Juvenile jack Dempsey

[Gabby Rogel]

So I have a 55 g with
2 small firemouths
3 jack Dempsey's
One Convict
I've had them for 10months now. None of them seem to be growing. They're been the exact same size since I've got them. Is that normal?
I do 50% every week
I feed them bug bites, flakes, blood worms and, brine shrimp.
Am I overstocked ?
Im new to cichlids and these were given to me by someone who didn't want them anymore .
As far a decor goes I have 3 clay pots a big piece of Driftwood and a couple of plants.

 

[fishhead0103666]

That’s not normal. I bought a small fire mouth and he was maybe 2 inches and that was at least two months ago. Today he is about 3.5 inches I think, I haven’t measured him.

 

[Gabby Rogel]

I was

That’s not normal. I bought a small fire mouth and he was maybe 2 inches and that was at least two months ago. Today he is about 3.5 inches I think, I haven’t measured him.

I was told a min ago in my FB fish group that I'm totally over stocked.
I'm a cichlid newbie so I'm now realizing I F**Ked up. Oh man I feel awful.
I'm just ganna rehome a few of them to someone who has the space !
Ok so I really really want to keep the 1 JD and the Convict. Do u think I can keep one of the Firemouths or is that just pushing it ?

 

[fishhead0103666]

Cichlids aren’t really my area but duanes dan518 Stanzzzz7 should be able to help.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

A tank your size is too small for those fish. You may not look overstocked at the moment but your fish need their own territories.
I also believe your tank is on the small side for just one Jack Dempsey.
Firemouths are the most suitable fish on your list but not with the other cichlids.
You could keep a small group of firemouths, 1 male and say 4 females could work.
Alternatively you could just keep a pair of convicts.
Mixing c/a cichlids can be tricky in very large tanks. In tanks your size it's virtually impossible long term.
I know this is not what you want to hear but it is the reality of the situation.
Your fish are probably stressed and they will not thrive or grow to their full potential kept this way.

 

[Gabby Rogel]

Its

A tank your size is too small for those fish. You may not look overstocked at the moment but your fish need their own territories.
I also believe your tank is on the small side for just one Jack Dempsey.
Firemouths are the most suitable fish on your list but not with the other cichlids.
You could keep a small group of firemouths, 1 male and say 4 females could work.
Alternatively you could just keep a pair of convicts.
Mixing c/a cichlids can be tricky in very large tanks. In tanks your size it's virtually impossible long term.
I know this is not what you want to hear but it is the reality of the situation.
Your fish are probably stressed and they will not thrive or grow to their full potential kept this way.

It's what I needed to hear actually..I had a feeling it wasn't right. Im already planning to remove most of them. Thank u for the helpful advice. Lesson learned.
These guys were given to me by someone who didn't want them. Now I gotta find a bigger tank and rehome a few of them .

 

[Gabby Rogel]

I'm ganna go ahead and keep the two Firemouths instead...do a little redecorating. Hopefully they'll reach to their full potential .

 

[Stanzzzz7]

I'm ganna go ahead and keep the two Firemouths instead...do a little redecorating. Hopefully they'll reach to their full potential .

Sounds like a good move.
If I were you I would add a few more firemouths. They do better in groups and often are less aggressive than just a couple. Unless you have a bonded pair that is.

 

[Gabby Rogel]

Sounds like a good move.
If I were you I would add a few more firemouths. They do better in groups and often are less aggressive than just a couple. Unless you have a bonded pair that is.

Awesome I will ....
No pairing yet !

 

[duanes]

Although your cichlids are small now, I agree with Stanzzzz7, any one or two at adult size will probably max out that tank.
One of the reasons you may be seeing a lack of growth, is that similar hormone production by each individual cichlid may be stymieing the growth of the other, and with only only 50% water change per week, in a tank that size, those hormones keep concentrating.
I also agree the Thorichthys are your best bet to keep as a group of maybe 4 (a much more social species).
Rocio (JDs) sometimes seem especially prone to a lack of growth, and suffer the presence of other cichlids.
In the video below, note how torn up the JDs are when another cichlid dominates their natural waters, even though the Cenote is under constant water change upwelling from below ground.
027 zps4b102ffd
And in a Cenote where there is much more space, and the JDs are the dominant cichlid, their numbers, and health seems much better. Video below
Eden2
Many cichlids do much better when kept in a group of their own species (of cichlid) but can be housed with non cichlids such as the mollies (in the video above) tetras, or other other fish where competition for food, space, breeding sites, and/or competing growth hormones are not found.