Ap. Viejita Gold

[Van Ty]

Hi All
Could you help me to clearly understand? I just had two Ap. fish as the pictures, and seller told me that is Ap. Viejita Gold.
I read some topic which is relate to this fish, and I am confusing whether they are Viejita or other special of Macmasteri?
This is first time I see them and I am not sure they are a couple or not.
Besides that, I plan to breeding them, If you have experience to do it, please share me, like PH, KH, GH, temperature, etc,.... I had experience to breeding in Ap. Cacatouides, Bolerii, But with this fish is first time.
Many thanks.

 

[MacZ]

They are a domestic strain of A. macmasteri. Tradenames are made up by breeders, wholesalers and/or retailers and they can name any strain whatever they want, in some countries they can even secure rights to a certain name.
Real A. viejita are relatively closely related to A. macmasteri, but are also rarely seen, so the tradenames for tankbred strains containing the word "viejita" are mainly designed to impress prospective buyers and raise prices.

That said: Domestic strains are unfuzzy about food and water parameters. You can keep them as their wild A. macmasteri-counterparts or ignore everything and keep them in whatever parameters you have. I'd just say pH-max is 8.5, GH not over 15°, KH not over 10°. With a standard average 25°C you are also doing fine. They will do fine in the parameters you have for A. cacatuoides and A. borellii.

It can be really hard to sex domestic strains, but the one that's displaying in the pictures is definitely a male.

 

[Van Ty]

They are a domestic strain of A. macmasteri. Tradenames are made up by breeders, wholesalers and/or retailers and they can name any strain whatever they want, in some countries they can even secure rights to a certain name.
Real A. viejita are relatively closely related to A. macmasteri, but are also rarely seen, so the tradenames for tankbred strains containing the word "viejita" are mainly designed to impress prospective buyers and raise prices.

That said: Domestic strains are unfuzzy about food and water parameters. You can keep them as their wild A. macmasteri-counterparts or ignore everything and keep them in whatever parameters you have. I'd just say pH-max is 8.5, GH not over 15°, KH not over 10°. With a standard average 25°C you are also doing fine. They will do fine in the parameters you have for A. cacatuoides and A. borellii.

It can be really hard to sex domestic strains, but the one that's displaying in the pictures is definitely a male.

Hi MacZ
Thank for your information. It is useful for me.
By the way, I have one more question. Can we have a hybridization between this fish and normal A. Macmasteria. Because I bought 1 couple (above pictures), but one of them was dead. So I want to breed with normal A. Mac. Do you have a experience?

 

[MacZ]

As it's the same species, just different breeding strains, it's no hybridisation. Question is, whether both prospective partners can still identify each other as the same species and the right sexes. Cichlids use their colouration to communicate and for display so they might eventually not be interested in each other at all.

I have no experience with that species or breeding domestic strains, though.

 

[Van Ty]

As it's the same species, just different breeding strains, it's no hybridisation. Question is, whether both prospective partners can still identify each other as the same species and the right sexes. Cichlids use their colouration to communicate and for display so they might eventually not be interested in each other at all.

I have no experience with that species or breeding domestic strains, though.

Yeap. Many thanks for your explainations,
Hope you can give more information when I post new question in this forum.
Have a nice day.

 

[MacZ]

You're welcome. Will see. You too.

 

[Andy452]

Hi MacZ
Thank for your information. It is useful for me.
By the way, I have one more question. Can we have a hybridization between this fish and normal A. Macmasteria. Because I bought 1 couple (above pictures), but one of them was dead. So I want to breed with normal A. Mac. Do you have a experience?

I have experience breeding agassizii. At time to ensure strong genetics I out cross so for example buy another male to breed with my existing females.
I have also bred "natural" colour mainly blueish female agassizii with a "triple red" male - they bred successful the colour of the fry vary some more red than others.
So breeding different strains on the same speicies is possible though my experience is with agassizii not macmasteri
BTW if you need a general Apistogramma breeding guide this is a good overview

 

[Van Ty]

I have experience breeding agassizii. At time to ensure strong genetics I out cross so for example buy another male to breed with my existing females.
I have also bred "natural" colour mainly blueish female agassizii with a "triple red" male - they bred successful the colour of the fry vary some more red than others.
So breeding different strains on the same speicies is possible though my experience is with agassizii not macmasteri
BTW if you need a general Apistogramma breeding guide this is a good overview

Hi Andy, thank for your share,
I will refer it ^^