Large sub adult / adult Jack Dempsey

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J

JJM

Feeder Fish
Jul 28, 2025
4
2
3
45
Evart, MI, USA
I have a 3’ x 2’ by 1’ 50 gallon tank that I got cycled and added a 6-8” Jack Dempsey. He is still pale from the transport here. The tank has sand on the bottom which he moves all around and a beige wall behind it. If I put a colored background would that help boost his color? Also what can I put in his tank besides him? I had a large ship in there but it seemed to impede him moving around so I removed it. Can I put a 5” Terra cotta pot in there for him or is that going to be too small? Any specific food recommendations for boosting his color. I have some guppy fry (my own tank bred) in there for him and have been feeding bottom feeder pellets to because I forgot to grab cichlid pellets. I’m planning to order next day Amazon to get him some. (He just got here yesterday)
 
JJM said:
If I put a colored background would that help boost his color? Also what can I put in his tank besides him?
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Yes that should help. I suggest a tetra species such as Buenos Aires tetra. Some add large livebearer species for dithers.
 
In the wild when dithers are out and about doing thier thing, it tells cichlids that it is safe. Dithers group has many eyes and can see more of the environment. Can see bigger cichlids and especially birds, cichlids biggest predators in the wild. When dithers all run and hide it tells smaller cichlids that a predator is about and to hide as well.

A group of dithers, dithering about will give confidence to cichlids especially younger ones that's it's safe to be out.
 
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I don't think clown coaches will work since they are a bottom fish. Tiger barbs may do the trick. Naturally JDs coexist with tetras and live barers like swordtails or Molly's.
 
If you go tetras, pick tall bodied ones like Columbian, Diamond, Bleeding hearts, Buenos Aries etc, not the smal ones like neon. Also get a good sized group, as they live in groups of 100 plus. So I would do no less than 10.
 
Do you have a picture of the tank? It will make it easier to see what could be a solution.

Often cover from above is missing. The main predators for Jack Dempseys in nature are birds.
 
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Where JDs are endemic in the Cenotes of Mexico, they are normally surrounded by shoals of schooling species.
With their natural shoaling tendancies, the schooling fish are watched by Rocio (JDs) that warn of the threat of danger (usually by predatory birds such as cormorants)
Depeding of which cenote, the dithering species are sometimes Tetras (such as Astyanax), or live bearers such as mollies or Gambusia. https://hosting.photobucket.com/1f4...f9435739e.jpg?width=320&height=320&fit=bounds, https://hosting.photobucket.com/1f4...86c3f0996.jpg?width=320&height=320&fit=bounds
In the video below (in Cenote Azul, just south Akumal), they are surrounded by live bearers like Poecilia velifora.
 
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