what are the conditons for jack dempsys?

Question

i recently asked about an oscar fish for a 29 gallon aquarium and was told jack dempsys are almost excactly like an oscar, so how do i take care of one and what kind of tank do i need?

Answer 1

Named after the former heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Dempsey, The Jack Dempsey Cichlid is an aggressive fish. It is, however, an extremely hardy fish that will do well in most conditions. Its spunk will give much enjoyment to its caretaker. They will also add color to any aquarium.

Jack Dempsey Cichlids should not be put in a community aquarium. They do best in a species tank, or with other similarly sized aggressive fish. Dempsey Cichlids get quite aggressive, and stake out there territory. They are especially territorial when spawning. It has been reported that the Jack Dempseys' aggression tends to increase with water temperature. 78 degrees Fahrenheit is said to be a good calm temperature to keep them in. Raising the temperature will also help induce spawning. They require lots of space. A tank of at least 45 gallons is recommended for the Dempsey Cichlid. They should not be placed in a tank with live plants, because they will probably eat them. They need four to five inches of gravel on the substrate because they like to dig. Also, there should be plenty of rock and caves for them to hide in, and some driftwood. They especially enjoy clay flowerpots for hiding places.

The Jack Dempsey is a good, hardy fish. While not being a picky eater, the Dempsey can have trouble adjusting to new foods. It is best to alter their day to day diet with: pellets, shrimp, tubifex worms, plankton, lettuce, earthworms, snails, and guppies. The better you feed a Jack Dempsey Cichlid, the more colorful it will become. It has been reported that the Jack Dempsey will also eat flake food, as well as crayfish, grasshoppers and small frogs. Dempsey's prefer slightly acid and mildly hard water. A pH level of six to seven will do well. They have a small temperature range, needing their water to be between 72 and 78 degrees fahrenheit.

However, keep in mind that there are 2 best fishes in the cichlid group that shows extremely smartness in interaction with the owner and clever character, the first being a Oscar and other being a Flowerhorn.

Answer 2

You might hear this a lot, but 29 gallons probably will need an upgrade for Jack Dempseys and especially more than 1 of them. They are slightly different in shape than an oscar growing more in the body than that of the Oscar. However it will grow to the same length and throwing that in a 2.5 foot aquarium is spelling disaster. They are named after the 1919 World Heavyweight Boxing champion of the world for their demeanor, this being said they are not community fish.

To directly answer your question:
I house 2 Jack Dempseys in a 60 gallon tank at 79 degrees F, with a pH of 7.5. Jack Dempseys will grow to be approx 8 inches for the female and often excess of 10 inches for a male specimen. They appreciate lots of territory and hiding places, through my personal experience I've learned this to be large caves with 1 opening/entrance. Housing males has never worked in my known experiences or heresay. Once they reach sexual maturity it will be survival of the fittest. Female grows increasingly violent during breeding moreso than the male and will usually kill anything smaller than it which will invade its turf. Keep this in mind if you insist on tankmates, sharks are a big nono...

Hope this helps.