Picked up 8 turkana jewels and hopefully a new member too

[lloyd378]

Logan and I ran up to Mercer today to get my Turkana jewels that you all lead me to..... I now have 8 little ones growing out in my community tank (1-1.25” TL).

The breeder, and hopefully new member, had one of the most epic planted tanks I’ve ever seen!

125g tank with enough plants and fish to fill a pond. Think rainbows, special barbs, Congo tetras, 3 species of jewels, a couple gobbys, cory cats and an albino hoplo cat ( with enough plants to keep them all happy)!

That is now my goal tank for my 75g ( one that is that active and beautiful). I am hoping that she joins and is able to share a video.

 

[lloyd378]

These fry are currently the size of my XL neon tetras

 

[DMD123]

Very cool! They will look awesome!

 

[lloyd378]

Been in my tank for about 1 hour now

 

[sir_keith]

Nice find! Do you know how the person on MI is keeping them? I don't know anything about this species, Hemichromis exsul, but I do know that Lake Turkana is a 'soda lake,' and is seriously alkaline, pH9-12. I'm keeping most of my tanks at pH9, but would imagine that it's difficult to maintain a higher pH.

 

[lloyd378]

Yes, she said her ph is currently 6.8, I’m guessing this is due to the fact that the water coming out from her tap is similar to this... and since these fry were not only born but also raised in those conditions, I’ll just keep mine similar to this. I know she said she added some crushed coral in the back but I couldn’t see it with the heavy plant presence obstructing my view.

she did have a few other species of jewel both the sp. moanda and the luefeli . They were all beautiful with deep bright coloring and guarding fry I was truly impressed that her gobbys weren’t attacking and eating anything as they were close to 4.5”

but she did run down her water parameters and food choices, so I should be set there!

 

[sir_keith]

...Yes, she said her ph is currently 6.8, I’m guessing this is due to the fact that the water coming out from her tap is similar to this... and since these fry were not only born but also raised in those conditions, I’ll just keep mine similar to this...

That's really interesting. The ability of a species to adapt to different water conditions is largely genetic. For example, the jewel cichlids (which really ought to be in their own genus, distinct from Hemichromis) are basically a riverine assemblage that have evolved to occupy many different ecological niches, and tolerate many different water chemistries. The Turkana Jewel is a case in point. This adaptability ('phenotypic plasticity') is no doubt central to the ability of fry 'born and raised' in an alien water chemistry to adapt to it.

Not all fishes can do that. Malawian and Tanganyikan cichlids have evolved in lakes whose chemistry is remarkably stable, and these fishes have very limited abilities to adapt to different water chemistries, whether they were raised in those alien chemistries or not. This is one reason that these fishes were so difficult to keep in captivity when they were first imported.

At some point in the future, I would like to acquire some young Turkana Jewels, and raise them in conditions that more closely approximate those of Lake Turkana (a. k. a. Lake Rudolf). It would be really interesting to see if there are any obvious differences between those fishes and others raised under more 'normal' aquarium conditions.

 

[lloyd378]

It really is interesting as the hemichromis bimaculatus range between 6.0-7.8 ph which is why so many around Europe raise them with CA cichlids

if / when mine mature and bred, you will be welcomed to fry anytime.

 

[sir_keith]

It really is interesting as the hemichromis bimaculatus range between 6.0-7.8 ph which is why so many around Europe raise them with CA cichlids

if / when mine mature and bred, you will be welcomed to fry anytime.

I don't believe any of the Hemichromis, including Hemichromis bimaculatus, are closely related to the 'Jewel' cichlids.

Thanks, and keep me posted; the 'Jewels" mature pretty quickly, and are quite precocious, so maybe that will be sooner than we think!

 

[lloyd378]

Weird, I was under the understanding that the bimaculatus were the traditional jewels. I must have heard that wrong.

 

[lloyd378]

Either way, as soon as they breed, I’ll make sure to get some into your hands

 

[lloyd378]

Or should I say tanks

 

[sir_keith]

Weird, I was under the understanding that the bimaculatus were the traditional jewels. I must have heard that wrong.

Yes, you're right, of course, my mistake- Hemichromis bimaculatus is the prototypical 'Jewel." I was thinking of Hemichromis fasciatus, which I thought you also kept. Be that as it may, Hemichromis bimaculatus is a riverine species whose habitat is very similar to many CA cichlids, so no wonder they handle similarly in captivity. H. exsul comes from a completely different biotope in Lake Turkana. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[sir_keith]

If the Turkana Jewels turn out looking anything like this, they must be in the running for the freshwater species with the most intense red pigment. Gorgeous! And relatively peaceful! What's not to like?



Sure, the pic above may be digitally enhanced, but even when the color intensity of this pic is de-saturated to -40 in Photoshop, it's still a very impressive fish, and any more de-saturation removes all the color in this pic, so the red is obviously real.

 

[lloyd378]

Yes they were beautiful in her tank ( though hers were currently a sun orange / red color as they were in breeding dress).

I just got a video from her of her impressive 125g . I will share it next.

 

[lloyd378]

Here is Su’s tank! 125g community.

 

[DMD123]

Wow, that is a lively community tank!