WOW, that guy is beast and that's some very fast growth too. 15" is probably the size of these guys parents. I think I would have some better growth on these guys if I cranked up their feeding schedule and provided more water changes. Right now I only have time to change the majority of their water once or twice a week so I've been feeding a little more sparingly than I would like. With this many of them, the water can get murky very fast!
I'm thinkning they'll be getting some color here pretty soon which is why I decided to post them up on here now that things should start to get exciting. It really is an overwhelming amount of fish, I've actually thinned some out in the past month or two because keeping up with the water changes was becoming non existent.
This is my first time keeping synspilum and I was a bit shocked at the amount of fruits and veggies many websites say to incorporate in their diets. I've tried the zucchini cut up into little pieces and they all went for it but still ended up leaving some floating pieces around. I wasn't sure if they really liked it or were just going after it because they were competing for food. They must have liked it because they did eat some of it. I never thought to weigh it down with a fork, I'll definitely be trying that out with some mango.
There's not really any variety of vieja around my area either which is why I jumped on these guys.
The funny thing with this group of fish is that I actually had no intention on getting them but I couldn't really refuse. I needed to thin out my stock because my schedule wasn't going to permit me to keep up on water changes. There was a local fish hobbyist in my area that I had bought a festae from years ago who actually threw in some Red Tiger Mota and Grammodes fry with a full 10 gallon tank setup for free. Since I needed to thin my stock down, I actually wanted to repay him the favor and I gave him a 7 inch female festae I had. Well he had a very large synspilum pair in a community tank of his that he said breeds like clockwork every time he does his monthly water change so he offered me some fry he was going to be using as food. So I actually went to thin my stock down and ended up with more fish LOL.
We got some midas grow outs from a guy 2 hours from us by doing a mbuna breeding quad trade. I told him how much I like the viejas that he said he'd try to get a breeding pair of argenteas and let me know in few months if he will have any fry to sell to me. Fingers crossed. This was our first barter using fish. Pretty neat how it all works out!
I got a syn female from a local lfs. I wish I took more time to really study the 2 he had instead of just saying I wanted the one showing the most red. (I'm learning). I keep checking back to see if he gets more.
I've got a black belt growing out that was mislabeled as a syn at another store (that purchase is what got me trying to learn more about vieja).
I got a syn female from a local lfs. I wish I took more time to really study the 2 he had instead of just saying I wanted the one showing the most red. (I'm learning). I keep checking back to see if he gets more.
I've got a black belt growing out that was mislabeled as a syn at another store (that purchase is what got me trying to learn more about vieja).
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they definitely eat fruits and vegetables. I read in the wild, they congregate under fruit trees waiting for fruit to fall into the water. Pretty much all Vieja like fruits and vegetables. if it's held stationary with a fork, they'll do alot bettter job of eating it.
I used to cut a zucchini in half lengthwise, stick and fork in the very end of it, and stick it under a rock so the white part faces up, so they can get to the seeds. That's the part they like to eat, the middle with the seeds. Mangos they don't eat the seed because it's like a brown rock.
they don't like the peeling, they like the "meat" of the fruit/veggie. don't feed them citrus, or high starch veggies like beans. I used to feed fruits and veggies a lot, but I don't anymore. They're big now, and they just make a big mess and fight when I put veggies and fruits in now. But, when they're still little, it's pretty cool.
I used to cut a zucchini in half lengthwise, stick and fork in the very end of it, and stick it under a rock so the white part faces up, so they can get to the seeds. That's the part they like to eat, the middle with the seeds. Mangos they don't eat the seed because it's like a brown rock.
they don't like the peeling, they like the "meat" of the fruit/veggie. don't feed them citrus, or high starch veggies like beans. I used to feed fruits and veggies a lot, but I don't anymore. They're big now, and they just make a big mess and fight when I put veggies and fruits in now. But, when they're still little, it's pretty cool.
Interesting ragin. I used to think veggies? They can't eat veggies in the wild.
But now that you say that they can get some fruit that way I guess its a definite possibility.
I'll be trying out that mango soon enough, I think im even gonna make a video of them chomping down on it!
But now that you say that they can get some fruit that way I guess its a definite possibility.
I'll be trying out that mango soon enough, I think im even gonna make a video of them chomping down on it!
Have you tried broccoli, mine used to love it.I also gave them cooked peas and prawns and they grew rapid.
Oh my oh my those are gorgeous stanzzzz! I havent tried brocolli or peas but ill probably buy them a salad sometime this week the way things are sounding 
That's right Frankie boy! Big ol beasts if you got the tank space
Gentle giants lol I never heard of them growing 15" or I wouldn't have gotten them, most of the stuff I read said 8-10" was typical. On another note though, mine really do love the veggies - romaine, peas, lima beans.....i'm gonna try the cucumber one though, cuz I read they eat seeds and fruits too. Havent tried any fruit yet I wonder what fruits out there would have seeds they would like
