TankBud

Cherry-belly jewel cichlid

Rubricatochromis cerasogaster

Also known as Hemichromis cerasogaster

FreshwaterFish

Cherry-belly jewel cichlid (Rubricatochromis cerasogaster)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Mai-Ndombe basin, Congo

Overview

The cherry-belly jewel cichlid is small but has the aggressive streak of its jewel cichlid relatives. It suits a dim, soft-water tank and a keeper with some cichlid experience.

Did you know

The cherry-belly jewel cichlid is one of very few jewel cichlids tied to a single lake. Most of its relatives are widespread and adaptable.

Caring for the cherry-belly jewel cichlid

Keep a single cherry-belly jewel cichlid or a bonded pair. A pair needs at least 53 gal (200 L), with wood and plants or rockwork to break the tank into defensible territories. Add dim lighting, a soft dark floor, leaf litter and some cover to bring its color up. That cover also gives a spawning pair somewhere to set up.

Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Soft, acidic water brings out its cherry-red belly, and peat or almond leaves help mimic the blackwater of its home lake. Feed meaty frozen foods, sinking pellets and the occasional bit of greens.

It works the lower levels of the tank and turns aggressive when spawning, guarding a patch of the bottom hard. Choose tank mates with real care, and be ready to keep it as a species-only pair.

It is an open-substrate spawner with a strong pair bond. Both parents tend the eggs and fry, and breeding it is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The cherry-belly jewel cichlid, Rubricatochromis cerasogaster, is a jewel cichlid in the family Cichlidae. Its name means cherry-bellied, for the deep red its underside takes on in good condition. A 2022 revision of the jewel cichlids moved it and its relatives out of Hemichromis into the new genus Rubricatochromis.

In the wild

The cherry-belly jewel cichlid is found only around Lake Mai-Ndombe in the Congo basin, a shallow, tea-colored blackwater lake. Its water is soft and acidic, stained dark by tannins.

Common questions

What size tank does a cherry-belly jewel cichlid need?

A cherry-belly jewel cichlid needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a cherry-belly jewel cichlid need?

A cherry-belly jewel cichlid is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a cherry-belly jewel cichlid eat?

A cherry-belly jewel cichlid eats meaty frozen foods and sinking pellets, with the occasional bit of greens.

How big does a cherry-belly jewel cichlid get?

An adult cherry-belly jewel cichlid reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

How does a cherry-belly jewel cichlid breed?

Cherry-belly jewel cichlids are open-substrate spawners with a strong pair bond. Both parents tend the eggs and fry, and breeding them is moderately difficult.

Related species