Crenicichla jegui

JMorash · May 17, 2011

Hey guys,

I recently picked up a 6" Crenicichla cf. jegui (the one that grows up to be bright orange). This fish is a really great, but I severely under estimated it's aggression level. After QT I put it in a 120 gallon with a group of earth eaters (G. abalios and G. dicrozoster 4" - 6") and some myleus. I've kept some bigger saxa's in this tank before with no issues. They were bigger then the jegui but never bothered with the other fish.

Yesterday before leaving for work I noticed the earth eaters had some wounds around their heads. I honestly just thought the bigger dicrozoster was enforcing his dominance over the smaller fish so I didn't think much of it. However this morning I watched the pike grab hold off some of these earth eaters by the head and shake them like a rag doll. I think if I gave him the chance he would have decapitated the earth eaters.

I moved the jegui into a 75 with some driftwood cats and Crenicichla cametana. I hope he does well in there for sometime. I might move the cametana or stockii in with the earth eaters.

Anyone else out there keeping jegui (or cf.jegui)? If so how are you guys keeping these guys? Any luck with tank mates?

Thanks,

JMorash

Scatocephalus · May 17, 2011

Um, I've kept large Cr. jegui before and they are far from bright orange when mature. Cr. cf. jegui might be described as somewhat orange in the most liberal sense but I wouldn't be expecting a beacon of color when they grow up.

I kept mine in with chocolate cichlids, Geophagus, Heros sp. & large Silver Dollars and the only real problem I had with aggression was between the jegui themselves. And that was only when they saw each other. For the most part they sat on the bottom under their respective lairs and only came out at feeding time. The big one would chase the smaller one until the smaller one ducked out of site and that was it.

Cichlidgeek · May 17, 2011

I have my jegui in with three cametana (two of which are now showing brilliant red dorsal fins), but you should know that cf. jegui is a whole different animal. Ask Oliver about his first experience with them

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That said (above), I would NEVER add that fish (cf. jegui) in with another pike. Pikes, being the slender fish they usually are, will slide down the gullet of the cf. boy a lot easier. Just my 2 cents, take it or leave it.

JMorash · May 18, 2011

Currently the cametana are quite a bit larger than the cf.jegui, but regardless I wanna split them up. So I will probably throw the cametana in with the earth eaters. Kinda a bummer because I had a cool "black" theme tank with camentana and trachycorystes... oh well!

Thanks for the input guys!

terrors r us · Oct 20, 2016

I have two of them, when I first introduced them into the 600 gallon tank they went nuts..
First the smaller one attacked the bigger one and they locked jaws for 20 minutes, then the smaller one went to a different corner of the tank and both pikes attacked any fish that they saw...this includes other pikes,multispinosa, zebrina, large devils, trimacs, amarillo, etc. then with in a couple of days they settled in and no injury's.. Now they are just part of the tank and act like all the other fish but no one dared to screw with them...lol...really large lips and eyes on top of head like a toad. Also they are very active for a pike, but only swim in short spurts for the most part. The male doesn't even chase the female any more.
One of my all time favorite pikes...the larger one, I'm thinking male has a rustic/copper color all over the body...very nice.here are some pic's;