Experience with hemichromis exsul?
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Yes.
Turkana jewels like most other jewel cichlid are plant friendly.
These are actually quite fish friendly ( if you don’t keep them with things which can be eaten or have long fins and similar colouration ( paradise fish for example).
Best way to get a pair is to get a group of six and let them pair up, however if large enough and a good LFS they may be able to pick you a pair.
Most jewels are maligned as really aggressive but they are not that bad. They are however VERY good parents and guard their young well, something to be aware of in a community tank when all other fish are cowering in one corner.
Because of their bad reputation, jewels are also hard to sell on, although Turkana jewels are the easiest, but you still may have to grow them almost to sub adult size with Color for shops to buy them off you.
Turkana jewels like most other jewel cichlid are plant friendly.
These are actually quite fish friendly ( if you don’t keep them with things which can be eaten or have long fins and similar colouration ( paradise fish for example).
Best way to get a pair is to get a group of six and let them pair up, however if large enough and a good LFS they may be able to pick you a pair.
Most jewels are maligned as really aggressive but they are not that bad. They are however VERY good parents and guard their young well, something to be aware of in a community tank when all other fish are cowering in one corner.
Because of their bad reputation, jewels are also hard to sell on, although Turkana jewels are the easiest, but you still may have to grow them almost to sub adult size with Color for shops to buy them off you.
Thank you so much! This answered a lot of my questions. Do you know about keeping the exsuls in groups? I know jewels are pretty aggressive in general but I've seen some success with exsuls in larger groups. Not too sure if that is sustainable long term though.
I have kept jewels in groups before, recently four in the tank below which is a community tank. But that was one male and three females which was problematic as the male kept breeding then losing interest and swapping partner. The pair are now in a 4ft raising young and the two females still in the display tank.
i have bred and raised a group of jewels in a 3ft tank before but that again was parents raising young to a good size. And I have raised 30 to adult size in a 6x2.
None of which were Turkana which are meant to be less aggressive.
(parent guarding young in a 4ft tank)
I would suggest you either provide lots of hideouts, rockwork, structure to reduce aggression (which will mean pairs form and take up residence) or you have very little structure, plenty of plants, so nothing really to fall out over. Then if you want to breed, move a pair to a seperate tank.
The option I would probably go with is a lovely display tank, with a pair and let them breed and rear them in the tank. You will then have a group soon enough, and with them being siblings they seem to fall out less (might just be a poor observation on my part).
You can have other fish in there, and then you will get to see just how good they are at parenting. But just be wary that catching them in a planted tank will be trickier.
i have bred and raised a group of jewels in a 3ft tank before but that again was parents raising young to a good size. And I have raised 30 to adult size in a 6x2.
None of which were Turkana which are meant to be less aggressive.
(parent guarding young in a 4ft tank)
I would suggest you either provide lots of hideouts, rockwork, structure to reduce aggression (which will mean pairs form and take up residence) or you have very little structure, plenty of plants, so nothing really to fall out over. Then if you want to breed, move a pair to a seperate tank.
The option I would probably go with is a lovely display tank, with a pair and let them breed and rear them in the tank. You will then have a group soon enough, and with them being siblings they seem to fall out less (might just be a poor observation on my part).
You can have other fish in there, and then you will get to see just how good they are at parenting. But just be wary that catching them in a planted tank will be trickier.
From what I've heard from people they can be hit or miss, I've heard of people colony breeding them (multiple pairs going at the same time) in a 20 long, but I've also heard of pairs killing everything (and then eachother) in 4 foot tanks. Bottom line is they only get that deep red as a breeding dress apparently.
I recently got a group of 7.
I lost 1 in the first 10 days, none since
They were about 3/4” and all from same clutch (presumably)
They are in a 4’ 60gal tank which is part of a larger system
Water is filtered via kold ster-il
I cannot report water chemistry
Temp is about 78F
There is a definite pair in a 4” Tera Cota pot
I lost 1 in the first 10 days, none since
They were about 3/4” and all from same clutch (presumably)
They are in a 4’ 60gal tank which is part of a larger system
Water is filtered via kold ster-il
I cannot report water chemistry
Temp is about 78F
There is a definite pair in a 4” Tera Cota pot
Your tap water water parameters (or alteration of) may need to be considered for success.
And tank mates, chosen carefully., because of those parameters.
Lake Turkana is considered one of the world's largest moderately soda/saline lakes.
It has a pH of 9.2, and a TDS, and conductivity (AKA moderate salinity) of 2500 mS.
One other bit of semantics, these jewels are no longer considered part of the genus Hemichromis, but are now placed in Rubricochromis, one of the reasons searching for info on them under Hemichromis may be scarce.
And tank mates, chosen carefully., because of those parameters.
Lake Turkana is considered one of the world's largest moderately soda/saline lakes.
It has a pH of 9.2, and a TDS, and conductivity (AKA moderate salinity) of 2500 mS.
One other bit of semantics, these jewels are no longer considered part of the genus Hemichromis, but are now placed in Rubricochromis, one of the reasons searching for info on them under Hemichromis may be scarce.
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Just to add my experience. Those guys are super beautiful but also very agressive fish. They will kill everything else in the tank, which is not robust or large enough over time. The larger the tank and the more structures with good hiding spots for the weaker ones the better. Also females are under constat attack and pressure by the male if not ready to breed.
