j.dempseys/electric blue j.dempseys

[bungle]

a couple quick questions about jack dempseys:

can jack dempseys be kept with other fish? or will they bully whatever is in the tank, regardless of where the other fish hang out (bottom, mid, top)?

what size tank is necessary if it is possible to keep all fish involved happy, if it is possible?

do electric blue jack dempseys have any special needs apart from those of the original recepie jack dempsey?

any info is greatly appreciated

 

[Sati]

What is an electric blue jack dempsey? Is it a mutation...?

 

[bungle]

yeah, as far as i know, its some sort of hybrid. my lfs had some the last time i was in there lookin around. awsome coloring!

 

[Menagerie]

I had a Jack Dempsey in with mature Malawi cichlids. The immature jack harassed one fish to death (literally)--the next day, I tore apart the tank and got rid of jack. You need to be careful with semi and fully aggressive cichlids. JD is a South or Central American cichlid and had a different aggression level from my South Africans. The Mbuna I keep have territorial aggression and it seemed that Jack looked at every other fish as a meal
Do lots of research on that fish before purchasing--I would only house with other cichlids from JD's origin and temperament. You can add a pleco and Synodontis to the tank.

 

[Mayonnaise]

In the Botonay lab at high school (which wound up more a Zoology lab than Botony by the time the Bio Club was done with it,) we had a Jack Dempsy in a BIG tank (at least 3 feet by 2 by 2, same size as the saltwater tank,) all alone except for one big Catfish of some sort, which he never bothered. I dunno what kind it was. I wasn't the Fishtank person; I dealt with the lizards and the Rodents. I do remember they sometimes fed the Jack Dempsy some of the live crickets that were supposed to be for the anoles. He seemed to like it. Then again they tried feeding those crickets to pretty much everything in the lab, so one of these more experianced people here will have to mention if that was good or bad.

8^)

 

[bungle]

yeah, the 'lectric blue j.dempseys i saw in the lfs were baaaad little sons of _____'s! they were tiny babies, only about 1 1/2", and already flaring their gills at one another.
although, a friend of mine had a j.d. in his tank along with an oscar, and a shovelnose catfish, and they all seemed to keep to themselves.
right now, i think i'm leaning more towards a dwarf cichlid/community tank (which would also be a j.d.-free tank), but since i'm not ready for any fish yet, i figure now is the time to throw any ideas i may have on the table and see what other more knowledgeable people think.

 

[Menagerie]

Well, bungle, NOW is the time to think of ideas! I have a lot of experience because my fiance and I didn't always think before purchasing We're getting better (and with 6 tanks going, there's no more room for error!)

 

[oscarbreeder]

I had a Jack Dempsey in one of my Osacar tanks and it picked on the Oscars(same size) all the time until it finally killed one of them.
Then it was time for it to go.

I have seen the electric blues they are real pretty.

 

[bungle]

wow, mayonnaise, if my HS had offered classes like that, i might have paid more attention! i think the only animals we had on campus were the students

 

[bungle]

thats a bummer, oscarbreeder. i guess my friend lucked out with his tankmates. his fish only got aggressive when it was lunchtime even then, i think the shovelnose had everyone else beat in the "toughguy" department.

 

[oscarbreeder]

LOL!!