The Quetzalcichlid
Vieja (Cichlasoma) synspila (Hubbs,1935

The army of fans of cichlids of Central-America were depleted considerably during the last years. It is not so very difficult to find an explanation for it. Because besides the the decrease of fanciers every discipline in our hobby has to contend with, also their size matters. After all the greater part of these animals you need to have at your disposal a tank of not insignificant size, if you intend to accommodate them in a sensible way.
One of the members of this cichlids out of the bulldozer class still fires the imagination on account of his particular beautiful colors. Vieja synspila he is called since the latest review

of the repository genus Cichlasoma.
With it we don't speak only one of the most beautiful specious but of one of the larger sized ones to. Literate indicates 30 cm, but personally I saw specimen that grew still some 10 centimeters larger. Very impressive was the lump on the forehead in the masculine sex that had been growing by than until decent proportions. Consider that because of a sound pairing, they can be kept best in a larger group with social structure. Than will be clear that, although it is a quiet and and moreover a peaceful species, we would punish the animals with a accommodation smaller than 180 l x 60 b x 50 h cm.
Paul Loiselle in 1978 named them with the appropriate name Quetzalcichlid, while in its colors it reminds of the Quetzal, a bird living in Costa Rica and Guatemala. The latter of these states even has admitted the Quetzal in her blazon. This magnificent cichlid, it is common knowledge with the cichlid-lovers, originates from the Atlantic coast of Central-America, from Rio Usumacinta until Belize. Something a lot of them don't know, and that is perhaps a source for amazement, is the fact that they are found in nearly undiluted sea water too. In the "Laguna's" around Bacalar, a little town near the frontier with Belize, they occur in groups of as much as 50 specimen. I translate for you what Ernst Sosna wrote about them in Aquaristik Fachmagazin NR. 148 Aug./Sept. '99:"the water reflects depending on the depth and the incense of light, every range of coloring between light green and dark blue. On the roots stretching out in the water or the branches that lay in the water bizarre depositions built up from sediments of limestone build up themselves. My measurements confirm this evident indications of a high degree of hardness.: GH 35o dH, KH 11o dH, pH 8,5. On windless days the water is clear and allows to see until a depth of 5 m. Temperature fluctuated between 28 and 30o C" Unquote
Yes, they like digging. And plants are not allowed in their field of vision. Moreover the animals are herbivorous. I.e. They are fond of a green leaf yet, without being an old dog with life in it. So they don't leave plants where they are. One can better decide not to use them, whereas vegetarian food may not be absent on the menu. Abundant with carotene's; that intensifies the color.
For the interior of a tank for these animals, that don't make high demands, and also if necessary for company I refer to the item current vivarium and the foto-info pages, 33, 34, 35 and 36 with a nice selection of Central-American cichlids.
Aqualog:Southamerican cichlids III, Verlag A.C.S. GmbH
Literatuur:Paul V.Loiselle (1978): "Zwei lebende Edelsteine aus dem Land der Maya's" Datz 2 (31)
Ernst Sosna: Weites Land und Wenig Wasser. Yucatan.TI, Aquaristik Fagmagazin nr 146 August/Sepember 1999
Wolfgang Staeck en H. Linke: Amerikanische cichliden II Tetra-Verlag
Wolfgang Staeck: Handboek voor cichlidenliefhebbers Thieme Zutphen