Lifalili Jewel Cichlid

Hemichromis lifalili comes from the Congo basin and is known as the most intensely red member of the jewel cichlids. In adults the head and body are blood red; the dorsal, anal and tail fins and the gill cover are decorated with tiny, glittering blue spots. It reaches about 10 cm and is considered one of the calmest jewel cichlids.

Still, it is a Hemichromis: during breeding it defends its nest even against fish larger than itself, and it preys on small fish. Its red color can fade when it is stressed or outside the breeding period; it reaches its brightest in a peaceful setting with the right diet.

It lives in slow-flowing tributaries of the Congo River basin, along banks full of plants and tree roots. These waters are soft, slightly acidic and warm; leaf and root debris collects on the bottom.

• Volume: 100 liters for a pair; 150–200 liters with other species.
• Decor: Roots, caves and flat stones; zones that break up lines of sight.
• Plants: Hardy plants attached to rock or wood (Anubias, Java fern); floating plants soften the light.
• Water: pH 6–7.5, soft to moderately hard water; a 25% water change every week.
• Substrate: Fine sand; a dark substrate brings out the red.

An omnivore leaning toward meaty foods. Use a quality cichlid granule as the staple; vary the diet with frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis and cyclops. Carotenoid-rich foods support the red color.

Relatively calm outside of breeding, but it chases fish that enter its territory. Its aggression rises markedly when it has eggs or fry. It eats fish small enough to fit in its mouth.

Good companions: Fast, robust fish of similar size: large characins, Synodontis catfish and, in a large tank, hardy medium-sized West African cichlids.

Avoid: Small fish, dwarf cichlids, shrimp, slow and long-finned fish, other Hemichromis species (they can hybridize).

• Kept as a pair; the pair bond is strong.
• Raise 5–6 juveniles together and choose a pair that forms naturally.
• With randomly paired adults, the male can seriously injure the female; introducing them with a divider is recommended.
• Small and medium-sized tanks should hold only one pair.

The pair cleans a flat stone and lays a few hundred eggs. The eggs hatch in 2–3 days; the larvae are moved into pits in the sand. After about a week the free-swimming fry are fed newly hatched brine shrimp. The parents guard the school of fry for weeks.

• Hardy; problems mostly come from poor water, sudden temperature changes and fight injuries.
• Fading color: A sign of stress, hard and alkaline water or a poor diet.
• White spot: Common after transport; quarantine is recommended.

Difficult from the outside. Males are usually slightly larger with longer fins; females look plumper during the breeding period. A reliable distinction is made by the genital papilla.