Cichlids

[Welshweeks]

Hi All,

I've just received my new tank and will hopefully get it up and running over the weekend and then do a fishless cycle for however long it takes. I've been looking at various tropical fish and quite like Cichlids. I've found a website that gives you list of compatible fish that you can mix (although I'm not sure how accurate this is!) One my fav's so far is an Electric Blue Jack Dempsey. The website I've visited has stated that they are compatible with the following fish;

"The Jack Dempsey should be kept in groups of any amount and is compatible with the Convict Cichlid, Featherfin Squeaker, Green Terror, Leopard Pleco L114, Oscar Cichlid, Peppermint Pleco L030, Pleco (Common), Silver Arowana, Texas Cichlid, Tinfoil Barb"

I was wondering if anyone can give me a bit more info. Also what would be the best setup for these e.g. Bogwood, Ocean Rock, sand, gravel etc. The tank I have is a eurostyle 80 (180 lires, 47 Uk gallons,56 us gallons). I know there is no easy answer but approx how many fish would be recommended from the above. I'm not thinking of several of each etc! But just an idea or combinations of the above that would possibly live together. Any information would be gratefully received!!

 

[KittyKat]

Note: there are a few points that help people give advice: the dimensions (not the volume) of your tank, your water parameters and preferred decor. I do advise you to be weary of stocking compatibility advisor sites as I am yet to see a reliable one (and I would say some of the fish you got recommended are not compatible).

The tank dimensions are 80(W) x 42(D) x 64(H)cm

Your first problem is that Jack Dempsey get too large for your new tank and most of the fish you name need at least a 6 ft (180 cm) long tank.

So, assuming you have neutral or slightly soft water, this could be a stocking option:
* 1m 1f Laetacara dorsigera (the body shape is similar to the fish you named)
* 15 (up to 5 cm long) tetras of one species
* 1m 2-3f Oligancistrus sp. (L030)
…as a basis and the tank may take more fish in the long term. In terms of fish, it is possible to have rasboras instead of tetras, other species of cichlid (I recommend South American and under 3.5 inches), and Corys instead of plecos.

The best decor would be sand, caves (must have for plecos), bogwood (must have for plecos), some easy plants and plain, black background. The bogwood will dye the water tea-coloured, but the fish benefit from this, so I recommend you leave it be.

In short, short tanks can take only short fish, which does restrict your options. I do recommend that you think again about the stock and look at some of the smaller fish.

Also, have a look for media donors in your area (there is a list on here somewhere), it would speed up your cycle

 

[snake007]

I agree with KittyKat, none of the fish you named are suitable for your tank except maybe the convicts.

 

[Verminator89]

First and foremost - Welcome to the forum!

So you've stated you love the EBJD, right from the off your right up there in my estimations. As an avid Jack fan and keeper i love all things Dempsey related. The information you have with compatability is relatively accurate to a point, just seems very randomly selected and sporadic amongst species. As a general rule of thumb i have kept them with most fish that are not small enough to be concidered food. That being said it can partly be down to the individual Jacks personality. I had a male EBJD that i kept with Japonica Shrimp, that was when he was near 6" and was completely not interested in them (a rarity). He soon learnt to eat them when his female regular Jack partner taught him to eat them though.

48"x18x18" is really minimum for cichlids of this size, ideally. You mentioned you have a 180L tank. From personal experience i kept mine in a Rio 180L, and rapidly learnt this was NOT going to be enough for one adult Jack. They are a stocky fish, and albeit not always swimming about at speed, they do require space. My boy got to a chunky 8", pushing 9" possibly, and looked barely comfortable in a 280L. If it was my honest advice i would only get one Jack in a 180L and wouldn't have any other larger cichlids or fish with him/her, and getting a new bigger tank sooner rather than later would be a high priority. They are a beautifull and rewarding cichlid to keep though, especially if you canget a good specimen EB Jack. Which is a whole different story....

The Electric Blue Jack Dempsey is one of the most beautifull freshwater fish you can keep in the hobby. In my slightly biased opinion that is They are, however, fraught with health problems, often dieing randomly on their owners. This i have had happen to me twice. My beloved male EBJD, which can be seen in the fish of the month winners category for Dec 2010, died suddenly and unexpectedly one day at 3 years of age. In his prime I had a female juvi aswell, who also died of no apparent reason shortly after purchase. You then have the issue of finding good stock. They are beautifull fish, and google images brings up some absolute gems, BUT a good bloodline is apparently quite hard to find. I got lucky with mine, simple as. I know otherson the forum have aquired an EBJD and have so far turned out to be from a poorer stock. Which is unfortunate. They do tend to command a higher price tag expecially concidering their health implications. So if you can find a good bloodline, from a reputable breeder and the price is right - get one. Just do your research!

As for the Jack habitat. They originate from Central America. Somewhere between California, Mexico, Honduras and Guatamala (spelling?). They inhabit slow moving rivers and lagoons, often with a muddy/sandy sediment and little in the way of plant matter. Rocks and wood in the form of tree-root like structures are common throughout. Tank bred specimens will happily live in whatever you provide them with, although i have found them to be more active in tanks with a slower water movement. Good filtration is required though, as they can be messy eaters so bear this in mind.

In terms of what can be kept with them. There are alot of fish that can be housed with them, providing water parameters and care are all relatively similar. Personally, i'm a massive fan of keeping things natural. So i would keep a pair in a tank with a nice group of tetras (your preference), maybe some bottom dwelling corys, and a decorative plec of sorts. Something like a flash pleco.

It all goes back to size of tank though. A 180L just isnt going to be enough IMO for a Jack AND other fish, maybe if you want a Jack keep him in a 180 for a bit. Ultimately you'll need a bigger tank though...

Hope this helps.
James

 

[KittyKat]

I agree with KittyKat, none of the fish you named are suitable for your tank except maybe the convicts.

And peppermint plecos (L030), they only grow to to 4" long I decided to pass on the convicts as I wouldn't *really* be that happy with them in an 80 cm tank and they may need to be the only inhabitants, depending on the temperament.

 

[snake007]

Oh yeah I forgot about those.
I said convicts because a single pair would be happy in there with no other tank mates.
Good thorough explanation Verminator although I wouldn't fancy keeping cories with Dempseys.

 

[Welshweeks]

Thanks everyone for your quick responses/advice . I guess it's back to the drawing board!!!

 

[snake007]

Maybe dwarf cichlids?

 

[Verminator89]

Good thorough explanation Verminator although I wouldn't fancy keeping cories with Dempseys.

Not dwarf corys maybe, but we had 6 bronze ones couple years ago and they were a VERY chunky 3" long, and definately not phased by my Jacks. They were one of the few fish allowed to swim freely about the tank whilst my female cleaned the slate ready for spawning haha!


Also, i agree with snake. Dwarf cichlids are a very good option for the smaller tanks under 200L. Also smaller acara might be another option. I had, apologies no official name for them, i bought them as Red Cheek Acara from Sweet Knowle Aquatics near Stratford. They only stayed small, under 2" and were the cutest little fish i've ever watched in a tank.

 

[KittyKat]

Also smaller acara might be another option. I had, apologies no official name for them, i bought them as Red Cheek Acara from Sweet Knowle Aquatics near Stratford. They only stayed small, under 2" and were the cutest little fish i've ever watched in a tank.

Could it be the Laetacara dorsigera that I mentioned? Although I have seen L. dorsigera grow to the full 3.5 inches before…

 

[Verminator89]

Yes! Thats the one, awesome. I'll definately be getting myself some of them again soon, haha. Now i have a name to go with back to Sweet Knowle Aquatics. Thank you KittyKat. Possibly one of the most amazing little fishes i've ever kept.