Jack Dempsey's a mean son of a gun.

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WestTex

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jun 15, 2008
135
0
16
New Braunfels, Texas
So i redid my 55 gallon with black sand, lots of driftwood, rock work, and a few thickets of plants. I added a young Jack Dempsey to the tank and an african featherfin catfish. The Jack would pester the featherfin a bit but nothing that he couldn't handle. I let the Jack settle in for about 2 weeks and then I added a Texas Cichlid that is about the same size. I thought that they would fight a little until they sorted out their pecking order. Being young fish I thought they might be ok with one another.

The Jack is like a blood hound. If he so much as catches a glimps of the Texas Cichlid he goes at him relentlessly. Its only been 3 days, but this behavior is still continuing. I noted some fin damage on the caudal fin but nothing else. I know I need to take back the Texas Cichlid, he won't thrive with that kind of behavior. I'm off tomarrow and the plan is to take him back then.

Any suggestions on a type of cichlid that would be able to live with the jack and still fit in the 55 gal?

Only other fish I want in the tank is some kind of plec, and either an ornate or armored bichir. I don't even know at this point if that would work.

Don't get me wrong, i love the Jack, he's got alot of personality and i dig his attitude. This is my first Jack so any help from the folks that know would be awsome.

Thanks in advance.
 
There are some decent cichlids that will be okay with the Jack as long as that's not the permanent home. The featherfin will get up to 8 inches & the jack is large as well. Do you plan on giving them a larger home? How big are the fish currently?
 
my jack will destroy any smallish fish except cat fish, but he's been living fine with a blood parrot, oscar, severum, and geophagus for several months now. He's bigger than all but the blood parrot, but he leaves everyone alone all the same. I recently put a couple mollies in the tank to clean off some algae and the jack destroyed them, so he's definitely still aggressive. I apparently just found the right mix of fish for him.
 
yeah its all about just finding the one that he gets along with but in that small of a tank its going to be hard, also an ornate bichir and armored (im guessing you mean endli but correct me if this is wrong) will get WAY to big for a 55g tank even within a year, you could do like 2 senegals or something and they are very active and swim all over, they are great bichirs that dont get too big
 
Sarah88;4184006; said:
yeah its all about just finding the one that he gets along with but in that small of a tank its going to be hard, also an ornate bichir and armored (im guessing you mean endli but correct me if this is wrong) will get WAY to big for a 55g tank even within a year, you could do like 2 senegals or something and they are very active and swim all over, they are great bichirs that dont get too big
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Agreed
 
Was thinkin Delhezi, but they are pretty hard to find so far. I've had senegals before and i enjoyed them. Just trying for things I havn't kept so far. I'll probably just keep the jack as the solo cichlid and add a senegal and a smaller plec and leave it at that.
 
my dempsey killed its fellow dempsey when it was in a 60g tank. moved him in my 220 with a foot long oscar and a malawi of the same size and temperament and he's fine they dont bother each other, oh my dempsey is about 7 inch.
 
So the Tex is still in there. Looking a little worse. Gonna remove everything from the tank and get him out of there. Tried yesterday and there's just too much cover to catch him.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to go with just the jack, the cat, a small species of plec, and try to see if he'll leave a senegal bichir alone.

On another unrelated note. I live next to this river called the Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas. Its spring fed and is 75 degrees year round and crystal clear. I went tubing the other day and I noticed something funny attached to a rock. Dove in and found that the river has a population of what look like sail fin plecs. The one I saw was about 16 inches long. After I saw him I've been keeping my eye out for them. They are pretty prevalent in there.
 
Catching tiny fish is annoying. But I cant see a texas living with a dempsey in a 55gal. Thats asking for trouble. JD probably wouldnt bother a bichir. I keep a JD with my tex and carpentis but then again,
My male Dempsey is just a big puss. Have a look ....

On another note. Id like to go to south america and do some wild cichlid fishing :D I need a vacation soon anyway.
 
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