This week I will be buying a 33 gallon tank which messures 36x12x18. After reading some mags and articles on the internet I have decided that I will be able to keep a single JD in it without problems (many articles have said 33 is fine for a pair, but I'm not sure). I was just wondering if anyone had some tips for keeping JD's. I have heard that low lighting levels make them more at ease and also aids in showing off their colors, is this correct? Also do they need a vegetable component in their diets or are they strickly carnivors? Thanks for the help.
New 33 Gallon JD Tank!
- Thread starter GT3050
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Correct me if I am wrong, isn't 33 gallons a little small for one full grown JD, let alone a pair? You might be able to grow them out for awhile, but I doubt you can keep one in there. I know Convcits, which are smaller, carry a tank recommendation of 30 gallons.
I've got a pair of convicts (non breeding pair) in a 29 gallon, and im growing out a female jack dempsey in a 29 gallon which she's at about 3 and a half inchs now, but im already feeling that the 29 is way to small for her, so within the next month she will be sharing a 125 gallon with my 5 inch oscar and a pair of firemouths. The convicts I haven't decided if I want to keep them in the 29 or place them in the 125 as well. They are doing fine in the 29 gallon now, both being about 2 1/2 inchs
Although only four more gallons the tank describes has a larger footprint or bottom area. The twenty nine is a tall tank, and the thirty three is a long tank. It should be six inches longer if I remember correctly, that is practically the whole length of a fully grown fish. Lenth is generally more important than gallons when keeping cichlids in smaller tanks as it gives them more territory. The 29 is really not much use for cichlids and might as well be a twenty long. This longer tank IMHO makes it adequate for a single JD, I don't think keeping a pair was ever mentioned, only read about, but if you are thinking about it it is not really a good idea. Mine likes spinach occasionaly and ate most anything when he was younger but now keeps in his cave and mostly only eats earthworms, shrimp and bloodworms (he has become very finniky). I use a trichromatic flourescent bulb and the green hues really bring out his spots.
I think you can pull it off in a 33 gallon. Be extra clean and change 50% weekly if possible. If you can get yours to eat some veggies, but mine wouldn't touch any veggies after he got to 6".
They commonly get picky about their eating and hide more often when they become young adults (around 6") and really get their full personalities. Mine rarely ventured out of his cave, ate only 2 or three times a week and only ate certain foods (krill, bloodworms, beefheart - all frozen).
They commonly get picky about their eating and hide more often when they become young adults (around 6") and really get their full personalities. Mine rarely ventured out of his cave, ate only 2 or three times a week and only ate certain foods (krill, bloodworms, beefheart - all frozen).