caring for true viejita (wild)

[skoram]

An opportunity arose recently to purchase a pair of wild Apistogramma viejita (Río Guarrojo) for a reasonable price here in Korea and I am considering them for a 50 gallon riparium that I set up a few weeks ago. Aside from plants, the tank is currently empty as I have been contemplating how to stock it.

There is a lot of information on this site and throughout the internet about caring for viejita, but I assume that it mostly pertains to the domestic strain of macmasteri mislabeled as viejita. Can someone clarify - do the same general care instructions, water parameters, etc. apply to the true viejita or are there other parameters I should be aware of?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Mike Wise]

They should be good with the same conditions as wild A. macmasteri. They require excellent quality water that is moderately acidic (~pH 6) and moderately soft. Like wild macs, if the water quality becomes poor, they are susceptible to external bacterial infections. Like most wild apistos, they are a bit sensitive to medications, too.

 

[skoram]

Thank you, as always, for the helpful information Mike.