Jewel cichlid

[mingusfingers]

I brought home a jewel cichlid from the lfs 3 days ago. He was pretty stressed, and lost pretty much all of his color. Since then, he has not regained it, still very pale, almost white, and is a cave dweller, which I didn't realize cichlids were known to be. I didn't expect him to be able to catch my barbs, but in the first two nights two of them disappeared. He's also the biggest fish in the tank, with 2 tiger barbs (the remaining two, less than an inch long), a bristlenosed pleco (1.5 inch), and a small red tailed shark. Is he still settling in, or can I always expect him to hide all day?

 

[smb]

He's settling in. Also, all your fish will be dead soon. Jewels are extremely aggro and no community fish will be able to live with him. Everything else in your tank will soon either be killed or eaten.

They do like caves and will stay in there from time to time but should be more outgoing with time. I am surprised that after 3 days he doesn't have his color back.

 

[mingusfingers]

Getting all my information from a friend here (he has ~30 tanks running), I figured the barbs would be faster, but that can be expected. The pleco will be able to handle himself before long, once he gets his barbs in. Aforementioned friend has bristlenosed pleco in with some massive geophragus cichlids, and he more than holds his own. The shark is Almost as long as the cichlid, I figured he would be good, never being within bite-size.

 

[smb]

No, I'm sorry but there's nothing quicker and nastier than a jewel in the community World.. They will run circles around them tiger barbs.

The pleco will be able to handle himself before long, once he gets his barbs in.

If you mean a common plecostomus and not a synodontis, then you are wrong, imo. A synodontus will be ok but not a pleco.

Aforementioned friend has bristlenosed pleco in with some massive geophragus cichlids, and he more than holds his own.

That doesn't matter, most Geo's aren't aggro and imo, none are as aggro as a jewel.

You may do what you want but you are setting yourself up for a 1 fish tank in the end.

I figured he would be good, never being within bite-size.

Bite size doesn't mean anything. He'll kill them regardless.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Some plecos are tougher then others. A Bristlenose Pleco, for instance, can handle most small to medium cichlids.

 

[mingusfingers]

Thanks for all the help

 

[Auratus]

My common pleco lived with jewels and was totally fine. The jewels killed anything in the tank though. Jewels are usually pretty pale unless they are in breeding condition, then they get really red.

 

[pjeff]

How many Jewels can you keep in a ten gallon

 

[thecichlidaddict]

None.

 

[-=DG=-]

My jewels are only brightly coloured when they are in breeding mode (about once a week!!). Rest of the time they are pale. They are with my malawi. And these two are as tough (if not tougher) than my malawi's

They have fry all the time, and the malawis dont dare to go near them! And both jewels dont have a single tear on their fins!!!

 

[Auratus]

I know a person in the aol fish chat that has two in a ten gallon but I wouldn't recomend that.

I used to have my jewels with Auratus, from malawi, an mbuna. They get along well with those because they have similar aggression levels. No one ever had a ripped fin on mine either!

 

[smb]

I know a person in the aol fish chat that has two in a ten gallon but I wouldn't recomend that.

Oh man, that's terrible.

 

[-=DG=-]

Oh yeah, and they arent the most active of fish. They usually hang around their corner as they are nearly always laying eggs or planning to!

 

[CichlidFan]

whoa whoa whoa. You got jewels in with a community tank!? Wow. Man, my jewels take on a livingstonii in my tank thats twice its size...and wins! Definatly transfer. Those barbs, nasty as they are, are akin to high school jocks. And that jewel in there would be akin to a really really big wrestler. Not a good combonation.

 

[CichlidFan]

oh and aura, my african cichlid tank has a common pl*co in it. He gets nipped at, but after his freaking out episode afterwards, hes usually fine. havent had a problem yet.