Azbill24
New Member
- Messages
- 4
- Location
- Phoenix AZ
Hi All, New to apistogrammas but looking forward to keeping them. Currently have 2 pairs,Viejita Reds & Borelli Opals.
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Hello All
- Thread starter Azbill24
- Start date
Welcome!
Sorry to be the bringer of "bad" news, but the fish in the first picture look a lot like standard Apistogramma borellii, and the "viejita red" are just standard Apistogramma macmasteri.
It's a constant problem that Apistogramma are sold under a variety of tradenames and are missidentified by wholesalers and retailers alike aswell. Many people come here because the ID they got on purchase was wrong.
The naming of domestic strains of A. macmasteri as viejita is especially infuriating, as A. viejita is a species of its own and are rarely seen on the market. So it happens, that many people think they have a rare species, while keeping a very common fish.
Nevertheless, still beautyful fish and you will hopefully enjoy them for quite a while, because those two are really robust and easy to keep species.
Sorry to be the bringer of "bad" news, but the fish in the first picture look a lot like standard Apistogramma borellii, and the "viejita red" are just standard Apistogramma macmasteri.
It's a constant problem that Apistogramma are sold under a variety of tradenames and are missidentified by wholesalers and retailers alike aswell. Many people come here because the ID they got on purchase was wrong.
The naming of domestic strains of A. macmasteri as viejita is especially infuriating, as A. viejita is a species of its own and are rarely seen on the market. So it happens, that many people think they have a rare species, while keeping a very common fish.
Nevertheless, still beautyful fish and you will hopefully enjoy them for quite a while, because those two are really robust and easy to keep species.
Samala
Active Member
- Messages
- 99
- Location
- Oviedo, FL
Welcome! I'm envious of your floating plants. My frogbit roots aren't nearly that lush.
Your borellii look great to me, it's hard to capture the blue sheen and red/pink colors on the face and gill plate of males for the 'opal' strain currently available.
Even if your male isn't showing 'opal' color it could easily be that they're still young or just need more carotenoids in the diet.
Plus, each batch of my borellii fry yields a few males that have the red mask and a few that are all blue/yellow. Color polymorphism is a wide spectrum for this species, even the domestic strains.
Enjoy them!
Your borellii look great to me, it's hard to capture the blue sheen and red/pink colors on the face and gill plate of males for the 'opal' strain currently available.
Even if your male isn't showing 'opal' color it could easily be that they're still young or just need more carotenoids in the diet.
Plus, each batch of my borellii fry yields a few males that have the red mask and a few that are all blue/yellow. Color polymorphism is a wide spectrum for this species, even the domestic strains.
Enjoy them!
Last edited:
- Messages
- 196
- Location
- Clovis, CA
Welcome!
Azbill24
New Member
- Messages
- 4
- Location
- Phoenix AZ
Thanks Yukondog. I do see that my Viejitas and actually the Macs thanks to you all. Still excited to have them as they look great. Also, the Borelli male is really blue but, it doesn’t come through in the pic. Again, whatever they are I’m still happy with them and hope to get them to breed.
