The Jewel cichlid (scientific name: Hemichromis bimaculatus) is a popular fish in the cichlid family. The Jewel Cichlid, scientifically known as Hemichromis bimaculatus, hails from Africa, primarily inhabiting the rivers and streams of West Africa. They are commonly found in slow-moving waters with muddy substrates, densely vegetated banks, and an abundance of hiding spots. These fish originate from west Africa primarily but can be found a bit further east as well. In the wild, these cichlids experience a variety of water conditions depending on the season, including changes in temperature, pH, and water flow.
A Jewel Cichlid in its natural habitat.
The average Jewel cichlid size is usually no more than 6 inches when in captivity. While it’s quite common for fish to be larger in the wild than they are when kept in an aquarium, this is a rather significant difference.
Appearance
The beauty of Jewel cichlids is something that can’t be denied. Jewel Cichlids are renowned for their stunning coloration, particularly when they reach maturity or during spawning periods. These fish have a bright red/orange body with colored spots all over. They possess a brilliant, iridescent red body covered in jewel-like blue spots, which become even more intense in breeding mode. These spots are typically a light bluish-green and cover their entire body. Another color variation you see a fair amount is a dark blue or turquoise body with the same bright blueish-green dots. The body of Jewel cichlids is fairly narrow and pointed. Their dorsal fin starts about a third of the way down their body and continues to right before their caudal fin. Their head shape slants upward from their mouth and then curves into the start of their back at a very subtle bump.
Lifespan
The expected lifespan of the Jewel Cichlid (Hemichromis bimaculatus) is up to 5 years, although with optimal care, some individuals may live slightly longer.
Jewel Cichlid Aquarium - Care & Breeding - Everything you need to know
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Tank Setup
A large part of caring for Jewel cichlids and keeping them stress-free comes down to their habitat. Jewel cichlid care is something that revolves mostly around your ability to manage their aggressive tendencies. However, it’s also crucial to understand the essential tank and water guidelines they need as well.
While a lot of people recommend a 30 gallon tank minimum, we think that something a little larger will make your life a whole lot easier. If you intend on keeping multiple Jewel cichlids in the same tank you’ll want to increase the size by roughly 10 gallons to play it safe. We prefer to play it safe when it comes to the health and safety of our fish.
To replicate their natural habitat, use a sandy or fine gravel substrate and incorporate plenty of decorations, such as rocks, driftwood, and caves, to create hiding spots and break up the line of sight. This setup helps reduce aggression and provides the cichlids with designated territories. Maintain moderate lighting to enhance their natural colors and avoid stressing the fish.
Here are some key elements for their habitat:
- Sandy substrate: This is because Jewel cichlids like to root around and dig at the bottom of the tank.
- Background covering: If you use an aquarium background you’ll want to make it as natural as possible.
- Large rocks: First of all, rocks help mimic their natural habitat of rivers, streams, and lakes. Secondly, this gives your Jewel cichlids a place to call their own. This will make all the difference. The first is it will help your fish feel comfortable and able to behave how they would naturally. The second benefit is that it will allow you to potentially keep multiple fish in the same tank.
Water Conditions
You want to take water conditions very seriously when it comes to Jewel cichlid care. Since these are tropical fish you’ll be doing what you can to replicate their natural environment. Jewel Cichlids are relatively adaptable to various water conditions but prefer a pH range of 6.0-7.8 and water hardness between 4-18°N (71.43-321.43 ppm). They thrive in warm water, with a recommended temperature range of 22-28°C (71.6-82.4°F).
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A powerful filtration system is crucial to keep the water clean, as Jewel Cichlids produce a significant amount of waste. Regular water changes (20-30% weekly) are essential to maintain optimal water conditions and reduce the build-up of toxins. To maintain these conditions, use a pH test kit weekly and check the carbonate hardness (KH) and general hardness (GH) to ensure the water remains within their preferred range. Jewel Cichlids require well-oxygenated water, so ensure adequate surface agitation and use an air stone if necessary. Due to the kind of substrate you’ll be putting in the tank (more on that in the section below) you’ll likely want some kind of external filtration. Moderate lighting is also recommended. You won’t need to get a fancy lamp for this.
An example of a well-decorated aquarium for Jewel Cichlids.
Feeding
Jewel Cichlids are omnivores and thrive on a varied diet. Jewel cichlids are omnivores and will happily snack on flake food, pellets, and live food. Although they will readily accept high-quality flakes or pellets, their diet should be supplemented with protein-rich foods to support their growth, coloration, and overall health. However, you’ll definitely want to make sure you provide them with a balanced diet if you want to keep them as healthy as possible. Live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, daphnia, and live tubifex worms are excellent options. For live food the usual suspects make sense. Two of your best choices are frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms. Feed adult Jewel Cichlids once or twice a day, offering only what they can consume in a few minutes to prevent overfeeding and maintain water quality. Younger fish may benefit from more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day.
Temperament and Tank Mates
Jewel Cichlids are known for their vibrant colors and territorial behavior, particularly when breeding. Due to their aggressiveness, a lot of aquarists prefer to avoid them if they had their heart set on a community tank. While they are generally peaceful toward their own species when not spawning, they can become highly aggressive towards other tankmates, especially those that intrude on their territory. Therefore, a spacious aquarium is essential to accommodate their active nature and minimize territorial disputes.
Some aquarists have had fantastic luck with keeping Jewel cichlids in community tanks. There are a few care guides and videos about Jewel cichlids that say they work great with other fish and the creator hasn’t had any issues with them. For this reason, we can’t recommend this fish for community tanks. If housed in a community setup, choose tankmates wisely. Suitable companions include larger, non-aggressive species like Synodontis catfish or other African cichlids that can match the Jewel Cichlid's temperament. Avoid keeping them with small, delicate fish, as they may be harassed or injured. With that being said, keeping Jewel cichlids with each other is usually fine.
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Breeding
Despite some of the other concerns that exist when it comes to this fish, breeding them is pretty straightforward. Breeding Jewel Cichlids in captivity is relatively straightforward, but it requires careful preparation to ensure success. Sexing Jewel Cichlids can be challenging, especially when they are not in breeding mode. Males are typically larger and exhibit more intense coloration compared to females, particularly during spawning periods. Observing their behavior during courtship can also provide clues, as males often display more assertive and vibrant displays to attract females.
To induce spawning, slightly raise the water temperature to around 26-28°C (78.8-82.4°F) and provide plenty of flat surfaces, such as rocks or broad-leaved plants, for the female to lay her eggs. To help encourage the process it’s smart to raise the water temperature a few degrees. You’ll typically observe more vibrant colors on the male when he’s ready to mate. The female will lay her eggs on a suitable rock that has a flat surface. Both parents take an active role in guarding the eggs and newly hatched fry. After the eggs are fertilized it will take between 2 and 4 days for them to hatch. The eggs typically hatch within 2-4 days, and the parents will move the fry to different areas of the tank for protection until they become free-swimming. Once the fry are free-swimming, they can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp or finely crushed flake food.
Author Note: A fun fact about Jewel cichlids is that they are about as monogamous as fish can possibly get.
Summary
Jewel Cichlids are a vibrant, territorial species known for their stunning red and blue coloration. Native to the rivers of West Africa, they thrive in aquariums that replicate their natural habitat with plenty of hiding spots and well-maintained water conditions. When kept in a single species tank Jewel cichlids are a beautiful and rewarding freshwater fish to care for. Due to their aggressive nature, especially during breeding, they are best suited for experienced aquarists and should be kept in species-only tanks or with carefully selected tankmates.
As always, if you have any suggestions or feedback that you think would help us improve our care guide we would love to hear from you.
Thanks to Jeff Catalina for allowing us to use the picture. The second picture came from another souce (see the picture for more details). Other pictures were bought by aqua-fish.net from jjphoto.dk.
