Depressed Jack Dempsey
- Thread starter GarGuy
- Start date
for a JD, a 55 is min, you had him/her for years and shes only 5 inches? she/he is stunted ( a very painful time for the JD, as he may look like hes stopped growing, but his insides NEVER stop growing, which slowly but painfully kills him WAY before his time is up ) i would either get a 55 or find something that is suitable for you r 29. he may not have a chance ( depending on how long he has been in the 29 ) to even grow anymore..
Yikes, I had no idea. The tank isn't crowded at all though. I have a couple fake plants and a small piece of driftwood and a cave decoration, but they don't take up alot of space.
I did some more water changes tonight. The JD is staying near the surface the water, but he isn't gasping or breathing heavily as if he was trying to get air. I'll see how he is later today.
I did some more water changes tonight. The JD is staying near the surface the water, but he isn't gasping or breathing heavily as if he was trying to get air. I'll see how he is later today.
Do not project human thinking to fish. Fish is not intellegent enough to feel empathy and be depressed because a tankmate died. They are carnabal and will readily eat their dead mate or siblings if they are hungry enough.
The reason your JD is hiding in the corner is that JD are timid cichlid that need schooling tankmates to provide security shield for them to come out of hiding. After his firemouth tankmate died, he felt insecure for a sudden loss of his security shield. Add a bunch of boisterous tankmates like convicts, jewel fish or firemouth and he will come out. JD are unlike Red Devel or Texas you can keep as a solidary wet pet and need tankmates.
The reason your JD is hiding in the corner is that JD are timid cichlid that need schooling tankmates to provide security shield for them to come out of hiding. After his firemouth tankmate died, he felt insecure for a sudden loss of his security shield. Add a bunch of boisterous tankmates like convicts, jewel fish or firemouth and he will come out. JD are unlike Red Devel or Texas you can keep as a solidary wet pet and need tankmates.
After being kept in such a small tank for several years the JD could be stunted. This was a concern for me after reading your earlier post. Many times people only consider the current juvenile size of their fish when considering tank space. You also have to consider the adult size and living requirements for the species. Some fish may not grow very large but they require a large area to forage, swim, and exhibit other natural behaviors of their species. In your case with a JD with a few tank mates I would use a 55 gallon. Don't beat yourself up about it though since you honestly didn't know. We all learn new things in this hobby every day. Just move forward with what you've learned. I hope the JD recovers soon. BTW...please do not load a bunch of new Cichlids in your 29 gallon to make the JD more active. The tank is too small for more cichlids especially Convicts. If you get a breeding pair in there, they will quickly dominate the tank and make life pretty bad for the JD you are trying to save. I think a small school of robust Tetras or Barbs will be much better in your case until the JD improves and you can provide a larger aquarium.
