Sorry to say that jds are just boring a-s fish in my exsperience. I just had my 8 inch female jd pass a couple weeks ago and she was allways boring as hell its hole life. Her tank became a lightless tank in the end. With the light on at night or during the day she would allways hide. But at night was active and cruising around in the dark. I tried every thing in the world i could think of to make this fish cruise around with no effect. I tried bare bottom, all the way to lots or rocks, lots of hiding spots, lots of logs exct all the way from one to the other. With no difference. Only thing i found she liked that mad her more active was around 2 inches of small rock substrate she would pick up and move around and play with like a lot of cichlids. I tried temps from around 77-85 temp diddnt make a difference except how much she would except for feedings. would eat more and be more aggressive about eating in warmer temps. kept the tank between 80-82 in general. i tried alot of different kind of fish to get her to be active with them none of them ever worked except her last roomate. Which was a 8 inch del that were together for about 6 months. And they would swim around together weird combo but was cool. it diddnt make her more active by any means but they got along in a cool manner. So in my opinion and probaully most on here jds are a fish you have to love to keep for a exstended period of time because they are boring. It is probaully because they are a opportunist hunter instead of a open water swimer. At the end of the day they are worth keeping they are absolutely buitifull but will need to be in a community not a show peice or other wise you will probaully get rid of it. These are just my opinions and what i have exsperienced. Good luck with the jd
JD water temperature
- Thread starter bertrannnd
- Start date
OK so I added a dark background to my tank. I raised the temperature to 80+ degrees, and I added a powerhead with a venturi system. After 10 days my JD is way more active and less shy... she's not hiding all the time in the clay pots anymore... still she is very afraid of my my camera so it's hard to take pictures of her!
It's funny how everyone says Dempsey's are so skittish. My experience has been quite the opposite, but I will admit, my Dempsey was very skittish when he was in qt. By himself, he always hid. As part of a larger community with silver dollars, plecos and other large cichlids, he's always out, front and center. Youd never think mine was shy, because he and my Midas are always out in the open, and always at the front of the chow line.
I think the environment has alot to do with how they behave....as well as individual personality
I think the environment has alot to do with how they behave....as well as individual personality
They could be said to rule a tank from the shadows. When they emerge there's no doubt who's in charge.
I'd say "moody" and "fond of naps" instead of "skittish." ("Quirky" & "gluttonous" deserve honorable mentions.) If mine were a dog it would be a hound -- albeit a psychedelic one. And they never look the same twice in pictures. What's up with that?
I'd say "moody" and "fond of naps" instead of "skittish." ("Quirky" & "gluttonous" deserve honorable mentions.) If mine were a dog it would be a hound -- albeit a psychedelic one. And they never look the same twice in pictures. What's up with that?
ya mine is beautiful and is my favorite, she is also the boss of the tank. she can be skittish sometimes but she'll stay out most of the days and keep eveyone in chexk, like stated above she loooves to nap. ill never get rid of her till she dies but it mite be my last dempsey. fish like my texas have more personality
My Dempsey is alone in her 55 gal. tank. I don't want to add a male because I wouldn't know what to do with the fry... anyway I would like to add other fish... is it possible?? I'm not going to upgrade her tank anytime soon. I read that 55 gal. is enough for a single Dempsey. But is it possible to add other kind of fish and what?? I aded a small rescued green terror (about 2 inches) one night and the next morning all that was left was... its head!!! I guess she didn't like that cut!!!
I kept my dempsey in a 65 gallons with a firemouth and a convict. One day, the dempsey decided he did not want the other fish in his tank anymore. I had to separate them.
