Bujurquina vittata (Yellow banded acara)

Sinister-Kisses

Dovii
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Oh, I know. Just kicking myself for giving them the benefit of the doubt after the first one.
 
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ryansmith83

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I’ve never had a problem with any Bujurquina including vittata, but I also don’t trust small angels with most of my acaras because they are not built to stand their ground. I’ve even had juvenile Uaru amphiacanthoides eat small angels and Uaru are one of the most relaxed large cichlids you can find. It’s why discus and angels are usually only in species tanks for me.
 

Sinister-Kisses

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The angels were small, but they were definitely not big enough to be considered potential food against the size of the vittata who also are just juvies.
 

Mazan

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I was also surprised to read this, my Bujurquinas (not vittata) seem to be reasonably peaceful (for cichlids) I have them with som Guianacara sand if anything the Guianacaras are more dominant. Some of both do have minor fin nips though.
 

Sinister-Kisses

Dovii
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Minor fin rips now and then I was expecting and prepared for. Faces being ripped off 3 angels in 24 hours, not so much.

I have since picked up another 4 Bolivian rams and will add those to the 3 already in my angelfish tank when they move into the larger 125. I know THEY aren't going to be a risk to anyone's face lol.

Vittata are still in the 55gal for QT and doing well. Buggers.
 
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duanes

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I'm not surprised B vittata is aggressive.
It is one of the most successful cichlids from that part of S America, ranging from Southern Brazil, and Paraguay, south into cooler/temperate waters in Argentina,
and any time you find a successful cichlid species, it must have the ability to out compete all others..
It is said, the only fish to be more populous in that area of S America where it is found, are Astyanax tetras, and is also a quite the aggressive, rough and tumble, tetra species.
You might consider how you handle water temp, as an aggression inhibitor.
I have found, with these temperate, S American cichlids, higher water temps, seems to increase aggression.
My Cichlasoma dimerus (which vittata shares habitat with) seemed to be much less volatile at water temps in the low 70's F, even down into the high 60s.
 

duanes

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I just went back and reread your 1st post.
And although the vittata are from S America, they are from quite a bit further south than most other species you mention, such as the angels and most ram species, so habitat may be quite different, and thereby species combinations might need to be considered more closely to quell aggression.

I wouldn't consider the vittata as being asinine, they may be just doing what fits into their natural realm of experience, albeit a different prospective that the one you imagine
Although M altispinnosus is found close to the edge of that same southern area, habitat preferences might be quite different (the rams preferring much warmer shallow waters) and vittata much more territorial.

Since I'm a biotope adherent, I'm very anal about these combinations, and am much more restrictive about what species I will mix together in the same tank..
I never would mix northern S American cichlids, with southern S Americans,
Just as I do not mix cichlids from west of the Andes mountains, with those from east of the continental divide.

Even here in Panama, where in places, it only takes a little over an hour to drive from 1 coast to the other, cichlid species are different on either coast, and never mix because of elevation restrictions. And if they don;t mix in nature, I figure getting them to mix in the confines of a tank, is remote.
 
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