Jewelfish
Hemichromis bimaculatus
Parameter dashboard
22-28 °C
6-7.8
15 cm
5 years
Care guide
The jewel cichlid is a small, intensely coloured fish from the coastal forests of West Africa, from Guinea down through Sierra Leone and Liberia into Côte d'Ivoire. Out of breeding condition it looks fairly ordinary, but a spawning fish flushes deep red and lights up with rows of blue-green spangles. Three black spots along the flank — on the gill cover, the mid-body and the tail base — separate it from the very similar two-spotted H. lifalili. It grows to about 15 cm.
What defines this fish in the aquarium is temperament. It is one of the most aggressive cichlids in general trade, and a breeding pair will drive off fish far larger than themselves, snap at a hand in the tank, and sometimes turn on each other. Many keepers give it a tank of its own. If you want tankmates, they have to be robust and have room to escape — Congo tetras, Synodontis, larger plecos in a big tank.
Pairs form best by raising a group of youngsters together and letting one pair settle; simply buying two adults often ends with the weaker fish dead. A 110 litre tank with rockwork, caves and firmly rooted or potted plants gives it the territory and cover it wants — it digs, so loose plants get uprooted. Keep it at 22–28 °C, pH 6.0–7.8.
It eats more or less anything, though live and frozen foods bring out its colour; include some vegetable content too. Spawning is straightforward — a pair lays on a cleaned flat rock, up to a few hundred eggs that hatch in about two days, and both parents guard the fry.
Sources
- seriouslyfish.com — https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/hemichromis-bimaculatus/
- fishbase.se — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Hemichromis-bimaculatus.html
Further reading on identification and aquarium care.
Tankmate compatibility (sample)
Pairwise screening against other species in the database (prioritizing the same family when data is available).
Review first (12)
Caution or avoid from automated rules — confirm before mixing.
| Species | Assessment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Biajaca Nandopsis tetracanthus Caution | Caution | close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Bluegray mbuna Melanochromis johannii Caution | Caution | Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Demon eartheater Satanoperca jurupari Caution | Caution | Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Firemouth cichlid Thorichthys meeki Caution | Caution | Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Green terror Andinoacara rivulatus Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Jack Dempsey Rocio octofasciata Caution | Caution | Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Multies Neolamprologus multifasciatus Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Oscar Astronotus ocellatus Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Venustus Cichlid Nimbochromis venustus Caution | Caution | Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Yellow belly cichlid Cichlasoma salvini Caution | Caution | close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Mendezs Dwarf Cichlid Apistogramma mendezi Avoid | Avoid | Fin nippers should not be kept with long-finned species · Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Princess of Burundi Neolamprologus brichardi Avoid | Avoid | Fin nippers should not be kept with long-finned species · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
Same rule engine as Compare. Not a substitute for observation, tank size, or acclimation.
Related species
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