The Jewel Cichlid is one of the most colorful and interesting African cichlids you can keep. With bright red coloration, blue spangling, tons of personality, and fascinating breeding behavior, it’s easy to understand why these fish stand out in an aquarium.
However, Jewel Cichlids also have a reputation for being extremely aggressive, particularly when they form a breeding pair.
In this Jewel Cichlid care guide, we’ll cover everything from their confusing scientific classification and tank size to water parameters, tank mates, diet, breeding, and what you need to know before bringing one home.
Watch the full Jewel Cichlid Care Guide from Cichlid Bros on YouTube:
Jewel Cichlid Scientific Name and Classification
One of the confusing things about Jewel Cichlids is their scientific classification.
The fish that have traditionally been sold as Jewel Cichlids have gone through some recent taxonomic changes, and multiple species have historically been grouped together under the common name “Jewel Cichlid.”
You’ll also encounter several common names, including:
- Jewel Cichlid
- Blood Red Jewel Cichlid
- Red Jewel Cichlid
- Turkana Jewel Cichlid
- African Jewelfish
- Turquoise Jewel Cichlid
The Banded Jewel Cichlid, sometimes called the Five-Star General, is another related fish that is somewhat different from the traditional Jewel Cichlid group.
The previous genus was the Hemichromis, although Jewel cichlids are now classified as Rubricatochromis. The most common types in the hobby are the Rubricatochromis bimaculatus and the Rubricatochromis guttatus.
The taxonomy can be confusing, and fish sold under these names may represent different species or even hybrids. That’s important to keep in mind when purchasing one, particularly if you’re interested in maintaining a particular species or breeding a specific strain.
Turkana Jewel Cichlid
The Turana Jewel Cichlid is somewhat different from the traditional Jewel Cichlid.
It tends to have less vivid red coloration but can have extremely bright teal coloration in its fins. It may also be slightly smaller and potentially somewhat less aggressive, although it can still be just as aggressive as other Jewel Cichlids.
For the purposes of this care guide, the focus is on the traditional Jewel Cichlid group commonly found in the aquarium hobby.
What Do Jewel Cichlids Look Like?
Jewel Cichlids are incredibly colorful fish.
The traditional Jewel Cichlid can develop a vivid red body covered with blue or turquoise spangling. Some variants have even more blue coloration and less red in the body and may be sold as Turquoise Jewel Cichlids.
You may also see fish with black spots around the gill plate and body, as well as yellowish coloration around the tail or underside.
Their coloration makes them a true showstopper in the aquarium.
They’re also relatively small compared with many other cichlids, generally reaching around 5 inches, with males sometimes growing slightly larger than females.
Are Jewel Cichlids Aggressive?
This is the biggest consideration when keeping Jewel Cichlids.
Despite their relatively small size, Jewel Cichlids can be extremely aggressive.
A single Jewel Cichlid may be manageable, but aggression can become much more intense when two fish form a breeding pair.
Once they’re breeding, they may relentlessly chase and attack other fish in the aquarium and can potentially kill tank mates.
One way to think about their behavior is as a West African version of a Convict Cichlid. Like Convicts, they’re relatively small, prolific breeders that can become extremely aggressive when defending their offspring.
If you want to minimize the aggression issue, keeping a single Jewel Cichlid rather than a pair is one option.
Once you have a bonded pair, however, their behavior can change dramatically when they begin breeding.
Jewel Cichlid Tank Size
One advantage of Jewel Cichlids is that they don’t require an enormous aquarium.
For a single Jewel Cichlid, a 40-gallon aquarium is a good long-term option.
A breeding pair could potentially be kept in a smaller aquarium, around 30 gallons, but 40 gallons is a better choice for a breeding pair.
If you’re planning to keep Jewel Cichlids with tank mates, a 55-gallon, 75-gallon, or larger aquarium is preferable depending on the species and number of fish you’re keeping.
The larger the aquarium, the more opportunities you have to create separate territories and provide areas where other fish can escape the Jewel Cichlid’s aggression.
Jewel Cichlid Tank Setup
A good Jewel Cichlid aquarium should provide plenty of structure.
Recommended substrate
Sand is a great choice because Jewel Cichlids are substrate spawners and will dig when they’re preparing to breed.
Rocks, driftwood, and caves
Add plenty of:
- Rocks
- Driftwood
- Rock caves
- Other structures that create territories
One of the most important things you can do is create line-of-sight breaks.
If tank mates can get out of the Jewel Cichlid’s direct line of sight, they have a better opportunity to avoid aggression.
Creating multiple territories and caves can also give fish places to hide when a breeding pair begins defending its territory.
Live plants
Jewel Cichlids can be kept with live plants, although you should be careful with plants rooted directly in the substrate.
Because Jewel Cichlids dig when breeding, they may uproot plants.
Hardier plants such as Anubias and Java Fern are better choices because they can be attached to rocks or driftwood.
Plants can also help absorb nutrients and reduce nitrates in the aquarium.
Jewel Cichlid Tank Mates
Tank mates are one of the trickiest parts of keeping Jewel Cichlids.
I would avoid small, peaceful, or timid fish.
For example, Neon Tetras and Cardinal Tetras are probably too small and peaceful to be good choices. A breeding Jewel Cichlid could easily view them as targets.
Instead, consider more robust fish that can handle the Jewel Cichlid’s personality.
Potential tank mates
Some options worth considering include:
Congo Tetras
Congo Tetras can be an interesting choice because they’re large enough to be more robust while also fitting the African theme of the aquarium.
Colombian Tetras
Medium-sized tetras such as Colombian Tetras may be more appropriate than tiny, delicate schooling fish.
Plecos and Synodontis Catfish
Bottom-dwelling fish such as Plecos and Synodontis Catfish may also work because they occupy a different part of the aquarium and can generally handle themselves better than delicate community fish.
Other cichlids
Some Central and South American cichlids may also be possible tank mates.
Potential options include:
- Convict Cichlids
- Firemouth Cichlids
- Electric Blue Acara
- Severum Cichlids
- Some Geophagus species
The idea is to choose fish that are large and robust enough to avoid simply being dominated by the Jewel Cichlid.
However, larger predatory cichlids aren’t necessarily a good solution.
Fish such as Oscars and some of the larger, more aggressive Central American cichlids may present their own problems. A sufficiently large fish could potentially view the Jewel Cichlid as prey.
Jewel Cichlids With African Rift Lake Cichlids
Jewel Cichlids aren’t necessarily a great match for the typical Lake Malawi community.
Mbuna, for example, may react to the Jewel Cichlid’s bright red coloration as a dominance display and continually harass it.
Jewel Cichlids can also be too aggressive for many peacocks and haps.
Lake Tanganyika is a more complicated situation because there is such a wide variety of fish, but many Tanganyikan species are either too small, too delicate, or too peaceful to be ideal companions for a Jewel Cichlid.
The key is always considering the individual temperament, size, and aggression level of the fish involved rather than simply putting together fish because they’re all technically African cichlids.
Jewel Cichlid Water Parameters
One of the nice things about Jewel Cichlids is that they are very adaptable.
Unlike many specialized cichlids, they don’t require extremely precise water parameters.
A reasonable range is:
- pH: 6.5–8.0
- Hardness: Moderate
- Temperature: 73–80°F
- Ammonia: 0
- Nitrite: 0
- Nitrate: Below 40 ppm
The most important thing is having a fully cycled aquarium and maintaining good water quality.
Regular water changes and filter maintenance can help keep nitrate levels under control.
Live plants can also help consume nutrients and reduce nitrate levels.
With appropriate care, Jewel Cichlids can live more than five years, with some potentially reaching around 10 years or even longer.
What Do Jewel Cichlids Eat?
Jewel Cichlids are not picky eaters.
A quality cichlid pellet can serve as the foundation of their diet.
You can also provide a mixture of protein-based and vegetable-based flakes to give them a more varied diet.
Occasionally adding frozen foods such as brine shrimp can also be a good way to provide variety.
Some of the foods you can use include:
- Quality cichlid pellets
- Protein flakes
- Vegetable flakes
- Frozen brine shrimp
I typically use NorthFin foods, although there are plenty of quality fish-food brands available.
Overall, Jewel Cichlids are easy to feed and generally accept a wide variety of foods.
Breeding Jewel Cichlids
If you don’t want aggressive fish, breeding Jewel Cichlids may be something you want to avoid.
If you do want to breed them, however, they’re fascinating fish.
Jewel Cichlids are substrate spawners.
They lay their eggs on or near the substrate and can become extremely protective of their spawning territory.
They’re also excellent parents.
Once a pair forms, they can remain together for a long time, and bonded pairs can produce hundreds of eggs at a time.
They can also spawn frequently, potentially producing another batch of eggs around once a month.
That means a successful breeding pair can quickly produce a very large number of Jewel Cichlid fry.
Jewel Cichlid Fry
After hatching, the parents move the fry into a small pit that they’ve dug near the substrate.
The parents then aggressively defend the young.
This is one of the most fascinating aspects of keeping Jewel Cichlids. Watching a pair protect and raise their fry provides a great example of natural parental behavior in cichlids.
Once the fry are free-swimming, crushed flakes or appropriately sized nano pellets can be used as food.
Be Prepared for Hundreds of Fry
Before intentionally breeding Jewel Cichlids, have a plan for the babies.
A pair can produce hundreds of fry, and the aquarium hobby already has a large supply of Jewel Cichlids.
Local fish stores may not be able to take large numbers of them.
They’re also inexpensive fish, so Jewel Cichlids aren’t a particularly good choice if your goal is to breed fish for profit.
They’re much better suited to someone who wants to experience the interesting behavior of a breeding cichlid pair.
Can Different Jewel Cichlid Species Hybridize?
Another interesting consideration is that closely related Jewel Cichlid species can potentially breed with one another.
Because there are multiple species and so many fish have been sold under different Jewel Cichlid names over the years, it can be difficult to know exactly what you’re getting at a fish store.
There are likely hybrids throughout the aquarium hobby.
If maintaining a pure species or strain is important to you, it’s worth researching the source of the fish and asking the seller exactly what species they are selling.
There are also selectively bred forms available, including balloon Jewel Cichlids.
Are Jewel Cichlids Good Beginner Fish?
Jewel Cichlids have several characteristics that make them relatively easy to care for:
- They don’t require a massive aquarium.
- They’re adaptable to a range of water conditions.
- They’re hardy.
- They’re not picky eaters.
- They’re colorful and interesting.
- They readily breed.
The major challenge is aggression.
A Jewel Cichlid can be a great choice for an aquarist who understands its temperament and is prepared to manage aggression. They’re not necessarily the best choice for someone looking for a peaceful community fish.
Final Thoughts
Jewel Cichlids are an incredible combination of color, personality, hardiness, and fascinating behavior.
Their biggest downside is also one of their most interesting characteristics: aggression.
A single Jewel Cichlid can be a colorful centerpiece in an appropriately sized aquarium, while a bonded pair can provide an amazing look at cichlid breeding and parental behavior.
Just make sure you plan ahead.
Give them enough space, provide plenty of rocks and caves, create line-of-sight breaks, choose tank mates carefully, and have a plan for what you’ll do if your pair produces hundreds of fry.
If you can manage their aggression, Jewel Cichlids can be one of the most rewarding and entertaining cichlids to keep.
Have questions about Jewel Cichlids? Leave a comment on the Cichlid Bros YouTube video and let us know!
