Electric Blue Jack Dempsey Tank Mates.

[MBOU]

Can't find anything about severums bigger than 10" might be lucky to see one at 11 or maybe 12" if in large aquarium, well fed and probably a male.

I've seen a shoal of Denisonii in a 10ft x 7ft x 5ft display tank that were over 15cm each, closer to 20cm each.

If buying cichlids then yeah, its easier to buy adults or sub adults because 3 little 4-5cm fish in a 4ft tank would look boring.

 

[GGriffin]

Well I certainly would not have 3 small fish all by their ownsome in the tank I want to get. They would look lost until they get bigger and how long that going to take. A few good years at best.

In anwser to a question from earlier the L222 they apparently get to a bit smaller than the royal plecs.

The sevs I see on sale are probably at the 3-4 inch scale, the EBJD's were about 2 inch scale. Maybe the shoal of the barbs was a bad idea.

What I probably do is have a look through pictures of people who ave Sev's, JD's and EBJD's and see what people tank them up with. That will give me a idea on possible candidates.

 

[holidayinn]

I have an adult EBJD male 8", with a Red Spot Sev, Green Sev and Chocolate Cichlid. The ebjd is so much bigger then everyone else, he completely ignores them all. Imo an EBJD and a Red Sev (any sev) are a v.good combination. Just try to pick out good looking specimens as EBJDs can often turn out ugly.

 

[GGriffin]

I have an adult EBJD male 8", with a Red Spot Sev, Green Sev and Chocolate Cichlid. The ebjd is so much bigger then everyone else, he completely ignores them all. Imo an EBJD and a Red Sev (any sev) are a v.good combination. Just try to pick out good looking specimens as EBJDs can often turn out ugly.

But what determins a good specimen??.

I seen kinda two types of EBJD, ones which are a very vivid blue with dark stripe like markings. Another which seems a pale metalic blue with markings. Personally the vivid blue is what I like as that in my mind is electric blue.

Also can I get away with another fairly large fish in this set up. E.G EBJD, Red Sev and a Green Terror or Blue Acara or something else.

 

[MBOU]

Look for good size, not thin, check eyes, they seem to be prone to pop eye but they also seem to be able to cure themselves if left well alone, nice colouring so good contrasting blue and black. They seem to be pretty easy to sex, even at a young age the males have much longer fins. And so on...

As for large fish... you do have to bear in mind just how large your severum is going to get... and a Green Terror is exactly that, i'd not put one in with an EBJD because when young they are wussy! GT's are holy terrors! Holy Green Terrors in fact

Blue Acaras are nice... but the chances of finding a pure one are getting slimmer and slimmer, they are coming into shops as GT hybrids even though pure Blue Acaras are ordered. I do love them but... no way you can get a bigger tank? Even a custom taller or wider tank rather than length?

Personally, I would stick with your EBJD, Severum at a push a pair of EBJDs but not severums unless you can upgrade tank in future and a nice shoal of dither fish like Tetras, if using Rainbow fish as dithers, bear in mind they can get 10-15 each depending on species! Personally, Bleeding Heart Tetras and Bueanos Aires Tetras are my favourites once coloured up and as a large shoal, they shoal quite tightly and will look stunning without competeing with your cichlids.

 

[GGriffin]

Unfortunately I live in a mid terrenced 2 bedroom house. So not a huge frontroom, a fairly decent size as these houses go. Without moving house or short of winning the lotto I don't think I be getting a bigger tank or house LOL. Any bigger a tank and I think it will dominate the frontroom to much and I have a upset missus on my hands.

Sounds like the specimens we saw in one of our LFS. So got fair idea what to look out for now when the time comes. Shame on the Blue Acara's in LFS being most likely to be GT hybrids they do look like a lovely fish.

Thanks for the suggestion on the shoal fish. Tetras are lovely shoalfish I quite like the Black Widow Tetras althrough the ones I've seen look like slow placid shoalers (if that makes sense) and would make a nice dinner for the larger fish. Plus not sure they compliment the main fish - well apart from their diet maybe lol.

So at present thinking
1 EBJD
1 Red Sev
1 shoal of dithers - about a dozen+ maybe.
1 L222 Plec
1 group of zebra loaches - about 6
Plus possibly a pair of keyhole cichlids I currently have in my community tank.

 

[MBOU]

That sounds bang on perfect!!

 

[GGriffin]

After looking around I think I may go with Black Ruby Barbs as a dither fish.

Also the original tank size I quoted is wrong, it would be 120gals and a possible 105gal after decor. But for some reason the manufacture quotes a lower gallonage to take in account water displacement.

 

[Glenbo1981]

^ Yep they always do that !

 

[ziouxpioux]

Look for good size, not thin, check eyes, they seem to be prone to pop eye but they also seem to be able to cure themselves if left well alone, nice colouring so good contrasting blue and black. They seem to be pretty easy to sex, even at a young age the males have much longer fins. And so on...

As for large fish... you do have to bear in mind just how large your severum is going to get... and a Green Terror is exactly that, i'd not put one in with an EBJD because when young they are wussy! GT's are holy terrors! Holy Green Terrors in fact

Blue Acaras are nice... but the chances of finding a pure one are getting slimmer and slimmer, they are coming into shops as GT hybrids even though pure Blue Acaras are ordered. I do love them but... no way you can get a bigger tank? Even a custom taller or wider tank rather than length?

Personally, I would stick with your EBJD, Severum at a push a pair of EBJDs but not severums unless you can upgrade tank in future and a nice shoal of dither fish like Tetras, if using Rainbow fish as dithers, bear in mind they can get 10-15 each depending on species! Personally, Bleeding Heart Tetras and Bueanos Aires Tetras are my favourites once coloured up and as a large shoal, they shoal quite tightly and will look stunning without competeing with your cichlids.

Could Serpae Tetras be used as a dither with 2 electric blue Dempseys, starting with juvinile ELBJD? put in which first? Serpaes or Dempseys? Thanx. Karen

 

[Davo86]

Has nobody noticed that a 4 x 2.5 x 2 is a 150G tank not 105G

which assuming you have a footprint of 4x2.5 then a Severum, JD and blue acara would theoretically be fine together.