Jack Dempseys & Territory

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Amn.mohamed3

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 29, 2014
24
1
3
Chicago, IL
My Jack Dempsey was the most peaceful fish EVER. Wouldn't hurt a minnow :D
Until I introduced my silver arowana....
It started eating very aggressively because it was afraid the arowana would outgrow it, which was good.
However the arowana would just eat a little more which would piss off the jack Dempsey.
The Jack Dempsey was introduced first and therefore felt that it's territory was threatened.
They got along very well for the first 3 weeks.
But eventually the Jack Dempsey was very threatened one day and gutted my Aro.
We woke up to find a barely breathing arowana with no fins and internal organ damage.
We kept it in our hospital täñk and kept the water level low. It was breathing but barely. It ingested some salt for internal organ repair. By the next morning it died. Sad experience as it was my fav fish.
For the past three days I just feel like putting in a Jardini in that tank and letting it DESTROY my JD. Now he'll be with my pleco in the 75. Would you suggest any tankmates other than minnows LOL. It doesn't go near those things. Don't suggest oscars though because he'll feel threatened but instead he would die. Maybe some female JD's that are smaller?
 
How about a couple smaller cichlids like cons, hrps, firemouth or acara? A delhezi poly would be nice too.
 
I have watched adult territorial male JDs in nature defend an area of @ 4ft x 4 ft x 4ft, where they seem to tolerate many minnowlike live bearers, but little else. This is an area of about 250 gallons, if your tank is smaller, you may be out of luck as far as large tank mates go.

At @1 minute you can see how far a male can go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8OVy3JKxcw
 
It is a possibility breeding could occur. When my cichlids breed, I usually offer as many different partners as I can, so aggression is spread out, and to offer the most suitable female.
2 could work 3 better, 6 even better yet.
Before my grammodes spawned, the male killed (or tried to kill) 4 others, before he decided the 5th was the charm.
At this time I have a group of multispinosa growing out in order to get a pair, to hopefully spawn, I believe there are 10 in the tank.



Amn.mohamed3 said:
Do you think if I keep a couple of females in a different tank and then introduce him about a week later he will breed?
Click to expand...
 
I'd suggest more mild mannered cichlids that give way. I've had my 2 yr old male JD with Severums, Geo's, Sajica, non cichlids, stingray, flagtail prochilodus, SD's and he doesn't so much as pay them any mind. Also when adding fish with him the new fish must be smaller but not small enough to fit in his mouth. This way just like the OP said they don't find them as a threat to their food source. Besides reproducing living as in feeding is instinctual priority.

I keep everyone well fed up to 3 x daily and this is in a 180. My JD even hand feeds for me which I find pretty rare considering all I hear is that they are skittish and jumpy. My EBJD is true to that, he takes off if I turn my head to fast to look at him from across the room.
 
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