Hey, I have a few questions for all of you that have Dempsey's, or used to have them. My Dempsey seems really skittish, and if it's in the middle of the tank when I come it, it bolts to the back and hides. I have a fairly heavily planted tank with driftwood, flower pots and rock for it to hide behind so there's plenty of cover for it. I have a Raphael cat, a pictus cat, a bristle nose pleco and a school of 8 tiger barbs in the tank with it. The Dempsey never seems to go after the barbs, and I know they might be unsafe eventually but they seem fine now. Could the dempsey be hiding because of the other fish or is it's personality just to hide a lot. I really like the fish and I wish I could see it more. Water quality is good, and my GH is around 10 because I know they like harder water. My ph is around 6.6 because I have pressurized co2. Thanks for any input, and sorry for making this so long.
Dempsey behavior
- Thread starter rrogan
- Start date
the 1 i got rid of this morning would do that it was only couple inches long. replaced it with a jewel that does the same thing. the jd had been in there about a month.
I have a Dempsey in my tank and at first it was a little skittish and would hide a lot. Now it sits in the front of the tank and any time I come near the tank it goes to the top. I have had him for a little over two years. Give yours some time to adjust. What size tank do you have it in?
ive had a JD for close to 7 years now and he isnt the least bit skittish. he's probably almost 7 inches long and has no problem messing with me while im cleaning the tank. he'll come right up to my arm and almost rub himself against it or he'll get in the way of my gravel vac. maybe hes just a jerk, haha.
Try adding 6 or so long fin danios for darter fish. There so fast cichlids don't usually bother chasing them and it will actully encourage skittish fish to come out from it.
This is mine sitting at the front of the tank. When I had this one in a sixty gal he did hang back and hide alot more. Took me a little over a year to move him to a bigger tank but he is a lot more social now . 
I notice mine kinda lounges around and sits on the bottom of the tank or in plants and stuff too,but when I like get up from my chair or something it'll scramble behind plants or something. Maybe I'll try rearranging the tank a little to make a more friendly area for the dempsey. I'll get you some pics soon, but I just moved stuff around so theres some stuff floating around now.
i have had mine for almost 4 months now and he is about 4 1/2" to 5" long, every time i come into my room he acts like a puppy and swims back and forth for my attention
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