TankBud

Window vieja

Vieja fenestrata

Also known as Fenestratus cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Window vieja (Vieja fenestrata)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F
24–29°C
pH
7.0–8.2
Adult size
11.8 in
30 cm
Minimum tank
55 gal
210 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Papaloapan and Coatzacoalcos basins, Mexico

Overview

The window vieja is a large, moody Central American cichlid that works the lower levels of the tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The window vieja's blotchy pattern shifts with mood and age. Its markings can brighten, fade and rearrange from one hour to the next, depending on how the fish feels.

Caring for the window vieja

Give the window vieja a roomy tank of at least 55 gal (210 L), with a sand floor it can dig. It rearranges sand and tests anything it can move. Arrange rocks and driftwood to break up territory and create hiding places.

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, oversized filtration and make regular water changes to keep pace with a big, messy grazer.

Its diet is mostly vegetable, so feed a spirulina-based pellet with occasional frozen foods. Go easy on protein to avoid bloat.

The window vieja is territorial and can be aggressive, so keep it singly or as a single mated pair. Pick tank mates carefully, choosing only robust, similar-sized cichlids or catfish. Be ready to rehome fish if a pair turns on the tank.

It is a substrate spawner. A pair cleans a hard surface and lays its eggs in the open, and both parents guard the eggs and fry. Breeding is of moderate difficulty, given the space two adults need.

Good to know

Vieja fenestrata is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae. Its species name means windowed, after the block-like dark blotches that open along its flanks like light through shutters.

In the wild

The window vieja comes from the big lowland rivers and lakes of Mexico's Atlantic slope, in the Papaloapan and Coatzacoalcos basins. There it is largely herbivorous, grazing plants and algae.

Common questions

What size tank does a window vieja need?

A window vieja needs at least 55 gal (210 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a window vieja need?

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

What does a window vieja eat?

A window vieja eats a mostly vegetable diet, such as a spirulina-based pellet with occasional frozen foods. Go easy on protein, which can cause bloat.

How big does a window vieja get?

An adult window vieja reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

How does a window vieja breed?

A window vieja is a substrate spawner. The pair cleans a hard surface and lays its eggs in the open, and both parents guard the eggs and fry. Breeding is moderately difficult, given the space two adults need.

Related species