That was my ugly little duckling at the start of the year. Well, things have definitely changed!
Taken yesterday, he's become quite the looker!
[video=youtube_share;3C4rbTtHspo]http://youtu.be/3C4rbTtHspo[/video]
Jewel cichlid maturation and colour change!
- Thread starter Too Many Choices
- Start date
That was my ugly little duckling at the start of the year. Well, things have definitely changed!
Taken yesterday, he's become quite the looker!
[video=youtube_share;3C4rbTtHspo]http://youtu.be/3C4rbTtHspo[/video]
looks like a female.
I used to breed these guys and I noticed that not only was the female alot more of a deep red color with bright blue blotches,
The male tends to be more slender, more of a terracotta color fading to a scarlet red on his sides, smaller blue dots and less of them, and mostly of all the male I had when fully mature had a small somewhat noticeable nuchal hump. not like an american cichlid or anything but enough for it to be counted as sexual dimorphism.
And of the pair I had my female looked more like yours. do you have a picture of the whole fish from the side?
I guess if it is the only one you have it will start digging pits if it is a female. It is a beatiful jewel either way, do you keep it with community fish?
I used to breed these guys and I noticed that not only was the female alot more of a deep red color with bright blue blotches,
The male tends to be more slender, more of a terracotta color fading to a scarlet red on his sides, smaller blue dots and less of them, and mostly of all the male I had when fully mature had a small somewhat noticeable nuchal hump. not like an american cichlid or anything but enough for it to be counted as sexual dimorphism.
And of the pair I had my female looked more like yours. do you have a picture of the whole fish from the side?
I guess if it is the only one you have it will start digging pits if it is a female. It is a beatiful jewel either way, do you keep it with community fish?
Thanks Rafini, my guess was female, it's a pretty stocky fish, not at all slender 
I'll try to get a side profile photo later. As for tank mates it's in with yellow tail Congo tetras and an African butterfly fish. Haven't seen any aggressive behaviour yet!
I'll try to get a side profile photo later. As for tank mates it's in with yellow tail Congo tetras and an African butterfly fish. Haven't seen any aggressive behaviour yet!
theyre only aggressive when breeding and even then theyre basically just territorial. MY guinacara are the same and I wouldn't consider them aggressive for a cichlid.
my jewels wouls breed regularly and they would protect the babies so well when they took them for a little stroll around the tank the other fish would all be cowering in the corners or hiding
my jewels wouls breed regularly and they would protect the babies so well when they took them for a little stroll around the tank the other fish would all be cowering in the corners or hiding