Jewel cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

This is an aggressive fish, especially around breeding, so plan for a pair in their own tank or a setup with tough, similarly sized tankmates and lots of broken sightlines. Allow at least 115 liters. They use the middle and lower water and will claim and defend a territory. Feed a quality cichlid pellet plus frozen or live bloodworms and brine shrimp. A bonded pair can be genuinely brutal toward anything that nears the nest.

In the wild

The jewel cichlid lives in rivers and streams across West Africa, in slow water over sand or mud with plenty of plant cover. The water there is warm and runs from slightly acidic to neutral. For a tank, give it sand, some rockwork and flat stones for spawning, and sturdy or potted plants since it likes to dig. A pH from 6 to 7.5 and temps in the mid 20s C work.

Good to know

Hemichromis bimaculatus is a cichlid (family Cichlidae) reaching about 15 cm. It is red-bodied and covered in light spangles, with dark spots along the side that give it its name. It is a substrate spawner: a pair lays eggs on a cleaned flat surface and both parents guard the eggs and fry hard. It is listed as Least Concern in the wild.

Did you know

When a pair spawns, both fish flush a deeper, more intense red and tend the eggs and fry together as a team, sometimes moving the babies around the tank to keep them safe.

Related species

• 

  Banded jewel cichlid

  Hemichromis elongatus

  6.3 in (16 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Blood-red jewel cichlid

  Hemichromis lifalili

  3.9 in (10 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–79°F (23–26°C)

• 

  Bumblebee cichlid

  Pseudotropheus crabro

  5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Convict Cichlid

  Amatitlania nigrofasciata

  5.9 in (15 cm)25 gal (95 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Salvin's Cichlid

  Cichlasoma salvini

  5.9 in (15 cm)26 gal (100 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Kenyi cichlid

  Maylandia lombardoi

  5.5 in (14 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)