What fish is compatible with a Jewel Cichlid?

Question

I have many plants and a few hiding places.

Answer 1

Assuming you have the tank space, other South American Cichlids similar in size and temperament to the jewel will do fine. A firemouth cichlid would be a good choice.

MM

Answer 2

I would not put Rift Lake cichlids with jewels, because of incompatible water chemistry needs, but also incompatible diets and behavior patterns. Jewel cichlids are from West Africa. There are a number "jewel cichlid' species (the term is used broadly for any of at least 10 species in the genus Hemichromis), so the exact place of origin (that is, the native ecosystem) of your jewels depends on the species you have. Some Hemichromis species even come from other parts of Africa, but most are West African. In pet stores where the species are identified (beyond just "jewel cichlids"), they are more often than not misidentified. But, if you're not fanatical about pinpointing the exact habitat, you can make a West African biotope aquarium with fish that are more or less neighbors of your jewels. These would include the West African cichlids, such as Pelvicachromis pulcher (the Kribensis or Krib), Pelvicachromis taeniatus (sometimes called the Red Krib), various (but not all) Tilapia species such as Tilapia snyderae, various Pelmatachromis species, Steatocranus species (the "Buffalo Head" cichlids), Sarotherodon melanotheron and other Sarotherodon species, Chromidotilapia species, Benitochromis species, and others. Except for the jewels and the Kribs, none of these are terribly common in the aquarium trade, but all of them are being both imported from Africa and bred in captivity, so you should be able to find some of them if you have access to a reasonably good aquarium store. You can find information on all of the above species and genera on the Internet. If you can get the book, "The Cichlid Fishes of Western Africa," by Anton Lamboj (2004), it is the best work (by far) on this group of cichlids. Non-cichlid aquarium species from West Africa would include the Congo Tetra and other African tetras and barbs. In particular, I have heard reports that Congo Tetras do well in large tanks with cichlids. Other possibilities are African Leaf Fishes (also called Bush Fish) (Ctenopoma species) and African spiny eels (Mastacembelus and related genera). Elephant-nose fishes and their relatives (Mormyrids) come from the same area, but they are rather delicate and hard to keep long-term. Jewel cichlids are quite aggressive and territorial, especially if they are spawning, thinking about spawining, or guarding their fry. The key to keeping them with other species is to have enough space for the jewels to have a secure territory and for the other fish to get away from them, and enough structure in the tank so the fish can take shelter from each other. This stucture can be in the form of rocks, pieces of bogwood, PVC pipe segments, manufactured aquarium ornaments, fake plants, etc. Have fun!

Answer 3

Cichlid become very Aggressive They should be kept like one male and 3 female is what i have heard. I put a link below that may help you with what they may get a long with.
Good Luck

Answer 4

it really depends on the temperament of your individual cichlid. I keep mine in a 90 gallon over crowd of some of the so called most violent to the most peaceful of cichlids along with tinfoil barbs and some annostimidae. also they may not like those plants after a while and decide to redecorate

Answer 5

If you have the right requirements and your cichlid does not seem very aggressive then you can put in the Featherfin Squeaker

http://www.timstropicals.com/Compatibility/NameResults.asp