jamiez_af;4128833; said:
I love jack dempseys so I went and bought 3 baby ones,they only 1.5" to 2" big ...
Since you already bought the Dempseys, I'll keep my ideas based around them...
I share your love for them. I've owned & bred more Dempseys than any other fish...
jamiez_af;4128833; said:
my interests lay in the area of big aggressive fish like jacks, firemouths, green terrors, convicts and oscars.
For reference, the fish you listed fall in the medium category moer so than the large. Oscars get big but are not so 'aggressive'. But they are all still great fish and every species you mentioned would potentially work in your tank with Dempsey(s).
jamiez_af;4128833; said:
Im not sure on the breeding part because I want the quantity and possibility of selling back to pet store but i don't want the added aggressive to tear my fish apart.
Personally, I would suggest to either a community set up, or a breeding set up... but suggest against trying to make both in the same tank. At least with the species you are interested in.
I'm not saying it is impossible to make it work... I'm just saying it will be quite difficult to find "just the right balance" and many people get highly discouraged by the failures along the way.
Also, any breeding community set up with these species is giong to have the potential to fall out of balance at any time. I've seen/had such set ups last forquite some time without to much issue... then over night all heck break loose...
jamiez_af;4128833; said:
would a pleco be possible in this tank? with sufficient hiding places (can also keep breeding to minimum if i want).
Sure... Common Plecos can stand up to most Cichlids including all fo the species you've mentioned thus far. Just keep in mind that Common Plecos can get 18"+ and at larger sizes are poop machines. I wouldn't keep one if you paid me to...
There are a number of other species of Plecos that could work though. Even the smaller species mix well with Cichlids provided they have ample 'caves' the Cichlids cannot fit into. Something as simple as a pile of rocks works great for them. Adding a tube gives the potential for breeding them.
jamiez_af;4128833; said:
I love jack dempseys so I went and bought 3 baby ones,they only 1.5" to 2" big ...
Personally, I think you would be best off to keep the prettiest male and return the others...
Male fish of very similar looking species often do not get along. So a male Dempsey will likely clash with something like a male Green Terror or a male Salvini. Though females of either species would probably work out well.
Oscars and Dempseys have been a well known good combo for decades. Naturally balancing sizes can be a bit of a complicated choice, but at adult size they mix very well.
Firemouthes adn Convicts will also work well. I would also suggest considering Severums as a commonly available tankmate that should blend in with this combo quite well.
If you really really want to breed, I would encourage you avoid breeding pairs of the more powerful fish in your tank and encourage you to consider pairing up the weaker fish. A pair of of Dempseys in a tank such as I am describing would likely dominant and suppress tankamtes. But a pair of Firemouthes (for instance) in such a tank would instead become an equal power to the tuogher fish as opposed to a dominating force.
I've also kept Black Ghost Knives with Cichlids such as you are considering. They usually aren't seen much but their unique shape and behavior make them a very interesting addition. Also they are so different from Cichlids they rarely clash with them.
