Chris Zeitvogel's Jewel Cichlids, Hemichromis bimaculatus, with pictures

Hello Aqualand from Misawa Air Base in northern Japan.

Thank you for your informative and entertaining site. I check what you have to say first before obtaining any new fish. I was reading your jewel cichlid page long before I actually got any myself. I had to ask my local shop to special order them and got six just about a year ago (Nov 2010). In July 2011 I had two successful spawns, and now have a hundred or more spread thru several tanks. They were good parents and we had very low mortality. Despite trading a bucketful back to a shop my tanks still look like this:

And this:

They definitely color up better over a dark substrate. These tanks are deliberately crowded and with good filtration since I found that if you have only a few in a tank with even only one female; they will form one pair and kill the others. In this crowded situation they get along fine. I find that if they find a plant tasty, they eat it quickly. If not so tasty, they eat it slowly.

I had no idea what sexes I had at first and would read and re-read the sexing tips on your site. More than once now I was sure I had just males in a tank but would wake up to a new parent guarding fry (and disrupting anything else I was trying to accomplish in that tank).

Here is a shot to assist with sexing. These young fish are about 2 ½ inches. The female is the brighter red in this case with a much fainter black spot mid-body. The male has more blue spangles on body and fins:

This pair was hatched in July 2011 and this is their second spawning (that I know of). This male has been a bit of a deadbeat dad and not colored up like the female, and not been that involved in the fry. The first batch lasted only a few days. I expect this clutch to hatch today. Dad has been more involved. When these were spawned last July, both of their parents colored up beautifully.

Another shot of this pair:

Come to think of it; My other spawns had many more eggs too, so this looks like a rather small spawn for young new parents. Their parents killed everything else in their tank (Thomasi cichlids and cory cats) but did not bother the octocinclus. These guys are in a 100 gallon with a bunch or red severums, and the two species ignore each other. I am not risking any more cory cats, and the jewels do a great job of cleaning the tank.

Here is an old(er) male; maybe two years old, about 5 inches, with cranial hump. Subdominate male behind. These are the only two jewels in my African tank.

Another view: They get along fine with whatever that particular rift lake fish is.

Feel free to use these photos. I have no plans to have my own fish site and it would be a compliment to have my pictures on your site.

Oh; and here is my next project:

Wish me luck!

Chris Zeitvogel クリストファー　ザイトヴォゲル
DoDEA-Pacific Misawa Complex 国防省教育局太平洋地区三沢米軍基地　

3600 Sixth Avenue

Corner of Sixth & Euclid Avenues

Des Moines, IA 50313

515 283-0300

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	Chris Zeitvogel's Jewel Cichlids Chris Zeitvogel's inside scoop on *Hemichromis bimaculatus*

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Show MCA Expo 2006 -- the Fish MCA Expo 2006 -- the People	Hello Aqualand from Misawa Air Base in northern Japan. Thank you for your informative and entertaining site. I check what you have to say first before obtaining any new fish. I was reading your jewel cichlid page long before I actually got any myself. I had to ask my local shop to special order them and got six just about a year ago (Nov 2010). In July 2011 I had two successful spawns, and now have a hundred or more spread thru several tanks. They were good parents and we had very low mortality. Despite trading a bucketful back to a shop my tanks still look like this: CZ And this: CZ They definitely color up better over a dark substrate. These tanks are deliberately crowded and with good filtration since I found that if you have only a few in a tank with even only one female; they will form one pair and kill the others. In this crowded situation they get along fine. I find that if they find a plant tasty, they eat it quickly. If not so tasty, they eat it slowly. I had no idea what sexes I had at first and would read and re-read the sexing tips on your site. More than once now I was sure I had just males in a tank but would wake up to a new parent guarding fry (and disrupting anything else I was trying to accomplish in that tank). Here is a shot to assist with sexing. These young fish are about 2 ½ inches. The female is the brighter red in this case with a much fainter black spot mid-body. The male has more blue spangles on body and fins: CZ This pair was hatched in July 2011 and this is their second spawning (that I know of). This male has been a bit of a deadbeat dad and not colored up like the female, and not been that involved in the fry. The first batch lasted only a few days. I expect this clutch to hatch today. Dad has been more involved. When these were spawned last July, both of their parents colored up beautifully. Another shot of this pair: CZ Come to think of it; My other spawns had many more eggs too, so this looks like a rather small spawn for young new parents. Their parents killed everything else in their tank (Thomasi cichlids and cory cats) but did not bother the octocinclus. These guys are in a 100 gallon with a bunch or red severums, and the two species ignore each other. I am not risking any more cory cats, and the jewels do a great job of cleaning the tank. Here is an old(er) male; maybe two years old, about 5 inches, with cranial hump. Subdominate male behind. These are the only two jewels in my African tank. CZ Another view: They get along fine with whatever that particular rift lake fish is. CZ Feel free to use these photos. I have no plans to have my own fish site and it would be a compliment to have my pictures on your site. Oh; and here is my next project: CZ Wish me luck! Chris Zeitvogel クリストファー　ザイトヴォゲル DoDEA-Pacific Misawa Complex 国防省教育局太平洋地区三沢米軍基地　 © 2011 LA Productions aqualandpetsplus.com 3600 Sixth Avenue Corner of Sixth & Euclid Avenues Des Moines, IA 50313 515 283-0300 Home Fish Other Stuff	Anabantids Betta Leaf Betta Breed 1 Betta Breed II Betta Info Betta Housing Betta Pla Kat Choc Gourami Climbing Perch Gourami Pix Kiss. Gourami Osphronemus Pearl Gourami More Pearls Paradise Fish Snakehead Spawn Gourami T. trichopterus Catfish Banjo Bullheads Bull Sharks Channel Corydoras Cory Pics Electric Glass Hoplos Otocinclus Pangassius Pictus Plecostomus Pleco Bristle Pleco Costly I Pleco Costly II Pleco Costly III Pleco Costly IV Pleco Costly V Pleco Costly VI Pleco Costly VII Raphael Red-Tail Shovelnose Sun Synodontis Synodontis petricola Turushuki Catfish Upside-down USD Gold Flake Misc Catfish Misc Catfish II Misc Catfish III Misc Catfish IV Misc Catfish V Cichlids African I African II African III African IV Af. Furniture Amer. Small Amer. Med Amer. 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