# 55g jewel tank?



## allie1025 (Jan 2, 2013)

not sure im gonna set tank up this way but im curious if i go the jewel route in a 55g how many jewels are recommended and if i want to add other fish to the tank what species is ok and how many?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Jewels like to kill all other inhabitants when spawning so I'd stick to the species. I am not sure whether they can be kept in a group or really just pairs, maybe someone else will chime in.


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## aicardi (Sep 15, 2012)

I have 5 Jewels in a 40g breeder. I bought all the LFS had, which was 5 in order to get a pair. Two paired off and spawned rather quickly.
The parents can and will become really violent while protecting the fry. 
Mine have spawned twice. The pair has not managed to kill the three other Jewels. I do have to rearrange the tank with lots of hiding places for the others.
When I say that I mean I rearrange every other day until the fry have been eaten or die. Then things calm down a bit. Even then they are somewhat violent.
At some point I will rehome the remaining three as I am sure the violence will escalate as they get larger.
In short,I wouldn't mix them with anything.


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## allie1025 (Jan 2, 2013)

sounds like 1 male 1 female jewel and nothing else which is not what i'm looking for. so i think i will skip over the jewels


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## aicardi (Sep 15, 2012)

allie1025 said:


> sounds like 1 male 1 female jewel and nothing else which is not what i'm looking for. so i think i will skip over the jewels


A pair of Jewels do nicely in a smaller tank by themselves. 30 or 40 gallon breeder.


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## allie1025 (Jan 2, 2013)

aicardi said:


> allie1025 said:
> 
> 
> > sounds like 1 male 1 female jewel and nothing else which is not what i'm looking for. so i think i will skip over the jewels
> ...


if i add anymore fish tanks my family will have me committed


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## aicardi (Sep 15, 2012)

allie1025 said:


> aicardi said:
> 
> 
> > allie1025 said:
> ...


I can relate.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

DJRansome said:


> Jewels like to kill all other inhabitants when spawning so I'd stick to the species. I am not sure whether they can be kept in a group or really just pairs, maybe someone else will chime in.


This is a long post, but I really do take exception to the continous reiteration of the "kill everything in the tank" portrayal of the jewel cichlid. They are cichlids and are unpredictable. They are no different then any other substrate spawner; I am sure somewhere at some time, just about any breeding pair of substrate spawners has a killed a tankmate. Is a breeding pair of jewels aggressive? Certainly! Maybe not a wise choice for many cichlid tanks. But if one's intention is to keep and breed this fish, then keeping a pair solo with out any cichlid tankmates, IMO, probably runs greater risk of a fatality over the long term. IMO, even though male and female aquarium strain jewels are more compatible with each other then are many substrate spawners, the chances of male killing female are often greater then the chances of killing other tankmates.

I find the above quote rather funny. A claim they kill all other inhabitants and in the very same sentence ask the question can they be kept in groups. :lol: I supose if they killed all inhabitants you would no longer have a group  I'd almost be inclined to think that maybe you have never kept jewels before, DJRansome? Like most cichlids, as a rule of thumb, they tend to be more aggressive towards there own kind. So if they are going to kill something.....chances of killing their own kind tend to be higher. IME, 2 males will not tolerate each other in 180 gallons of space....one will have to be removed eventually, or face certain death. Of course, not saying no one has never been able to keep larger groups in a good size tank, long term.

All together, I have kept jewels for over 15 years; have had 5 pairs (soon to be 6) over the last 5+ years. Bred them probably some where around 50 times in various sizes of tanks, and other then a couple times, alwasy in the community tank. Not only have they NEVER killed all their tankmates, but they have never killed anything with the exception of a few schooling dithers ONCE, in a 15 gallon tank. And even in 15 gallons of space, young cons, a blue gourami, a paradise fish, a CAE and young common pleco not only survived a spawn, but did quite well IMO.

I just can't square predictions of killing everything in the tank with the 50 or so times i have bred this fish. Numerous pairs i have had over the years.....some purchased, others the alpha male from large spawns. Sure, killing tankmates would be one possibility......but no more likely are the chances of this outcome in comparison to many other substarte spawners. IME, they are a little less capable, a little less aggressive, and less demanding of space then the convict cichlid! Since i have been on this forum, a few people have decided to try them and found them fairly similar, as I do. IME, they don't breed in a tank with mature salvini or mature auratus...can't stand up to either. They have lot's of problems standing up to mature kenyi or crabro, and are not always able to do so. I've grown them to good size a number of timeshttp://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa480/bercom/6x5.jpg IME, they don't get any tougher with age or size, either. My last 2 large males had to be removed from my 180 gal. because they could no longer defend themselves from my male con and male blackbelt, and were not doing well enough.

You can try and house them as a lone pair, with out any tankmates, or with out cichlid tankmates.They might be scared and hide; they might be lethargic and inactive which is definately not healthy. Have a devider handy and keep a close eye....because the chances of male killing female, at least eventually, is almost always higher in the abscence of other cichlid tankmates. If I were stocking jewels in a 55 gal. I'd start with a group of jewels and remove extras once a pair forms. I'd consider a goup of female cons and/or blue gouramis and/or medium-less aggressive mbuna. I'd also consider BN pleco, CAE, red-tailed shark and giant danios as possible tankmates. If the jewels prove to be too aggressive, I would block off the spawning area with a large amount of plastic plants and/or remove eggs or wrigglers/fry ASAP and use them as feeders shortly after. But i have never had to do that with jewels!


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## aicardi (Sep 15, 2012)

I have 5 in a 40b. One breeding pair. They have spawned 4 times and none have been killed. That said, the pair do get very aggressive. i just make sure there are plenty of hiding place for the remaining 3. I rearrange every other day.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Interesting. We have a number of posts from members with the killing result, but BC you are one of the few posts I have read to have repeated success spawning them with other tankmates.

I have not kept them, nor would I (before) due to the stories, LOL. Other experienced fishkeepers posting the information have kept them however. Thanks for the post BC!


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## allie1025 (Jan 2, 2013)

BC in SK said:


> DJRansome said:
> 
> 
> > Jewels like to kill all other inhabitants when spawning so I'd stick to the species. I am not sure whether they can be kept in a group or really just pairs, maybe someone else will chime in.
> ...


yeah what you're saying was what i had originally thought of them also. the tank is gonna be Labidochromis caeruleus (not sure how many maybe 7) Cynotilapia afra Jalo Reef Afra 7 and at least 7 Metriaclima estherae red zebra. so if you think a couple jewel will mix in there? i will get a pair. the possibility of cross breed with zebra and electric does not concern me the fry will never be sold or given away


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## allie1025 (Jan 2, 2013)

75 g tank will be (Labidochromis caeruleus at least 6 to start with). (Metriaclima estherae Blue 7 to 9.) (Pseudotropheus flavus 10 to 12.) and (Labeotropheus trewavasae ob 7.) not concerned with possibility of cross breed with electric yellow and the blue zebra. would jewel go in 75 better? or both even?


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## allie1025 (Jan 2, 2013)

125g is roughly (12 Metriaclima lombardoi - kenyi.) (12 Melanochromis auratus.) (12 Melanochromis chipokae.) (12 Labeotropheus fuelleborni ob.) and (12 Pseudotropheus Crabro bumble bee.) again not concerned with crossbreeding with Melanochromis.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

In the 125G given the species on the list I would just choose 3 species and stock 1m:7f of each.


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## allie1025 (Jan 2, 2013)

yeah but the chaos theory keeps the aggression down with my set up


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Well in 55 gallons.... 21 mbuna with a pair of jewels is not something I would consider. 4-6 yellow labs or maybe 2 groups, 8-10 mbuna in total. You have to consider a breeding pair of jewels might claim anywhere from an 1/8th to 3/4 of the tank ; they will take some space.


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