LFS bad advice on a frontosa/electric blue jack mix ?

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andrem

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
3
Location
California
I was wondering about the compatability of the Central America Jack & South African Frontosa. A LFS employee said he housed these species together and they were compatible (non-aggressive to eachother)

1) Are these fish compatible?
2) How is a 100% coral substrate harmful to a Jack Dempsey?

P.S. my tank is currently empty

46 gallon bowfront
100% crushed coral substrate
Various slate rocks
Eheim Professional 2224
Penguin 330 hob
 
1. The JD would likely whup the hell out of the frontosa.

2. The coral substrate would make for a very high hardness, high pH water, which the Jack would not thrive in.
 
[center:2e78047e88] :smilecolros: Welcome to AA, andrem! :n00b: [/center:2e78047e88]

I agree with Toirtis. It's not a good idea to house American cichlids with African cichlids. In addition, housing Lake Tang and Lake Malawi cichlids is also not a good idea. Stick with one area and then stock your cichlids.
The LFS employee may have been right, but who knows how long the fish were together and as with all fish, YMMV!
 
Depending on the size of the two fish it would be possible. If the Frontosa was a fair bit larger than the Jack Dempsey then I could see it working. Most of the electric jack demsey specimins I have seen are very small between 1.5 to 2 inches in legnth. What you must remember is the Jack Demsey has a much higher rate of growth then the Frontosa.

A Frontosa actually grows larger than a Jack Dempsey but does so at a much slower pace. More than the two being aggresive towards each other I would be more concerned about your PH with a total substrate of crushed coral. I for example house a 10 inch Frontosa with a South American Green Terror. My substrate is seeded with crushed coral, but not totally crushed coral making for a total ph of about 7.4 .

The Jack Dempsey could adjust to that alkaline of a ph - but anything above that would be risky considering the Jack Dempsey's love of more acidic water. If you are really shooting for this mix I would recommend taking out some of the crushed coral and adding some gravel and shooting for a 7.5 ph and a larger Frontosa.
 
Thanks, how much gravel would you recommend I add (or remove of crushed coral)?

I think I'm just going to take some of the crushed coral out anyways, maybe mix it with some black gravel .. any suggestions?
 
EB Jack Dempsey

Just for the record, Electric Blue JD's are not near as aggressive as their native predecessor. I have 4-5 inch ones in a tank with cardinal tetras and they don't so much as give them a second thought. I'm very happy with mine, just be sure if you buy some you buy from a reputable source. Also, EBJD's are true Jack Dempsey's, just a great result of some very intense selective breeding.
 
I wouldn't trust anything a lfs says ... they're there for nothing but to make money, sure they will tell you they are compatible - so you buy them!

.... i know a lfs which don't have a clue about keeping fish, they even have a pond which they throw any ill fish into for the heron to get - i asked him why and his responce was "they're going to die anyway, who cares" .. this has to be the best place for advice!

Sorry this dosen't have much relevance, but just to let you know never to trust a lfs
 
LFS Trust?

Ocean Mist, your comment proves one thing, that your local fish store is just like you, uneducated and misinformed. Seems to me like you should find a new LFS and keep your unsound opinions to yourself. Spreading misinformed opinions will just make the hobby harder on people who really are trying to be proactive in the hobby. I have been a hobbyist for years and keep Electric Blue JD's in a tank with Clown loaches, discus and cardinal tetras and have no problems out of them. My advice is from personal experience and not what I learned working at my LFS. Furthermore, the LFS that I work at, I was a customer of theirs for years before I started working there and they are a group of professionals trying to increase the knowledge and awareness of every hobbyist. They want people to enjoy themselves while being active in the hobby, yes that in return will make them more money, but it's not their main goal. So my point to Andrem is that is you house the two Cichlids together mentioned above, you might run into some territorial issues, but you could opt for Electric Blue JD's and go with another type of fish and not have any issues. Andrem, I hope this helps. Also for the record, you want a low pH for JD's as they are a South American cichlid and come the the lower pH's of the Amazon and similar waters.

PS I would not put a Electric Blue JD in the tank with the Frontosa, but the original JD probably would do just fine as long as you bring them in young and raise them together. Please don't mix adults as one of them will eventually kill the other, most likely the JD will kill the Frontosa. As said above, YMMV when mixing fish.
 
unsound opinions to yourself.

I worked there... then quit after an argument with the manager - have never gone back there since.

the LFS that I work at, I was a customer of theirs for years before I started working there and they are a group of professionals trying to increase the knowledge and awareness of every hobbyist

don't get me wrong, I am by no means stating that ALL lfs are bad - only that to be careful and see if you could possibly get any inside info on the employees & company - trust me kabars_edge you are lucky to have that lfs, most of the places I know don't give a damn about the health of the animals - (probably about 5 out of the 7 I visit(ed))

uneducated and misinformed.
you try to find me any company that isn't after money, given the choice of higher profit or better animal wellfare, what do you think they would chose (realistically).
 
kabars_edge....
To be honest with you... Not too many people with experiance trust anything anyone including the owner of a LFS says.. The good LFS's are few and far between.. Ive found 2 out of about 30 that Ive visted that seemed like they knew what they were talking about and of the 2 only the owner knew what they were talking about.. so to trust a employee at a LFS is in my oppinion and many just plain foolish..
 
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