishers give these deep-bodied cichlids. The scientists who built the genus kept that local nickname as its formal name.

Caring for the twoband vieja

The twoband vieja is a tank-filling fish, so give it at least 63 gal (240 L). Provide a sand floor and sturdy rock and wood structure, with a boulder or cave that a pair can claim and defend. It works the bottom and lower water and rearranges the decor to taste.

Keep the water warm and neutral to hard, at 75 to 84°F (24 to 29°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.2. Run strong filtration to match a big fish's waste. Feed a diet that leans vegetable, since Vieja graze and browse in the wild, and round it out with frozen and prepared foods.

It is territorial and aggressive, so keep one fish or a single bonded pair. House it only with equally sturdy tank mates.

The twoband vieja is a monogamous, biparental substrate spawner. A pair lays its eggs on cleaned flat rock or in a pit, and both parents guard them. Breeding is of medium difficulty.

Good to know

Vieja bifasciata is a large member of the family Cichlidae. Its name bifasciata means two-banded, for the pair of dark bands along its body. With age it flushes rose and gold, often with a red or yellow patch on the forehead.

In the wild

The twoband vieja lives in the large, slow rivers of the Grijalva and Usumacinta basins, in southern Mexico and Guatemala. It is found over sand, rock and sunken wood.

Common questions

What size tank does a twoband vieja need?

A twoband vieja needs at least 63 gal (240 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a twoband vieja need?

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

What does a twoband vieja eat?

A twoband vieja eats a diet that leans vegetable, since Vieja graze and browse in the wild. Round it out with frozen and prepared foods.

How big does a twoband vieja get?

An adult twoband vieja reaches about 14.2 in (36 cm).

How does a twoband vieja breed?

A twoband vieja is a monogamous, biparental substrate spawner. A pair lays its eggs on cleaned flat rock or in a pit, and both parents guard them. Breeding is of medium difficulty.

Related species