55 gal and Jack Dempsey's!

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yourwinter

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 13, 2005
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Chicago
Okay, I currently have a 55 gal tank. The only fish in it are 10 scissor-tailed rasboras...after so long they are boring. I want to get into Jack Dempsey's. Is a 55 gal suitable for them? If so, how many? I'm only wanting two or so...so females get along with other females? I know that the males tend to be MUCH more aggressive.
 
55 gallon should be able to house two Dempseys for life. As far as aggression goes I would have to say that it all depends on the attitude of the fish you get. I have owned some Depmseys that were so peacefull that they were able to live with kissing gouramis and angelfish. Others I have owned were very territorial and were best suited alone.
 
males are prettier than females though, but they can be hard/impossible to sex at the 1-2" sizes you see them at the lfs. You could try getting 2 small specimens and see how things go, but I think one might want the whole tank for itself. There are many other tankmates you could keep with them though if you so pleased.
 
yourwinter said:
Okay, I currently have a 55 gal tank. The only fish in it are 10 scissor-tailed rasboras...after so long they are boring. I want to get into Jack Dempsey's. Is a 55 gal suitable for them? If so, how many? I'm only wanting two or so...so females get along with other females? I know that the males tend to be MUCH more aggressive.
I suggest "blue jack dempsey" they wouldnt grow too big, and they r very nice
 
Ariel said:
I suggest "blue jack dempsey" they wouldnt grow too big, and they r very nice
problm with blues is they die realy easy. ive read to many threads where people got them and they died shortly afterwards. jacks i beleve full grown reach maybe 12 inchs on big side. It take long time to reach that size so you should be able to get away with a pair in there for a few years. When you look at the jacks your gonna buy. Look at there faces there will have blue spangles going down there face. Mle have little blue iredecent dots going half way down there cheek and females have them going all the way down. I think females look better then the males my self tho
 
Phatboy said:
You can buy a group of juveniles and as they grow, you can start picking out the ones you want to keep and sell/give the other ones away.


That would be a good idea..
 
A pair of JDs will be happy in a 55. Good luck with finding the M/Fs, but if you wait it out, you should end up with a nice pair.
 
Good luck finding them??? how could you not? I say get a pair of Dempseys, Texans, Green Terrors, and some Red Devils. Why not....you'll see some different temperments/attitudes and by the time they are growing well you too will have the sickness and be buying more tanks and you can spread them out :drool: And then you will have more tanks again and you can get rarer and even more hot stuff :shakehead Soon you wont' be able to hear yourself think. Pumps, air, flowing water, ITS TAKING OVER MY HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! :22_yikes: But the other guys are right....lotta nice tank mates for dempseys that are speckled looking that you'd prolly like.
 
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sleepyflight said:
Good luck finding them??? how could you not? I say get a pair of Dempseys, Texans, Green Terrors, and some Red Devils.....

While your intensions may be in the right place your advice is not. I'm not trying to be rude, however, that would be WAY overstocked in my opinion and therfore not the greatest of ideas. Be kind to your fish and they will reward you with years of [relatively] pain free entertainment. JMO
;)
 
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