Jack dempsy

[bennylax3]

if any, what are good tankmates for a jack dempsey

[NatakuTseng]

I think a big factor would be the tank size. Its kinda hit or miss too with the big cichlids. You could have a lot of different tanks mates with a JD. Convicts, Terrors, Oscars, Jaguars, a number of larger cat species. I'd suggest just looking around at some of the larger cichlid and cat species, find something that is similar in size and temperment. Like I said though, its kinda hit or miss.

[lee914]

I have had a lot of luck with Pike Cichlids and Oscars with JD's. Not that others do not work as well. Some cover just in case does not hurt. Do you have any in the tank now? and the size when you put them together could matter as well. I always added the same size together or if it was a new fish to a already established tank, then the new fish might be a little larger but never smaller. This may not always be the case but has been with my tanks.

[ScottoMacD]

Originally posted by NatakuTseng
I think a big factor would be the tank size. Its kinda hit or miss too with the big cichlids. You could have a lot of different tanks mates with a JD. Convicts, Terrors, Oscars, Jaguars, a number of larger cat species. I'd suggest just looking around at some of the larger cichlid and cat species, find something that is similar in size and temperment. Like I said though, its kinda hit or miss.

I agree completely with exception to the Jag. Their temperment (the jag) is just down right nasty. That would have to be a pretty big tank.

Here are some of the fish that I have kept with JD's
Texas
Severums
Rainbow Cichlids
P.Polleni
Chocolate cichlids
Blue Arcaras
Jewels
Festivums
Convicts
Synspilum
Blue JD's

Some other none cichlids
Spanner/t-bar barbs
arulius barbs
Hoplo cat
various plecos
Rosey barbs

There are a few others I can't think of right now.

Jacks are pretty easy to co-exist with. Granted it does depend on the temperemnt of each indvidual fish. I have had Jacks with smaller fish with no problems, then I have had a couple, of real SOB's (my current dominant male included) that needed a tankmate that kicked it's butt to keep it in it's place

[bennylax3]

rosey or ruby barb

[ScottoMacD]

Originally posted by bennylax3
rosey or ruby barb

Rosey. Ruby barbs just aren't fast enough. ;)

http://www.aquababies.com/images/3fish_lg2.jpg

[bennylax3]

would a tiger barb fast enough

[bennylax3]

and of the chilids you mentioned above which ones grow about the same rate as a jd

[ScottoMacD]

First. I would stay away from the tiger barbs. They will get beaten up. You want to keep fish that will be both dithers and targets. Bold enough to swim freely in the upper parts of the tank without hiding in the corner so your JD's will come out, and tough enough to take a good lashing and be fast enough to survive the inital brunt of the beating while able to get away from the rest that is bound to come.

For that I prefer spanner, and arulius barbs. Good looking and tough as nails.


Texas grow a little slower but make up for it in attitude.

Cons grow quite fast.

My big male JD got along very well with my big female synspilum. He's 7.5 inches she is 9.5 and keeps him in his place. They grew up together.

The rest seemed to grow a little slower than the JD's. Severums are very slow growers. Takes me forever to get my fry to a decent enough size to sell. That is on a very high protein diet as well.

I always though that my chocolate cichlid was a slow grower but before I knew it, she was 7 inches.

Regards.

[bennylax3]

one more question. how fast do green terrors grow

[SayersWeb]

Originally posted by ScottoMacD
For that I prefer spanner, and arulius barbs. Good looking and tough as nails.So, it looks like the Spanners get big enough to bw with full grown cichlids. Never heard of (or at least noticed) them. Are they common? Are they about the same price as Tiger Barbs? I'd like to grow some up for my bigger cichlid tanks. :)

[DeVitaf]

Originally posted by bennylax3
would a tiger barb fast enough

They weren't in my tank...
I had 6 that grew up peacefully with my dempsey until about two months ago. They began to disappear slowly over a two week period until they were gone.

If it wasn't my dempsey then my Pleco has one hell of an appetite :).

[DarthV]

Well he hasn't answered on his tank size as of yet... I wouldn't put a JD into a tank with other cichlids in anything less than a 50 or 55gal aquarium. Most JDs are relatively passive (but can hold their own), but there are some that are just downright nasty...

As for dither fish... even fast giant danios don't last forever with my carpinte or green terror...

[peifc]

Originally posted by DarthV
Well he hasn't answered on his tank size as of yet... I wouldn't put a JD into a tank with other cichlids in anything less than a 50 or 55gal aquarium. Most JDs are relatively passive (but can hold their own), but there are some that are just downright nasty...

As for dither fish... even fast giant danios don't last forever with my carpinte or green terror...

He has 29g. He wants to know how long he can have a small JD before he needs to upgrade the tank.

[DarthV]

Ooooh... never saw a tank size in this topic, must have been in another one :)

I'd take a guess you could keep a dempsey in a 29gal for quite some time by itself and a few dither fish... I'd probably want to move it to a larger home once it reached 6-7". My male grew quite fast, over an inch a month and showed no signs of stopping when I had to trade him to the LFS (he was terrorizing my larger GT). Females probably won't grow as fast.... also a varied diet of good quality food and 2-3 20-25% waterchanges a week will help with growth as well.

I think I'll probably get another dempsey for my work tank...once I have a few broods of A. spirulus, I'll probably trade them in... or get a larger tank and have both the pair of spirulum and a dempsey.

[bennylax3]

sorry bout the tanksize forgot. i am gettting a 29. i want to get one jd and when he is to big get a bigger tank or sell him back. but i am thinking about putting 5 ros barbs with it and a pleco. would the pleco get the barbs. he is only about 2" but when would he start eating them

[bennylax3]

would two green terrors work. i heard they are a little less aggressive and they grow slower than a jd

[DarthV]

I don't think they will grow much slower than JDs...or at least not slow enough to make a difference in the amount of time it will take to outgrow a 29gal tank. I'd stick with the JD, rosey barbs and a pleco for now.

[ScottoMacD]

Originally posted by bennylax3
would two green terrors work. i heard they are a little less aggressive and they grow slower than a jd

Actually terrors have quite a mean disposition. I would say that they are meaner than JD's by a long shot. Again though there are exceptions.

Terrors also tend to get quite a bit bigger than JD's on average. 2 or 3 inches may not seem like allot until you throw in 2 fish with territorial attitudes in a smaller overall area. Then those 4 to 6 combined inches make a huge difference.

[bennylax3]

i know they can get bigger. This is the deal. i am starting a 29 gallon tank and want a cichlid that will reach a larger size. I was looking for one that did not grow that fast. i like the jd but i hear they grow extremly fast like the oscar. form the lfs and what i have read green terrors grow slower. and from what all the people the fishs aggressiveness depends on its personaltiy more or less

[NatakuTseng]

Well not to be a smart butt here, but I'm gonna be :D You could always go african and get a Altolamprologus calvus or compressiceps ...... they grow slow. Though I don't think they would outgrow a 29gal, Nor do I think they could hang with a JD, but hey they do grow slow. I think I read somewhere that it can take them 3-4 years to reach maturity, note that isn't their full size.

[bennylax3]

thanks i will look into those

[Catlid]

i got a 8" gold severum and saw a electric blue jack dempsey thats about 2-3" would they get along? Or how bout with my africans?

[peifc]

What size tank? If your Severum already is a small tank, I don't think adding Blue Dempsey in is a good idea. And I'll not even think of adding Blue Dempsey in African tank since this fish can be sensitive toward water chemistry.

[Catlid]

it was so cool looking:( i need a big SA tank now

[peifc]

I just looked at your signature, Catlid. Your 25g tank is too small for a 8" Severum. You really need to upgrade the tank.

[Catlid]

I know:( anyone have a free tank?:D

[kevinfishboy]

If u want get another JD a firemouth or a pictus catfish

[mechanic]

I keep a pair of blue acara's and a pair of Oscar's with my Dempsey with no problems.
HTH
E