Red jewel cichlid

Hemichromis exsul is a jewel cichlid native to the Awash River system and associated waters of the Ethiopian rift in the Horn of Africa, an unusually arid range for the genus. Like other jewels it is a vivid red fish speckled with iridescent blue-green spots, colours that intensify dramatically at spawning. It is a hardy but pugnacious substrate-spawner that forms devoted monogamous pairs and defends territory ferociously, so it is best kept as a single pair in a roomy tank with rocks, flat stones and robust tankmates or, ideally, as a species setup. Water is undemanding: temperature 22-28C, pH 6.5-8.0, moderate hardness. A carnivore, it takes pellets, frozen and live foods readily. Expect strong parental behaviour and heightened aggression once breeding begins.