Tailbar cichlid
Vieja hartwegi
- Tank length
- 180 cmabout 6 ft (71 in)
- Start with
- 1
- Temperature
- 24–28 °C75–82 °F
- pH
- 7–8
- Adult size
- 22 cm9 in
- Lifespan
- 10–15 yrs
Grows large and claims a big territory; needs plenty of greens, strong filtration and a long tank.Grows large and claims a big territory; needs plenty of greens, strong filtration and a long tank.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Brilliant rasbora
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Firemouth cichlid
No shared water hardness rangeNo shared water hardness range
- Garnet tetra
No shared water hardness rangeNo shared water hardness range
Lambchop rasboraNo shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Tiger danio
No shared water hardness rangeNo shared water hardness range
- Alligator gar
Alligator gar may eat Tailbar cichlidAlligator gar may eat Tailbar cichlid
- Altum angelfish
No shared water hardness rangeNo shared water hardness range
- Amazon leaffish
No shared water hardness rangeNo shared water hardness range
- Arapaima
Arapaima may eat Tailbar cichlidArapaima may eat Tailbar cichlid
- Atahualpa dwarf cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
Bee shrimpNo shared water hardness rangeNo shared water hardness range
- Black pacu
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
Data used by the planner
| Temperature | 24–28 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 7–8 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
| Hardness (dGH) | 12–21 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
| Origin | Upper Grijalva basin, Chiapas, Mexico | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Beginner friendly | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Care level | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Activity | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Swimming level | middle | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Temperament | aggressive | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Nips fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Long fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Territorial | Yes | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lives in groups | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Minimum group | 1 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Diet | herbivore | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lifespan (years) | 10–15 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Months to adult size | 30 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Safe with plants | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Minimum tank length | 180 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |