Jack Dempsey behavior

[hoosier]

Can anyone with experience in JD's tell me if they make good "wet pets"? I adopted three of them at petco since nobody wanted them. They are REALLY timid and they hide whenever I walk close to the tank. are they just getting used to the environment or is this how they will behave in the future once they get settled in? can someone share their experience with them?


btw: ones about 5" big and the other 3.5"

 

[someonestolemyname]

well ive had my JD for about a year or so if you have caves in your tank their going to go in them and possibly stay in them until food comes out mine used to be all over the tank until i moved the tank and added a ship with a cave in it now he wont come out at all so if their already like that they might stay hidden and skitish but thats just my expeirence with one fish i have another in a different tank and hes the complete opposite

 

[jimk]

I think they will be active when they adjust to the tank. Like an Oscar, they will "beg" for food when acclimated and will probably let you hand feed them.

 

[Tongue33]

What are your tank surroundings.. Background helps.. I have had goos results with Light blue background, and Red background.. MY JD's almost never hide. even in the 110 that they are currently in til the 250 is up..

Even in my 150 they were always out... After i added a background ... And this tank was in the highest traffic area of my house

MY 55 that they were in .. They didn't come out til i put a background around 3 of the 4 sides.. Only leaving the face exposed..

 

[TenaciousTankBuster]

Can anyone with experience in JD's tell me if they make good "wet pets"? I adopted three of them at petco since nobody wanted them. They are REALLY timid and they hide whenever I walk close to the tank. are they just getting used to the environment or is this how they will behave in the future once they get settled in? can someone share their experience with them?


btw: ones about 5" big and the other 3.5"

By "Wet Pet" I'm assuming you mean to keep one solitary by himself? If that is the case then my suggestion for you would be NO, absolutely not! I've grown up well over a dozen JD's in the past 15 years well up to the 8 inch mark and then tried keeping them by themselves for nearly a year. Each and EVERY ONE was a skittish spazz of a fish that ran and hide everytime someone walked by the tank! Darting and flashing and spazzing out all the time!

Sorry but after 15 years of keeping well over a dozen JD's, I've come to the conclusion that they don't do well by themselves at all. And quite frankly nothing anyone has to say different isn't going to change my mind untill I see it with my own eyes that they can indeed be owner responsive. These fish are better off in a species tank if anything.

It's a shame because I love the species, but I can't stand the timid personalities of these fish. Which is why I'll never keep one alone again. Trust me, this is all based on experience here. They definitely DO NOT make good wet pets.

 

[Tongue33]

By "Wet Pet" I'm assuming you mean to keep one solitary by himself? If that is the case then my suggestion for you would be NO, absolutely not! I've grown up well over a dozen JD's in the past 15 years well up to the 8 inch mark and then tried keeping them by themselves for nearly a year. Each and EVERY ONE was a skittish spazz of a fish that ran and hide everytime someone walked by the tank! Darting and flashing and spazzing out all the time!

Sorry but after 15 years of keeping well over a dozen JD's, I've come to the conclusion that they don't do well by themselves at all. And quite frankly nothing anyone has to say different isn't going to change my mind untill I see it with my own eyes that they can indeed be owner responsive. These fish are better off in a species tank if anything.

It's a shame because I love the species, but I can't stand the timid personalities of these fish. Which is why I'll never keep one alone again. Trust me, this is all based on experience here. They definitely DO NOT make good wet pets.

Oh... MY bad.. I don't even know the meaning of "wet pet".. And i have never kept a JD by itself... Sounds like this very passionate Person has though.. SO i might be inclined to believe his experience..

If wet pet is a solitary deal then i have no words of wisdom for you..

Thanks for clearing that up Tenacious

 

[TenaciousTankBuster]

Oh... MY bad.. I don't even know the meaning of "wet pet".. And i have never kept a JD by itself... Sounds like this very passionate Person has though.. SO i might be inclined to believe his experience..

If wet pet is a solitary deal then i have no words of wisdom for you..

Thanks for clearing that up Tenacious

NP man. Anytime!

 

[thebestincali2000]

i have 2.one in each of my tanks.neither of them are skittish,but they also have tankmates.my little one doesnt even hide in the cave because my oscar keeps chasing him out of it.my other JD is a little bigger but had his tail chewed off by my buttikoferie. hes doing ok he swims fine, and hes the current king of the tank.

 

[hoosier]

By "Wet Pet" I'm assuming you mean to keep one solitary by himself? If that is the case then my suggestion for you would be NO, absolutely not! I've grown up well over a dozen JD's in the past 15 years well up to the 8 inch mark and then tried keeping them by themselves for nearly a year. Each and EVERY ONE was a skittish spazz of a fish that ran and hide everytime someone walked by the tank! Darting and flashing and spazzing out all the time!

Sorry but after 15 years of keeping well over a dozen JD's, I've come to the conclusion that they don't do well by themselves at all. And quite frankly nothing anyone has to say different isn't going to change my mind untill I see it with my own eyes that they can indeed be owner responsive. These fish are better off in a species tank if anything.

It's a shame because I love the species, but I can't stand the timid personalities of these fish. Which is why I'll never keep one alone again. Trust me, this is all based on experience here. They definitely DO NOT make good wet pets.

I messed p on using the term "wet pet" because I just want afishthat can be hand fed or come to the glass when I enter the room...that' all I want from the JD's. I'm not going to separate the two JD's unless the bigger one really bites the heck out of the smaller one.

 

[Oscarboyz]

give him some time he may be getting used to the tank mine eats like a pig and begs me for food every time i walk past. You could try to add few dither fish make sure they are to big or fast to get eaten by the jack dempseys.