# help identifying a cichlid



## Asmodaues (Jul 21, 2014)

I need some help identifying a cichlid I inherited this afternoon during a tank purchase. I feel obligated to keep it alive as long as possible and 
its appearance is growing on me.

I was told it was a South American Jeweled Cichlid and want to be certain before selecting tankmakes. The tank itself is a smaller 20gallon one so I only plan on 5-6 other small fish for companions. I feel its way underfurnished and plan on more base rock and cover rock for the fish itself.

the cichlid




the tank


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Need a better photo with the fish in the tank." South American Jeweled Cichlid" is not a real name.

The tank may not be appropriate for the fish... if you put it in that tank it may have to stay alone become it might kill any otehr fish in a tank that small.


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

It is a Jewel Cichlid, _Hemichromis guttatus _most likely, but it is not from South America. They come from West Africa and are fairly resilient, as they are naturally found in everything from brackish water to soft freshwater. Generally considered to be rather aggressive, but that is usually when they are breeding.


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Looks like a jewel to me, too (Hemichromis species). If you plan on keeping it in that tank, the only other fish you should add are more jewels - if you can post some better photos of it while in the tank, we may be able to help you determine if you've got a male or a female. Then you will know if you need to get a male or female(s) in order to have them form a pair. Jewels are pairing fish, rather than harem breeders like a lot of African cichlid species, and once a male and female bond to form a pair, they typically don't tolerate tankmates well. They're good, protective parents, though, and it's interesting to watch them spawn and raise fry.


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## Asmodaues (Jul 21, 2014)

The tanks not finished. Thats the way it came when i bought it.

Im planning more rock ledges with shelters and some driftwood. Plus several plants of some variety so the cichlid will have adaquete hiding spots.


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Asmodaues said:


> The tanks not finished. Thats the way it came when i bought it.
> 
> Im planning more rock ledges with shelters and some driftwood. Plus several plants of some variety so the cichlid will have adaquete hiding spots.


That'll Be Good. I Was Referring More To The Size Of The Tank, Though, Rather Than The Decor. Even With Just A Pair Of Jewels In There, A 20 Gallon Tall Tank Will Be Pretty Small. I Think You Could Pull It Off, But Not With More Than Just A Couple Fish In There.


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## aicardi (Sep 15, 2012)

nmcichlid-aholic said:


> Asmodaues said:
> 
> 
> > The tanks not finished. Thats the way it came when i bought it.
> ...


It's really too small for a breeding pair. Assuming you know what you have as far as gender and try for a mate. You will have to know the gender of the new jewel you get. Even then they may not pair off and the male will most likely kill the female. 
If they do pair off you will still need a place to remove the female when the male gets too rough with her. If he's ready to spawn (which is always) and she isn't, he will kill her. This happened to me in a 40g breeder.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

aicardi said:


> It's really too small for a breeding pair. Assuming you know what you have as far as gender and try for a mate. You will have to know the gender of the new jewel you get. Even then they may not pair off and the male will most likely kill the female.
> If they do pair off you will still need a place to remove the female when the male gets too rough with her. If he's ready to spawn (which is always) and she isn't, he will kill her. This happened to me in a 40g breeder.


Curious as to what you kept with your jewel pair in the 40 breeder?

Jewels are no more inclined to kill their mate then are a host of other substrate spawners. But the risk is almost always significantly higher with out tankmates. Definitely need an outside threat; a distraction to divert their attention; something other then themselves to direct their aggression.

Monogamous pair bonding is largely a myth. Should really be viewed as an adaptation to captivity, for the most part. Abundant calories keep the female ready to spawn and immediate outside threats keep the pair holding onto territory. In the wild, after the fry are let go, one or both of the parents are free to be on their way. With enough time, space, and choice of mates, few cichlids are truly monogamous.

All together I have had jewels for well over 15 years and even in the last 6-7 years have had at least 5 pairs that I can think of. I would say the pairs get along better and are more stable then most substrate spawners. But I have never tried them with out tankmates .Certainly would not advocate keeping them by their lonesome other then for the duration of a spawn. To be safe, even with tankmates, should keep a close eye and have a divider handy.

Preferable to start with a group to get a pair and then get rid of extras. They can be sexed easily at a young age......though it's difficult to describe the differences, and sometimes very tough to tell from pictures dependant on the angle of the shot and the quality of the picture. Male and female have different body shapes.

I'll agree a 20 gal. is pretty small. Back in 2007-8 I argued on this forum about 'dithers'. Anyways, to make a long story short I tried my own experiment (Sort of silly :roll: , a waste of money as I already knew the likely fate, based on past experience). Bred cons, then jewels in a 15 gal. and all the so called 'schooling dithers' did not fair well. Blue gourami, paradise fish, CAE and a small common pleco all did more then fine. Short term, only about a 6 month period, but I am confident that these fishes would have decent chance to do well over a longer term.

With enough decor, lots of plastic plants that come all the way up to the surface, flat rocks leaned up into the corners for a breeding site as well as many other caves, a group of paradise fish, CAE, BN pleco , even 3-4 giant danios might do O.K.


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