From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Jewel Cichlid
Rubricatochromis bimaculatus
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
- pH
- 6 – 7.8
- Min. tank size
- 150 L
- Lifespan
- 5-7 years
- Diet
- carnivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Rubricatochromis bimaculatus |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Origin: | Africa (forest streams and rivers of West Africa) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | carnivore |
| Max Size: | 15.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | aggressive |
| Min Group: | 2+ together |
| Varieties: | No cultivated strains of consequence, and a species-identity question instead. Several species are traded as jewel cichlids, and the genus itself has moved: the small red jewels are now placed in Rubricatochromis, while the larger banded species stay in Hemichromis. Shop labels still say Hemichromis for all of them. Hemichromis lifalili has recently become the more popular fish, and it is distinguished from H. bimaculatus by spot count: lifalili carries two black spots on the flanks, bimaculatus three. H. guttatus and H. cristatus also reach the trade under the same name. For a keeper the requirements are broadly the same, and the distinction matters mainly if you intend to breed a known line — the species hybridise. Wild-type fish are what circulates; there are no established colour selections, and none are needed for a fish that turns scarlet on its own. Colour varies enormously with condition. The same fish is orange-brown when settled and blood red when spawning, which is a large part of why shop specimens look so much less impressive than the photographs. Other Hemichromis worth knowing include the five-star general (H. elongatus), a considerably larger and more aggressive species sometimes sold as a jewel cichlid — check adult sizes before buying anything from this genus. |
| Lifespan: | 5-7 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Medium to high
- Min Tank:150 L
- Substrate:Sand or fine gravel; rocks and caves; robust or no plants
- Plant Safe:Not plant-safe (digs and uproots)
- Filtration:High
Jewel Cichlid (Rubricatochromis bimaculatus) is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is native to Africa (forest streams and rivers of West Africa). The jewel cichlid is one of the most beautiful freshwater fish there is and one of the worst community choices. A breeding pair turns blood scarlet, speckled all over with iridescent blue-green spots that catch the light like sequins. Nothing in a shop tank prepares you for what an adult in condition looks like. Specialists are blunt about the rest: highly aggressive, especially when spawning, and not recommended for the beginner or for the general community tank. It reaches 150 mm standard length and comes from West African forest streams and rivers. There is also a naming problem. Hemichromis lifalili has recently become the more popular fish in the trade, and it is told from H. bimaculatus by spot count — lifalili carries two black spots on the flanks, bimaculatus three. Both are sold as jewel cichlids. And buying a pair is not as simple as buying two.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- aggressive
- Keep in
- Groups of 2+
- Swims
- middle
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Jewel Cichlid
Matched on family, then category, then water type