Is it time to remove a fish? Possible problems

Lynsey

Lynsey

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Nov 28, 2002
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Here is my setup:
75 gallon long (5 feet long x 1.5 feet wide X 16" tall):
1 Albino Oscar (10.5" including tail)
1 Jack dempsey (6" including tail)
1 Sunshine Pleco L-14 (8")
4 Silver Dollars
2 Fluval 404 canisters, 1 Maxi-jet 1200, weekly water changes.

I added the JD about a month ago. They seem to get along great during the day, but at night I can see that they are starting to fight. Usually they don't touch each other, they just charge each other face to face with open mouths. There is no real damage being done, but tonight I saw that my Oscar backs into the corner and goes vertical with his nose in the gravel. Is this because he is scared? It seems like the JD is winning? Is this normal behavior that will work out, or should I remove the JD? I don't want my Oscar to be stressed. Is there anyway this will get better? or will it only get worse when the JD is bigger? If I remove the JD will it be ok for my Oscar to be the only cichlid in the tank or will he be lonely? I like the silver dollars, they seem to liven up the tank, and don't cause any problems. Any advice will be much appreciated.
 
A quotation from "Cichlid Species Profiles"

"The Dempsey is definitely not for the community tank. While they may be kept with other fish of similar size, the Dempsey is best kept in a species tank. Their aggressiveness should never be underestimated, and increases largely during spawning."
 
I would probably get rid of the jd. But you can still put stuff with oscars, somethin like a severum, something that gets slightly large and isnt real aggressive. Jds are too aggressive for most oscars.
 
Yeah, I had a Blood Parrot (5") that grew up with the Oscar since they were both about 1" and he tourmented it too much so I had to remove it. Maybe a severum would work.
 
I agree that you should consider removing the JD

I have never heard of or seen of a Jack Dempsey in peaceful cohabitation with anything...

I think severums are a good tankmate for Oscars.. I had some festivums that lived in a 55 gal with an oscar without incident..
 
Actually I think people over estimate a jack dempsey's aggresion level, your JD seems one of the high sides. I have had 3 and every one of them were little wimps that would run and hide every time you came in front of the tank, Now I know there are some that are actually aggressive, but from my experience its not as common as say a Green terror or texas or something else of equal "supposed" aggression level's. I actually saw a oscar whipping ones ass a few months ago at my lfs. The JD was in horrible shape and I even mentioned it to the guy at the front desk but he said "that jd should handle its own" so I said yeah he'll be handing you his own remains if that oscar keeps at him. Now I know Oscars aggresion is nowhere near that of the Jack normally,but I still think the Jd isn't much more aggresive. To me a JD is over rated. I"ve kept them with oscars and I am as we speak. I have a JD and a red tiger oscar together granted it is a 150 gallon but they are still together and the JD runs from the oscar if anything. Now don't get me wrong, Jack's can be mean especially when breeding, but in overall. I think they are kinda like convicts. just punks, if they had voices there would be alot of trash talking basically. On to the topic, if you do have a Jack that lives up to its name which it sounds like, I'd go ahead and remove it.
 
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