Some trouble with Vieja/Paratheraps Breidohri

[Zhen-Jou]

I had this fella as a 1 inch fry since July last year and now he's (I'm pretty sure it's a he due to a lack of black blotch on his dorsal) about 4 inches and he has been living in a 90g with 2 H. Multispinosa, 1 H. Temporalis, 1 O. Heterospila, 1 A. Rivulatus ever since. Tank mates were and are smaller than him by the way.

Now a couple weeks back I noticed he had dug a small pit in the rear corner of the tank and began defending that spot which eventually spread towards 80% of the tank and he adopted a breeding dress of sorts. Then he proceeded to harass all the other tank mates to the point that I had to put him in my 30g hospital tank. Funnily he would behave normally during feeding time but once fed will return to his defending act.

My question is: Is this a temporary hormonal phase for him as he is the only Breidohri I have, or is he going to continue in this behaviour until he gets a bigger space (my new tank will only be here in a couple months time)? I chose Breidohri as they seemed to be more easy going compared to macalicauda, zonatus, etc., as I would really want to keep this fella.

This is him now

 

[Zhen-Jou]

More pics

 

[Rocksor]

Darkening of the lips would tend to me believing it's a female @duanes can confirm. Since the behavior is indicative of sexual maturation, this behavior will continue. I had a bifasciatus female get the darkening of coloration and digging in 1 spot. In an 8 foot long tank, she kept the other residents away from about a 2 foot area. If she had laid eggs, I'm pretty sure she would have claimed a larger area.

The behavior of the fish during feeding time is not indicative of normal behavior when you are not feeding the fish nor in front of the tank.

 

[Zhen-Jou]

Thanks for replying. Just curious, was your bifa the only representative of that species in the tank? As in my case, the Breidohri is the only one from the Paratheraps/Vieja family

 

[Zhen-Jou]

Photos are of 'it' just before Christmas (not sure why it's rotated though)

 

[Rocksor]

Thanks for replying. Just curious, was your bifa the only representative of that species in the tank? As in my case, the Breidohri is the only one from the Paratheraps/Vieja family

Yes she was the only vieja in the tank with other cichlids. She wanted to breed, and would test the males in the tank for suitability. The female cichlids she just told them to get out of her area.

 

[Zhen-Jou]

Yes she was the only vieja in the tank with other cichlids. She wanted to breed, and would test the males in the tank for suitability. The female cichlids she just told them to get out of her area.

Hmmm, what eventually happened to that bifa of yours? Did it work out in the end for you?

 

[Rocksor]

Hmmm, what eventually happened to that bifa of yours? Did it work out in the end for you?

Nope, she started to shred the other fish. I ended up rehoming her to someone who had a much bigger bifa male, and they produce fry.

 

[duanes]

Sound like she is in breeding condition, gravid, and so hot to trot with any cichlid in the tank.
I have found female Vieja of any species to be quite aggressive, some will easily kill a non-receptive male.
here are a couple more breidhori photos to compare.
Females


male

pair in breeding dress, female to the left

I only kept pairs of Vieja in nothing smaller than 150 gallon tanks, most Vieja/ciclid community tanks need to be minimally 300 gallons to avoid aggression.

 

[Zhen-Jou]

Sound like she is in breeding condition, gravid, and so hot to trot with any cichlid in the tank.
I have found female Vieja of any species to be quite aggressive, some will easily kill a non-receptive male.
here are a couple more breidhori photos to compare.
Females


male

pair in breeding dress, female to the left

I only kept pairs of Vieja in nothing smaller than 150 gallon tanks, most Vieja/ciclid community tanks need to be minimally 300 gallons to avoid aggression.

Thanks duanes, stunning individuals as always; guess I may have to re-home it to a capable aquarist as the new tank only comes by May plus I figured the Breidohri being slow growers would be able to stay in the 90g till then, seems like I underestimated the rate of their sexual maturity.
By the way, based on your experience, is my individual a male or female from the pics above?