# Jewel Cichlids



## pace01 (Jul 6, 2008)

Just same some in the LFS and was wondering how big they get and just how agressive are they?


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## Nathan43 (Jul 9, 2007)

About 5.5 inches max and extremely aggressive for their size. Pretty fish though.
And they are African, not central american cichlids. :thumb:


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I've seen a S AMerican (possibly Central) fish referred to as a Jewel in local shops... although I'm not sure which one it was...

The African Jewel is a W African River fish which prefers SA/CA like water. They aren't rift lake fish. So they are often thought to be or mislabeled as SA/CA fish...


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## Randall (Jul 2, 2003)

Hello pace,

I need to make some corrections here.

The so-called 'jewelfish' of the hobby correspond to the African genus, Hemichromis Peters, 1858. The smaller 'red' Hemichromis spp. grow to about 4 inches, and the species, H. elongatus, H. frempogni, and H. fasciatus grow to over 6 inches. All Hemichromis spp. are aggressive, especially when breeding.

As for water chemistry, most Hemichromis species are not picky, but in the wild are found in soft water that tends to be slightly acidic. There are exceptions, however: H. letourneauxi from north of the Sahara is found in mineral-rich brackish water, and at the other extreme, H. cerasogaster is found in very soft black water with a pH of 4.0.

I should also note that Hemichromis spp. are found all over the African continent, except in eastern Africa, in just about every biotope imaginable. Many species are riverine, for sure (rivers, streams, creeks, marigots, etc.), but some of these fishes are also found in lakes, oxbow lakes, and swamps.

If you purchased a Hemichromis sp. in a local shop, it is probably H. guttatus, the common jewelfish of the hobby, and water chemistry is not an issue.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn


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