Lethargic Jack Dempsey

[Mike Kai]

Hey guys I have a roughly 5 inch jack dempsey I got about 8 months ago. He has done fine for the past 7 months but has suddenly become lethargic. The tank is a 40 gallon and it is cycled as well. He has always responded to food but apparently couldn't care less now. It is winter time here so the tank is at around 70-72 degrees even with the heater so I was thinking maybe that could be the reason as to his behavior. He has been hiding most of the time and wont even touch pellets. I've even tried to feed him live crayfish, which I know is advised against, out of desperation and he would just kill the crayfish but not eat it. He ate a tiny morsel of shrimp yesterday when I rubbed it against his face. I have no clue as to what is going on. Its like his entire personality just changed. I have a feeling this has started since I changed his food to Hikari Cichlid Gold(I used to feed him marineland flakes which he loved). He is the only fish in the tank and I would like to know what's going on so I can properly care for him. Thanks

 

[pops]

you have a pretty male. Male JD become quite lethargic when they mature, all they want to do is sleep and make little JD, feed him less, long as the water is pristine he should be fine. feed him 4 or 5 times a week,

 

[A201]

I think you hit all points; cooler water, and new variety of food and as noted above, adult JD behavior. I agree, nice looking Jack.

 

[philipraposo1982]

I think it's definitely temp related. Get a bigger heater or double up and get it to 75-77 and I bet you see a change.

 

[YankeeJack]

Nice fish! I agree warm up the water to 75 and see what happens.

Does he have any friends in the tank?

 

[Mike Kai]

Nice fish! I agree warm up the water to 75 and see what happens.

Does he have any friends in the tank?

Not until this morning. I only have two heaters atm. One for my flowerhorn and one for the dempsey tank so i had to move my silver dollars in with the dempsey temporarily. Dont worry tho theyre separated

 

[Kim1970]

Hey I'm new here but have a few jds blue acara 2 Africans in 55 gal water stays clears tests good fish won't eat pellets stay hidden??also best way to get uneaten flakes wastes out of tank

 

[Jexnell]

I had a heater go out on in my old JD tank. So I used the only spare I had. It at full blast would only keep the tank @70degF in the middle of winter. Both JDs in that tank drastically slowed down thiet eating to one time a day. When I got a new heater and the temps went back to normal they started eating normal again.

 

[duanes]

I agree the cool temp will slow it down.
And as they age, male JDs do become more and more territorial, only leaving their spots to eat, and attract a mate, and if a female appears, they hang out in front of their cave and display.
JDs also use dither fish like live bearers such as mollies to determine whether it's safe to wander, without the shoal of dithers, the older they get, the les they move, especially in the confine of a tiny tank like the one yours is confined to.
A couple videos of JDs in nature, a male usually guards a territory of about 250 gallons, which he patrols pushing him to move.
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