Aquarium Jewels
The Turkana Jewel Cichlid (Hemichromis exsul) is a smaller African Cichlid growing to less than four inches. It has a vibrant red coloration with a black spot on its operculum (gill flap), and some light blue iridescent spots on its body and fins. The most unique part of Hemichromis exsul is the black borders to its fins, which makes it unique among all the species in the genus Hemichromis!
Hemichromis exsul is native to Lake Turkana in North Eastern Kenya. Lake Turkana is a harsh place, with a high enough salinity to prevent most people from drinking it. Hemichromis exsul would be found in Turkana's muddy areas among the vegetation.
Turkana Jewel Cichlids should be housed in an aquarium of at least 20 gallons for a pair – but it would be best to have a forty gallon breeder tank to allow a little more space to escape if territory issues arise. Decoration can include rocks, driftwood and plants, and the substrate should be of a smaller grain size to mimic their natural habitat and make it easy for them to dig and sift as they would naturally. Jewel Cichlids are known to be fairly aggressive. Passive tankmates with long fins, or anything that approaches a nesting site of Jewel Cichlids will likely be harassed and nipped at. Picking tankmates that don’t pose a threat, creating visual barriers, and using tank sizes larger than what you think is necessary are all good ideas to help keep peace in the home aquarium with Jewel Cichlids.
Turkana Jewel Cichlids available from us here at Aquatropic are captive bred, and so getting them to feed on standard aquarium foods has already happened. They will accept appropriately sized pellets and that diet could be supplemented with frozen meaty foods such as blood worms or cleanly cultured aquarium foods like daphnia, blackworms or brine shrimp. Jewel Cichlids are omnivores and so its best not to overfeed these treats and stick with a quality prepared food that offers them a balanced diet.
As our Jewel Cichlids are all captive bred, they will be inclined and accustomed to breeding in aquaria, which should make spawning them easier for the aquarist. Raising the temperature of the aquarium can assist in triggering spawning. Feeding more heavily will help bring fish into condition and the colors of the fish should become more vibrant as courtship begins. Watch tankmates, and the pair themselves, as aggression will also peak around this time. Jewel Cichlid females will start inspecting rocks in the tank and cleaning their selected nest sites prior to laying eggs. Jewel Cichlid pairing is incredibly strong and pairs will likely persist even after their eggs hatch.
If you are looking for a bright red color in an aquarium, it would be hard to beat the Turkana Jewel Cichlid. Forming a pair of these fish will provide you with years of color, fascinating behavior, and hopefully lots of small Jewel Cichlids! Contact your local fish store and ask them for Turkana Jewel Cichlids from Aquatropic today!