Jack Dempsey tank size

[Spence]

I currently have JD pair in a standard 75 gallon. It really seems to be excessive for these guys. They are a bit over a year old and the male is about 9 inches and the female is probably 5 inches. Together they use maybe 1 foot of the entire tank. Really this has to be the laziest fish I've ever kept. They spend the day lounging in a flower pot cave and pretty much only poke their heads out during feeding. The male doesn't even go looking for food outside the cave either as he waits for the food to be pushed by the filter to the cave. The female will venture out a bit during feeding.

So my question is really what is the Dempsy tank size requirement based on? I honestly beleive these two could live in a 10 gallon based on activity (not something I'm actually considering). Is the 75 gallon size solely a suggestion based on water quality? I hate rehoming fish, but I don't think I can justify dedicating the entire 75 gallon to these two for much longer.

 

[duanes]

My size tank per size of fish rule, (I adhere to for myself), is 10 gallons per each inch of length. So minimum 90 gallons for a JD pair with a 9" male, with maybe some live bearing dithers, like they would encounter in nature.
To me a 75 is too small, although many people do it.
Here is a video of how they live in nature, notice how much space they have to use, if needed.
Eden2

 

[tcav88]

My size tank per size of fish rule, (I adhere to for myself), is 10 gallons per each inch of length. So minimum 90 gallons for a JD pair with a 9" male, with maybe some live bearing dithers, like they would encounter in nature.
To me a 75 is too small, although many people do it.
Here is a video of how they live in nature, notice how much space they have to use, if needed.
Eden2

Same as my rule of thumb

 

[Spence]

So would you say the length is for territory? This fish doesn't move. Most people that see that tank assume its empty except for the few mollies that are in there.

 

[fishhead0103666]

I'm just spit balling here but perhaps they need a little something to get them going, perhaps some dither fish that they'll have to expend energy chasing away from their chosen home? Again just spit balling.

 

[Spence]

Honestly, I've tried a bunch of things to get them moving. I've had tetras and mollies in the tank with them. I've also tried keeping the male single for a while. I've taken out the hides and had an almost bare tank. He just likes to hang out under the fliter intake. The female pretty much just follows him (which is pretty much no where). I've just come to accept the fact that he like it this way, so I let him be and don't mess with his tank anymore. Even when I clean the tank he will stay in his cave while I move it to vacuum around him. He seems healthy and has good color I'm not sure what else I could try.

 

[duanes]

I agree with fishead103666's spitballing, you notice in the video all the dither fish. JDs and other cichlids determine the threat of danger (so they can move freely around) by the actions of aimless shoaling species. If the dithers are calm, JDs are calm, if the dithers dart for cover, the cichlids know they should too.
Most JD predation, comes from above.

Without that "early warning" alert system, the JDs are constantly paranoid and tend to hide.
They also feast on live bearer fry when available.
In nature a spawning pair of JDs with guard an area, of about 250 gallons, from any other cichlid.
In the video below note the JD chasing away an intruder at about the 1 minute mark, that area is about 250 gallons.
Note their apparent disregard, for the dithering live bearers.
Cristalino

 

[Jexnell]

My JDs were the same way. Always hiding, rarely seen outside of thier hides. I believe most of this is the nature of this particular species of fish. I think they are more of an ambush hunter rather than a pursuit hunter. So naturally they will hide more so.

 

[Rocksor]

Had 2 different JDs at different times with dither fish, and in my experience they liked to hang around their territory, rarely moving in 5 feet of space. The dither fish (giant danios) rarely were spooked even during a water change. If I were to keep a JD again, I would go for something longer (6-8 feet) and see if their behaviors would be different.

 

[Mitchell The Monster]

I have had just one JD in my personal tank ever. He was picky and skittish for the first month or so then I bought a baby oscar, severum, tiger barbs and others then all of the sudden my little JD was eating tons, putting on size and became a mini glassbanger in the matter of days. My grandparents had some and my cousin has one and never have I in person seen an adult shy JD. Maybe its because of the dithers and such as others have obivously mentioned.