Jaguar Personality

[Bobby2415]

I was looking to get some peoples experiences with Jaguar cichlids. Mainly I’m wondering about how their personality progressed through baby to matured. I know they are aggressive but how was your Jaguar as far as swimming around front and center or hiding the majority of the time. Also, where was your tank located (main room with a lot of foot traffic or not) and were there any tank mates. Thanks!

 

[BIG-G]

I’ve had a few jags though the years.
It really does depend on the fish.
They go through the normal personalities as they grow and gain territory and confidence, up until they get some age and start to slow down and loose some of their aggression.

I’ve had females that were timid and shy till their first spawn and they get hyper agro!

I had big male jag that was a total psycho
Splashing water out, trying to kill anything that got near his tank.
Once my wife and I had been out and she won a stuffed toy, came home and placed it near the jags tank and he went crazy trying to kill this toy outside his tank.

 

[Magnus_Bane]

I was looking to get some peoples experiences with Jaguar cichlids. Mainly I’m wondering about how their personality progressed through baby to matured. I know they are aggressive but how was your Jaguar as far as swimming around front and center or hiding the majority of the time. Also, where was your tank located (main room with a lot of foot traffic or not) and were there any tank mates. Thanks!

In my experiences Jaguar's are extremely aggressive as juviniles to adolescents but tend to calm down as they get older. Mine was kept with bigger more aggressive fish after it had calmed down from living out the first part of its life alone. My tanks were kept in the garage but it was the main hangout spot for the longest time so I would imagine it being no different in a house. Mine was honestly mild mannered compaired to how other ppl describe theirs. She had no problems with swimming around out in the open or defending herself from the other fish but she did have problems with the male convict in the tank, he's just an extremely mean fish.

Honestly if ya plan on getting a jag of your own I would highly recommend keeping it alone or with other larger aggressive Cichlids species. If ya introduce it to the tank as a baby just expect there to be some bloodshed or dead fish in the tank after a while. They can be real pcycopaths when young. Also I highly recommend no live food, mine used to starve itself for a week, everytime, after it got some guppies or worms to eat. I also recommend keeping a canopy of plants at the top of the tank, fake or live shouldn't matter. They like to have cover to hide underneath, they also hunt allot like a bass will out in the wild, they like to sit underneath a large plant mat and wait for something to either hit the surface or swim close enough to lunge at.

 

[Bobby2415]

Thanks for the replies. So here is the dilemma. I have a 90 gallon standard and it has a Jaguar, JD, and Dovii, who are all about 6”. I also have a RD that is closer to 3”-4”, as well as a pair of smaller convicts and a couple dither fish. They all get along for the most part as of now.

My original plan was to raise them up until they outgrow the tank or aggression becomes an issue, and in the end keep the Dovii as a single fish. (I will be getting a 180+ gallon when we end up finishing our basement).

The wife has taken a liking to the Jaguar and I think has talked me into keeping it as the single fish (I will probably rehome the Dovii sooner than later). I figure I have more time with the Jaguar vs Dovii as far as outgrowing the tank anyway.

So unfortunately the Jaguar spends alot of its time stationary in the back corners of the tank. He does come out to eat (probably the most aggressive eater I have) and it does every once in a while swim around the tank.

My main concern is that If I keep the Jaguar as a solo fish it will continue to not be very active. The fish tank is in the living room and I was hoping to not have it look like an empty tank the majority of the time. In everyone’s experience, do you think if I keep the Jaguar by itself it will come out more?

The order I added the fish are;

JD- 08/2019
Jaguar- 11/2019
Dovii- 12/30/2019
RD- 1/2020.

Sorry for the long winded post. Here are a couple pictures of the Jaguar. Not sure on male or female. Some times it has the spots all over its body, looking more like a male, and other times has more bars like a female.

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[HybridFinatic]

Jags can be shy as juveniles and he will only improve on this. Your best off rehoming any fish you don’t plan on keeping long term asap. And Yes it should come out more once it is solo.

 

[Bobby2415]

Jags can be shy as juveniles and he will only improve on this. Your best off rehoming any fish you don’t plan on keeping long term asap. And Yes it should come out more once it is solo.

Thanks for the reply, that’s what I was hoping would be the case.

 

[LDPatton]

Stick the jag in a 6’ tank or larger solo and he will patrol the tank and swim up to the glass to make sure everyone knows hes the boss. Mines in an 85 solo and he patrols end to end and meets me at the glass. Hes going into a 300 gallon in a few days. I have pothos covering the whole top of the tank.

 

[Bobby2415]

Stick the jag in a 6’ tank or larger solo and he will patrol the tank and swim up to the glass to make sure everyone knows hes the boss. Mines in an 85 solo and he patrols end to end and meets me at the glass. Hes going into a 300 gallon in a few days. I have pothos covering the whole top of the tank.

How big is yours currently?

 

[LDPatton]

Hes 9.5 - 10”.