Help please, identify this cichlid

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Tronthehoodfishy

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 1, 2017
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Hey everyone

My 2nd 55 finished cycling so I started moving fish over. I saw what was labeled as a peacock cichlid for $20 at petco and I bought him.

Unfortunately he ate 4 neon tetras in about 5 minutes so I removed the last neon overto my other 55 and left him in the new one.

What type of fish is he?

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He's going to continue to eat your small fish. Generally any type of cichlid is a bad tankmate for smaller community fish unless it's a peaceful dwarf like ram, keyholes, discus and angelfish. Luckily it wasn't a peacock cichlid because those grow very large. Dempseys do as well but not to the extent of a peacock cichlid. If I were you I'd return him
 
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kewpiefishypewpie said:
I would return him just to get your money back, that Jack Dempsey isn't worth $20. Unless it's bigger than I can tell? How big is it?
Click to expand...

He is 4 inches. Can't comprehend returning a live creature and it would really mess with me and stress me out what is the smallest tank I can buy to leave him in? 40?
 
Even a peacock or angel fish will eat your neon tetras. A 78 gallon would last him and he could have a similar sized tank mate. By that I mean a cichlid that grows to the same size as a dempsey around 10 inches. An electric blue jd would go nice but they are usually not tough enough. A couple of firemouths might work and add some color too.
 
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As an adult a properly cared for male JD will reach 10", and I consider a 55 gal way to small.
Here's a 10" JD chasing adult (3"-4") live bearers in Mexico, near Cancun

There are 2 kinds of peacock cichlids, the rift lake Africans (Aulonacara's),
which might be OK n a 55, but will still eat neons

and those from the genus Cichla which get 3ft long and need at least 1000 gallons
 
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