Turkana jewel cichlid
Rubricatochromis exsul
Also known as Hemichromis exsul, Lake Turkana jewel
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–81°F (23–27°C)
- pH
- 7.0–8.5
- Adult size
- 4.7 in (12 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 66 gal (250 L)
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- Tankmates with caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Common
- Origin
- Lake Turkana, Kenya
- Family
- Cichlidae
Overview
A jewel cichlid for hard, alkaline water, which is unusual for the group. Keep a pair in a tank with caves, wood and clear territory lines. Like other jewels they are civil until they spawn and then hold a large perimeter aggressively, so choose tankmates that can stand up for themselves and give the tank enough footprint to have a far corner. Feed frozen and prepared meaty foods with some vegetable content.
In the wild
Rubricatochromis exsul lives in Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, a large desert lake that is warm, alkaline and turbid, and in the rivers feeding it. Keep it at 23 to 27 degrees Celsius and pH 7.0 to 8.5, harder and more alkaline than the West African jewels most keepers know.
Good to know
Rubricatochromis exsul reaches about 12 centimeters and carries the red body and blue spangling of the jewel cichlids. Its epithet means the exile, for a jewel isolated in a soda lake far from the group's West African range. It moved out of Hemichromis in the 2022 revision that placed the red jewels in Rubricatochromis. It is a substrate spawner and a committed parent.
Did you know
Its whole species is an exile colony; the desert lake cut it off from every other jewel on Earth.
Common questions
What size tank does a Turkana jewel cichlid need?
A Turkana jewel cichlid needs at least 66 gal (250 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH do Turkana jewel cichlid need?
Turkana jewel cichlid are comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.5.
How big do Turkana jewel cichlid get?
An adult Turkana jewel cichlid reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Imperial Tropicals Freshwater fish and inverts bred at a Florida hatchery
- The Wet Spot Tropical Fish Large selection of quarantined tropical freshwater fish, with live arrival guarantee and Next Day Air flat rate shipping to all US locations
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
Keeping Turkana jewel cichlid?
Track water tests, reminders and stocking fit.
Planning tankmates
See how Turkana jewel cichlid fits a stocking plan. Open the stocking calculator
Add to your site
Show this species on your own site: a shortcode for WordPress, or an HTML embed for anywhere else.
Related species
Star jewel cichlid
Rubricatochromis stelliferFreshwater4.7 in (12 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Common jewel cichlid
Rubricatochromis guttatusFreshwater5.5 in (14 cm)66 gal (250 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Cherry-belly jewel cichlid
Rubricatochromis cerasogasterFreshwater3.5 in (9 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Brichard's chalinochromis
Chalinochromis brichardiFreshwater4.7 in (12 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Cylindricus cichlid
Neolamprologus cylindricusFreshwater4.7 in (12 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Mayland's zebra
Maylandia hajomaylandiFreshwater4.7 in (12 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)