Hemichromis fasciatus Breeding Guide

Breeding the large, predatory banded jewel Hemichromis fasciatus, a substrate spawner with extended biparental care of larvae and juveniles.

Overview

Hemichromis fasciatus, the banded jewelfish, is the largest member of the genus, reaching about 21 cm standard length and up to 26.5 cm total length. It is distributed across West African river systems from the Senegal to the Chad basins and also occurs in the Nile basin and upper Zambezi, in littoral riverine habitats and floodplain lagoons. It is a highly aggressive carnivore that feeds on shrimps, small fishes and insects, and breeds as a nesting substrate spawner.

Sexing

The species is sexually monomorphic in basic patterning, both sexes being yellow-green with bronze iridescence and five large black oval patches along the side. As with other jewels, ripe females round out with eggs and pairs form during spawning. Because of the extreme aggression, juveniles must be separated as they grow or they will kill each other before pairs can form.

Conditioning

As a predator with a trophic level around 3.2, this cichlid is conditioned on meaty foods reflecting its natural diet of shrimps, small fishes and insects. Well-fed adults in a spacious tank reach breeding condition, after which a compatible pair can be allowed to spawn.

Breeding Setup

Given its size and aggression, breeding requires a large tank with substantial cover; the species is reported to need tanks of about 75 gallons or more. FishBase lists tolerances of pH 7.0 upward, hardness up to about 15 dH and 23-25 C, with breeding occurring in the early summer. Hard surfaces serve as spawning sites.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Pairs bond and the female deposits eggs on a hard surface as a nesting substrate spawner. The species is reported to breed in the early summer, so warming conditions in a spacious, well-covered tank with a settled pair act as triggers.

Egg & Fry Care

Care is biparental and extended: both parents guard the larvae and juveniles for about four to eight weeks. The pair defends a large territory around the brood, in keeping with the species' aggressive nature, until the young are well grown.

Common Challenges

The dominant challenges are the species' very large adult size, predatory diet and intense aggression, which together demand a large dedicated tank and careful tankmate selection or a species setup. Conspecific juveniles must be thinned out as they grow to allow a single pair to bond safely.