Ruby fish

The body color of the jewel cichlid is bright, especially the female fish's body color becomes more beautiful during the breeding period. In addition to being used for ornamental purposes, the jewel cichlid is also raised as experimental animals. The jewel cichlid has a violent temperament and a strong territoriality, so when mixing with other fish, it is important to pay attention to the temperament of the jewel cichlid.

Official Chinese Name

: 双斑伴丽鱼

English Name

: Jewel Cichlid

Latin Name

: Hemichromis bimaculatus, Gill

Family and Genus

: Cichlidae (also known as Jewel Fish Family, Mouthbrooding Fish Family)

Origin

: Forest streams in the Congo River and Nile River valleys in Ghana and Togo

Body Length

: 12-15 cm

The ruby fish belongs to the African cichlid, which is not the tilapia in the three lakes and has a shorter body than the tilapia. The characteristic of this fish is the beautiful blue spots all over the body and the large black spot in front of the tail peduncle. The name "ruby" comes from the appearance of bright red during their breeding period. In fact, there are some individuals of this species that are permanently bright red all over, but they are rare in the market. Origin: Forest streams in the Congo River and Nile River basins from Ghana to Togo; Diet: Carnivorous and piscivorous, it feeds on small fish. Active water layer: All water layers, but it prefers to be active in the bottom layer. Origin: Nile River basin in Africa, and countries such as Libya, Niger, and Congo.

It is recommended to keep Ruby fish for aquarium enthusiasts. The average lifespan of Ruby fish is around 5-10 years, but it significantly decreases when kept in home aquariums, usually not exceeding 5 years. If you want to keep them alive for a longer period, the breeding environment should mimic their natural habitat as much as possible, with adequate temperature variations and sufficient sunlight.

1, Fin Rot: The fish's fins are damaged and discolored, losing their luster. There may be foreign objects in the rotten areas, or the transparent fins turn white, with the white area gradually expanding. Severe cases may result in missing or unable to extend fins. This disease is more common in summer. Tropical fish have thin fins, which are prone to injury and breakage. Salt and antibiotics can be used for treatment.

2, Gill Disease: One type is gill erosion caused by bacteria. Infected fish move slowly, have poor appetite, dull and lusterless body color, dark head, and white gills, followed by rotting and shedding. The scale cover and skin of the gill bone are congested and inflamed, and can also become rotten and expose transparent gill covers. Another type is gill disease caused by parasite infestation, which has similar symptoms of bacterial erosion of the gill filaments. Infected fish may swim slowly, become thin, have dull body color, have difficulty breathing, often float on the water surface, have whitened and damaged gills, increased mucus, and partially open gill covers. Parasites include wheel worms, ring worms, mouth threadworms, oblique body worms, and third-generation worms. Furazolidone is used to treat bacterial fin rot. Potassium permanganate, formalin, salt, and other treatments are used for parasite gill disease.

3, Cotton Mouth Disease: Also known as mouth rot. Diseased fish have white cotton-like mycelium around their mouths, also known as white mouth disease. Fish that frequently touch and consume algal fish tend to suffer from this disease, which is highly infectious. Infected fish have difficulty feeding, swim slowly and weakly, and may die. Timely treatment is necessary. Penicillin or aureomycin solution can be used, and the diseased fish can also be soaked in a 10ppm terramycin solution. Aquarium tanks, fishing nets, tools, etc. should be soaked and disinfected with a 0.1% formaldehyde solution.

4, Scale Standing Disease: This disease is also known as erect scale disease or loose scale disease. The scales of infected fish spread out like pine cones, with water swelling and congestion at the base of the scales. In severe cases, the base of the fins is filled with translucent liquid, and later the fish's abdomen becomes enlarged and loses balance. Death follows shortly after. This disease usually occurs in seasons with low water temperatures or when the water temperature changes frequently over a short period of time. Old fish and tiger fish are prone to this disease. Treatment options include salt, furazolidone, antibiotics, and topical application of Piyanping cream has good effects.

5, Water Mold Disease: This disease is also known as cotton wool disease. Water mold enters the fish's body through wounds, initially parasitizing on the skin and gradually penetrating into the muscles, absorbing nutrients from the fish's body and reproducing in large quantities, thus growing outward with gray or blue-gray mycelium (visible to the naked eye as cotton threads). The parasitized area of the wound becomes inflamed, congested, necrotic, and ulcerated. Infected fish often rub the affected areas against the tank wall, gravel, or aquatic plants, and eventually become exhausted and die. This disease can occur throughout the year, with the highest incidence in early spring and late autumn. Young fish that are injured or frozen are more susceptible to infection, and unfertilized or embryos with poor vitality are also prone to infestation. Treatment options include salt and malachite green.

Ruby fish is recommended not to be raised in a planted tank because they have a habit of digging. It is suggested to use specialized substrate for the bottom and pay attention to the planted aquatic plants to prevent them from being dug up by ruby fish.

Like most species in the Cichlidae family, ruby fish reproduce by pairing and exhibit strong parental behavior. The optimal conditions for breeding are pH 7.0-7.2, hardness 7-9, and water temperature 25-28°C. They prefer to lay eggs on smooth stones or flat surfaces. Ruby fish do not have high water quality requirements and are more suitable for neutral water conditions. Breeding this fish is not very difficult. Unlike other African cichlids, they do not employ mouthbrooding but reproduction through open incubation. During breeding, the male fish will clean a spawning site on a smooth stone and guide the female fish to lay eggs. The eggs are arranged in a circular pattern, with a quantity of about 250-300. The parents will care for the eggs, and after about 3 days, the fry will hatch and start to swim freely in about 5-6 days. The parents will continue to care for them until the fry are capable of feeding on their own.

Ruby fish has a large appetite and is relatively easy to care for. However, it is worth noting that due to their aggressive nature, they tend to prey on the fry of other fish. Therefore, it is recommended to raise them separately.

Ruby fish have a strong body, large food intake, and are easily adaptable. They do not have strict water quality requirements and prefer neutral water. They can grow well in water temperatures above 20°C. Ruby fish are not picky eaters and prefer animal-based feed. For newly hatched fry, use egg yolk as initial food, and after 5 days, gradually introduce powdered formulas for feeding. The method of dietary domestication is as follows: mix egg yolk and powdered formulas with water to form a paste-like consistency. The weight ratio of egg yolk to powdered formulas is 3:1 on the first day, 2:1 on the second day, 1:1 on the third day, 1:2 on the fourth day, 1:3 on the fifth day, and feed only powdered formulas on the sixth day. After 20 days, all the fry will have been fully nurtured into juvenile fish.