Jack Dempsey...attitude, temperament, etc?

[JoeBoxer]

Hi all,

Just wondering what JDs are like compared to, say, Green Terrors, Jags, etc.

Are they comparable in attitude, personality, wet pet rating, aggro, etc, to GTs?

Just wondering, I've never owned one but have always liked how they look.

Thanks!

J

 

[vinod_uthaiah]

JD's are mild natured fishes when compared to the notorious Jags and even the GT too.
They love to hang out at the bottom of the tanks.
If kept in a community , you can see them hiding and avoiding other tank mates.
If kept alone or as a pair they are personable but not like they would feed of your hands.
That is my experience with them.

 

[JoeBoxer]

JD's are mild natured fishes when compared to the notorious Jags and even the GT too.
They love to hang out at the bottom of the tanks.
If kept in a community , you can see them hiding and avoiding other tank mates.
If kept alone or as a pair they are personable but not like they would feed of your hands.
That is my experience with them.

Thanks for your input. I just read the other thread on JDs after I posted this, so a little redundant, my bad.

Sounds like they are a bit shyer than GTs and maybe on par with jags? Most jags I've seen are pretty shy, but then again haven't seen any over 10".

So not the best single fish tank eh?

If only oscars were a bit smaller

 

[newworld]

I currently have a wild pair with a bunch of l. Trewavasae, no problems at all I mainly use them as dithers....managuense are more aggressive...my female will pull worms out of my hand from the surface..

 

[cichlidfish]

JD's are mild natured fishes when compared to the notorious Jags and even the GT too.
They love to hang out at the bottom of the tanks.
If kept in a community , you can see them hiding and avoiding other tank mates.
If kept alone or as a pair they are personable but not like they would feed of your hands.
That is my experience with them.

This has been my experience too. Great fish, miss having one sometimes.

 

[vinod_uthaiah]

Thanks for your input. I just read the other thread on JDs after I posted this, so a little redundant, my bad.

Sounds like they are a bit shyer than GTs and maybe on par with jags? Most jags I've seen are pretty shy, but then again haven't seen any over 10".

So not the best single fish tank eh?

If only oscars were a bit smaller

thy are not best single fish for a tank.... How about a single or a pair of Yellow jackets ( Freddy or a Lois).. they are quite personable , slow growers ...very interactive too

 

[JoeBoxer]

thy are not best single fish for a tank.... How about a single or a pair of Yellow jackets ( Freddy or a Lois).. they are quite personable , slow growers ...very interactive too

Impossible to find around here and I think ordering online to Canada would be too expensive. Probably settle for a GT because I love their colour and they always seem to be personable and not shy. Was also thinking an aggressive community maybe convicts jewels fire mouths maybe salvini but that may be a headache in the making haha

 

[duanes]

I've watch a mated pair of JDs defend an area in nature of about 250 gals (4ftx4ftx4ft) from any other cichlids, while allowing entire shoals of live bearers free reign, although they will occasionally eat some. I believe the reason many JDs are shy in aquariums, is because they are not given those shoals of dither fish to watch, and judge danger (like in nature), and that tanks provided are too small, and as you can see in my video from the Yucatan in Mexico, they like lots of cover.

 

[cichlidfish]

I currently have a wild pair with a bunch of l. Trewavasae, no problems at all I mainly use them as dithers....managuense are more aggressive...my female will pull worms out of my hand from the surface..

Do you have pics? I bet they are gorgeous.

 

[typicalalex1]

JD's are very territorial.
Mine has his own area under a piece of bog wood that no other cichlid is allowed in. He lets the clown loaches in most of the time, though there are 9 and he'd never get them out even if he wanted to.
He squabbles with my Firemouth quite often. It's just flexing from both of them and no damage has ever been done.

I wouldn't say they are overly aggressive. I've never had one picking on other fish for no reason.
They tend to spend most of their time near the bottom of the tank but will become much more active when they think food is coming.