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Hi. I just got my two JD's a week ago. I know they're semi-aggressive, so I was kind of prepared, but I guess not totally. I guess actually experiencing it is a little bit different than all the reading up could have prepared me for. I tried to get them about the same size, but one is a tad bigger than the other (about 2.5 and 3 inches). They do have places to hide, between rocks and behind fake plants. They have roughly set up territories on the left and right sides of the tank, but sometimes the smaller one will wander over and is promptly chased out. And sometimes the bigger one will swim quickly around the perimeter of the entire tank, chasing the small one for a few seconds. Today, a week after getting them, the larger one almost seems to pursue the smaller. Now he's taken to hanging out at the very top, very left side of the tank, where he's still sometimes chased. Should I worry? Is there anything I can do? They do have hiding spots and are relatively similar in size, I just don't want the smaller one to get so stressed and die.

I thought I was prepared for this, and I set up the tank exactly how I thought I was supposed to. Ahhhhhhhh!!!

Bueller? Bueller?

Maybe I shouldn't have titled this post so similarly to Feeding Jack Dempseys...

In any case, help?

The only thing you can do is just make sure they both have their own space. Try to place some decor in the middle of the tank so there is no line of site between the fish. if they don't see eachother then it sould help a little. Mabey the addition of some dither fish may help but it does not stop my green terror and my oscar from fighting.

The oscar was a little bigger when i got them and he picked on the gt, then the gt hit a growth spurt and he started picking on the oscar, but now the oscar has put on some size and they no longer fight as much but the oscar keeps the gt off his side of the tank.

The problem with any animal is that they all have different traits so none of them act the same. But do know that the JD's are tough fish so there will be some fighting, torn fins and missing scales. You just need to watch and make sure there is no real damage happening and seperate if one is really getting hurt.


chris

What tank size? I know their small right know but aggression in these guys start off very early. Having only two could also be what is intensifying the aggression. I would say either add a few more babie JD's & keep the best of the bunch when you're ready. Also keep in mind you might have two males in which case it will become very hairy in the future. Ditter fish are a good suggesstion as noted above. Another thing to keep in mind, is that these fish do not automatically pair off and can be pretty picky when selectin a mate. They usually have mates for life but I have heard of couples no longer mating after awhile and having to be seperated permanantly.

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
Socrates-
I happen to have become a philosopher

The usual routine with aggressive Cichlids is to obtain a minimum of 6 juveniles, then sit back and wiat for the first mature pair to form, whereupon the rest need rehousing. That way, you've VERY unlucky indeed if you end up with all males.

Two male Dempseys in the same aquarium, unless it's utterly HUGE, are going to fight to the death once the testosterone starts flowing in earnest. The only suggestion I can devise at the moment to try and stop the internecine warfare is some kind of divider that will keep the two warring fishes apart. Ideally, made of a material that will be robust enough to withstand the attempts of the dominant fish to crash through it and get at the subordinate one, as well as being aqurium safe!

Jack Dempseys aren't named after the former World Heavyweight Champion boxer for nothing. The original Jack Dempsey (as in the boxer) instilled abject terror into many of his opponents in the ring. No less than 26 of his opponents were knocked out in round one. The Cichlid species was named after him because when it starts a fight, it doesn't take prisoners.

Jack Dempsey, the boxer - official site


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

tell you how nasty jd's are. I gave my texas to a friend because he was beating on my green terror and his jd killed it even though it was twice his size.


chris

I knew Dempseys were feisty, but killing a Texas Cichlid twice its own size? That's got to be some kind of record ...

Was the Dempsey the only occupant of the tank prior to the Texas Cichlid going in? If so, then that's probably the explanation - the Demspey grew used to having the whole aquarium as its exclusive domain, and the red mist descended when it saw an 'intruder'. Even rearranging the aquarium so that the Dempsey was back at square one might not have helped totally, though it may have mitigated somewhat against the outbreak of savagery.

I'm also surprised to hear that the Texas Cichlid was picking on a Green Terror - normally those fishes are seriously hard. I recently saw some juveniles during my Maidenhead Aquatics trip and they looked as if they were ready for a fight even at 1.5 inches.

Just goes to show how these strongly territorial fishes can catch out even the best prepared aquarist when they're so minded ...

If the Dempsey was sharing its quarters with other Cichlids, the appearance of the Texas Cichlid shouldn't have caused too many problems provided the aquarium was large enough. Trouble is, with feisty Cichlids like these, 'large enough' is one of those relative terms that only makes its true value apparent during incidents like this.

Oh, and even juvenile Dempseys don't take prisoners once they decide to put on the knuckle dusters, so to speak. If they think their patch is being invaded, and the risk of going to war is low enough, they'll go in hard against the opposition with no restraint whatsoever.

Oh, someday I'll have to dig out the TFH back numbers and quote a letter from a correspondent whose overcrowding will make your eyes pop out on stalks ... especially as it includes a pair of Dempseys!



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

125g tank with too many fish. he had a bunch of convicts, an oscar, gt, flower horn, and a bunch of other non cichlid fish.

my tank was very strange, my oscar would chase off the gt but not pursue after a few months the gt stood his ground and then started beating on the ocasr so i added the texas wich left the oscar alone but terrorized the gt so i gave the texas up and he was killed by the smaller jd.

chris