Need quick ideas before tomorrow!

[Kennedy327]

Ok, I have 2 jack dempseys in a 55g to grow out until I get a 75 or larger running. The male is 3 inches and the female about 2.5. They got along great at first, but now the male is getting mean. all he does all day is hide in a cave, when the female comes outta the back corner of the tank he chases her back and gets back in his cave. obviously this isnt gonna go good for the female so I called my lfs that I bought these from. They said I can either take 1 or both back for a trade.

My options are:

1. Keep the male by himself (hes good looking just always hides, boring tank)
2. Keep the female and get her a friend (shes kinda ugly and colors are washed out, might get the same issue with a different fish)
3. Keep the male and try for a different kinda tank mate (probably wont work)
4. Return both and get something else, but what.

Right now Im thinking option 4. My tank is well established 55g. Playsand substrate, plenty of hiding with rocks and plants. I have one live sword right now, will add more with better lighting and will eventually get some driftwood also.

Lfs has your basics. JD, oscar, severums, sals, some sort of geos, firemouths, cons, rams, green terror, midas, so on.

Im ok with one fish tank as long as the fish is active, atleast more so then my male jd who never comes out and only eats when I walk away, female was sociable. the sevs, sals, and geos are cool, but not sure I can afford 2 of them right away, would only get one at first.

If I can get something that will be able to stay in the 55 forever thats fine but can upgrade within a year or less if needed.

give me ideas, going to the lfs tomorrow. This is your guys chance to push or favs! right now Im leaning twards a pair of fms, sevs, geos or 1 smaller oscar to grow out.

[ChiaJesus]

Throw a red terror into the tank. He'll show the JD who's boss. :) (Just kidding)

If you want to keep both of your existing fish then I suggest adding some dither fish. I use red hook silver dollars but a single convict and maybe a bristlenose pleco might be good enough.

[Kennedy327]

Throw a red terror into the tank. He'll show the JD who's boss. :) (Just kidding)

If you want to keep both of your existing fish then I suggest adding some dither fish. I use red hook silver dollars but a single convict and maybe a bristlenose pleco might be good enough.

thats funny you say that. I actually not knowing what I was getting put a midas in there and the male was a total tool twards the midas, after looking into what I did, I quickly returned the midas.

[ohhsweetness]

get a differet male /female find a prettier female ...a bigger one not by much though

[Kennedy327]

get a differet male /female find a prettier female ...a bigger one not by much though

Pickings are slim in my area right now. the store Im returning the fish to dont really have a good selection of sexable jd, from what you can tell there isnt many females. Im probably going to either replace the female with something that wont put up with the crap, or get something different all together and set up another tank while I wait for a larger male and just house him by himself or if I get a huge tank, in a community.