• You liked BFD7 now you should join this forum and of course become a club member to see what CCA is all about.
  • Thank you to everyone who registered and showed up for the BIG Fish Deal #7.

Didn't think Jewel Cichlids were predatroy

Prince

The ONE who is The ONE
I had about 6 zebra danio in a 20 long with 5 juvenile Jewel Cichlids. I just added the Jewel Cichlids to the tank last week. Yesterday when I feed the fish I noticed I had only two Zebra Danio left in the tank. Today when I fed the fish I only had one danio left. These Jewel cichlids are my first predatory cichlids. I didn’t think they were that predatory. The biggest Jewel cichlid is 1 ¼”.
 

UNCLERUCKUS

"THE ALL POWERFUL Q !!
these little guys are something ! I had a irrescent(spelling)catfish in for a f days and the babies attacked him. by the time I got him out he had lost his barbs and his front lip was raw meat. I couldn't believe it. Species Profile: Hemichromis lifalili (Red Forest Jewel)Scientific Name: Hemichromis lifaliliCommon Name: Red Forest JewelDistribution: Central Africa; in tributaries of the Zaire (Congo) and Ubanghi Rivers.Habitat: Soft, acidic forest streams and rivers.Maximum Size: 4"Minimum Tank Size: A 2ft tank is sufficient for a single breeding pair.Tank Set-up: Tropical African rainforest stream set-up; with bogwood, inert rocks, leaf litter (not essential, but helps to re-create soft acidic conditions in their natural habitat), plants, etc. Suitable hiding places in the form of caves made from non-calcareous rocks, bogwood or even flowerpots should be provided.Temperature: 73-79 F (23-26 C)pH: 6.0 - 7.5Hardness: Soft water is best.Diet: A carnivore, the Red Forest Jewel does well on good brands of cichlid pellets/granules/flakes with a high protein content. However, this diet should be supplemented with live foods (such as Brine Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, mealworms, bloodworm, Tubifex, etc.) as treats once in a while. Those live foods can also be used to condition the fishes for breeding.Temperament: Generally belligerent and territorial; conspecifics are quite intolerant of each other. However, if the tank is large enough and there is a multitude of hiding places, the aggression is usually much reduced.Sexing: Females have brighter and lighter colors while males are distinctly darker. Venting is another method of sexing this fish.Breeding: A substrate spawner. Once a pair is formed, the female will find a smooth surface, such as a plant leaf or the smooth side of a rock, and lay her eggs there. Meanwhile, the male will eradicate any fish in the vicinity which is deemed as a threat to the eggs/fry in typical cichlid fashion. Both parents care for the eggs/fry. *
 

toddnbecka

Members
I would have thought zebra danios would be quick enough to dodge the jewels. Most cichlids are quite happy to eat anything live that's small enough to fit in their mouth.
 

Prince

The ONE who is The ONE
I thought they would be too quick to. But they aren't. By the good to see you on the semi local forum.
 

Cartel

Members
My danios never were fast enough to get way from my cichlids so I'm going to have to try something new for a dither:
 

Sonny Disposition

Active Member
I keep my H. letourneauxi by themselves and don't even bother trying to find dithers for them. I don't know what would work. You'd need something really tough, like mummichog. These are a native killifish sold in baitshops near the bay. (The shopkeepers probably call them "minnows" or some other name.)

Since baitfish are kept under deplorable conditions, you'd need to quarantine them for a couple of weeks first.
 
Yeah my jewels share a tank with Rainbow cichlids which are the same size so there is limited aggression. They didnt put up with anything smaller in the tank.
 

Prince

The ONE who is The ONE
I don't mind. I was getting tired of the Danio anyway. I am thinking of giving away all of my non-cichlids except the BN Pleco, the Dario, Badis, the cories and the loaches.
 
Top