jewel cichlids

**mrs fishpatrick** · 11-24-2008, 07:32 AM

Here is the story, my friend has 3 jewel cichlids, they are heavily neglegted as in half the tank is constantly empty due to evaporation, the 2 pleco's in it have died and one wasn't removed untill it was a skeleton etc, it is bad I know.
She has agreed to give me the fish and the tank they are in, in my opinion the tank is to small for them but I won't say no to a free tank

My question now is would the jewels go with the inhabitants of my 180L?
I am thinking of taking one pair of the kribensis out.
What size tank would the jewel's need?

**mrs fishpatrick** · 02-12-2009, 08:43 PM

I am finally bumping this thread as I just got of the phone and I am finally getting these fish (and the tank

)

**Algenco** · 02-12-2009, 09:30 PM

If you end up with a pair of jewels they'll kill everything in that tank when they spawn

**mrs fishpatrick** · 02-12-2009, 09:39 PM

They have been together for years and I don't think there was any fry

**NickFish** · 02-12-2009, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by mrs fishpatrick

They have been together for years and I don't think there was any fry

In that tank there wouldn't be.

But if you take good care of them and there are both males and females you will have a spawn.

Even without spawning jewels are agressive fish by any standards. Compared to some of the more violent africans they are a little lower on the scale but they sure aren't your peaceful dwarf cichlids.
Keep them with anything smaller than them that can't swim too fast and doesn't have anywhere to escape to and its gone in a week, I guarentee it. Nasty little buggers.
Species-only tank or a tank with larger south american cichlids is the only thing I would keep them in.

Although, in a pinch you may be ok. Cories are usually small enough and smart enough to escape any real harm. Not to mention their spine and skin. They may not mess with them. The odessa barbs may be ok if there are places to hide. They will be bothered and there will be damage but they could survive. Don't be surprised if they bite the dust though.
The gourami is going to go down fast. Too slow to escape anything, and too weak to fight anything off. If it gets in there way it will be gone in a flash.
The kribs will also probably be taken out if they are not moved.

Jewels are agressive fish. Comparable to putting an african malawi cichlid in a community tank. You just don't do it. Period.
You might get away with a few tank mates but there will be injuries regardless.

**mrs fishpatrick** · 02-12-2009, 10:06 PM

F it then, they can stay in the tank they are in, in this case, at least I can look after them a bit better than what they get now, even if the tank is too small