Safe To Enter The Water?

[Smthng2Do]

I bred My Dempseys & managed to hang on to seven of them. My adults and the babes were housed in a 45 gallon tank, and I had gotten a 125 I wanted to get the adults into.

Long Story Short... I put the adults in my 125, and moved the babies to a 29 gallon. Now, they have been separated for approximately 8 to 9 months. The children are growing quickly. They are approximately 3 to 3 1/2 inches {Except One Named Runt}.

I know the parents are very devoted, but having had separated them would it be harmful, or would the parents be harmful to the children if I were to reunite them? I would really like them to be in the larger tank, simply to allow them to grow, but I don't want to risk the babes being beat up by Mom & Dad. {I don't care for abusive parents...}

Has anyone had this kind of issue, or has anyone tried to put smaller Dempsey's with adults?

I appreciate all your comments & suggestions. :c3:

[Lady Hobbs]

We never know how adults may act with young but I recently added my firemouth fry to a tank with two adult pairs. Only one pair were obviously the parents but both sets of adults are doing fine with the fry.

Adding them young has it's advantage over adding them when their older. Why not try just a couple of the young ones first and see how they do?

Welcome to AC!

[Smthng2Do]

That's just it... Contemplating throwin' a couple in there makes me nervous because I don't want to risk losing them... It just may come down to that though. >>Gulp<<

Gonna do a bit more research & also talk to a fish guy about 30 miles from me... Guy is brilliant, sometimes I think he has gils!

Thanks for the reply Lady Hobbs & for the warm welcome as well. :1luvu:

[Lady Hobbs]

I'd redo the tank, change things around so it's new to the adult as well.

[Smthng2Do]

Yeah, been definitely considering that anyway as the tank is really on the "Bland" side right now. I've been considering going with sand instead of the ugly gravel I have in there right now. Also would like to get a nice piece of driftwood as well. I have some hard decor, but was also considering some silk plants.

Would you recommend sand over gravel in my case?

[nano cichlids]

hi, in my experience jacks are very devoted to raising there fry. but if you remove the fry ounce and then try to introduce them to the parents. they will eat the fry the reason for this is like a bird with baby's, if you touch the bay birds the mom bird wont want anything to do with it because she doesn't realize its her own. the same concept for fish. i suggest you raise them on your own if you want to keep them. Congrats though!

i suggest you use pool filter sand my jacks love it and trust me that's almost all i keep.

[Smthng2Do]

hi, in my experience jacks are very devoted to raising there fry. but if you remove the fry ounce and then try to introduce them to the parents. they will eat the fry the reason for this is like a bird with baby's, if you touch the bay birds the mom bird wont want anything to do with it because she doesn't realize its her own. the same concept for fish. i suggest you raise them on your own if you want to keep them. Congrats though!

i suggest you use pool filter sand my jacks love it and trust me that's almost all i keep.

What a drag. I thought that once they were more mature, it would be okay. Being they are a bit bigger, I thought they may stand a chance. Thanks for the info, and I will definitely go with the pool filter sand. Any suggestions for the best prices?

[nano cichlids]

What a drag. I thought that once they were more mature, it would be okay. Being they are a bit bigger, I thought they may stand a chance. Thanks for the info, and I will definitely go with the pool filter sand. Any suggestions for the best prices?

well if they are 1in bigger then the parents mouth its safe to add them. so that means they would be about 2in long.

[nano cichlids]

oh and for best price try any pool store just ask them for pool sand.

[Smthng2Do]

well if they are 1in bigger then the parents mouth its safe to add them. so that means they would be about 2in long.

Great!! They are all over 2", except for one, who has a growth issue... His name is Runt. He's an ornery 'lil fella though. Seems to hang out with the largest female in the group. May try to introduce them all except Runt, after changing their environment a bit, try to boost up Runts size before putting him in, but I almost believe he does better around the others.

Once again, thanks so much for the information.

[nano cichlids]

one question before you do this approximately how big are the parents? just want to make sure you dont loose any fry

[Smthng2Do]

Parents are BIG, both 8" plus. I have a big plocostamus in there as well. Over a foot. They were a little uneasy with him in the beginning. They would nip at him, but more of a way to push him away. He lays out in front of them all the time now with no issues. He was about 7 inches when he joined them, and he was a tad bigger than them at the time. I have put 2" goldfish in the tank as well, and they have beat the fish up a bit, but never devoured him. Actually removed the goldie and put him in a different tank. The parents don't seem to be as aggressive as others I have seen. May be a sacrifice if I just put in a couple of them, but I really need to get them in my big tank, they are oversized for their environment right now, and it may be a loss either way if I don't do something with them soon. I don't want to give them away as I have grown so close to them, but I don't want to see them getting eaten either. Ugh!! Decisions, Decisions!

[nano cichlids]

Parents are BIG, both 8" plus. I have a big plocostamus in there as well. Over a foot. They were a little uneasy with him in the beginning. They would nip at him, but more of a way to push him away. He lays out in front of them all the time now with no issues. He was about 7 inches when he joined them, and he was a tad bigger than them at the time. I have put 2" goldfish in the tank as well, and they have beat the fish up a bit, but never devoured him. Actually removed the goldie and put him in a different tank. The parents don't seem to be as aggressive as others I have seen. May be a sacrifice if I just put in a couple of them, but I really need to get them in my big tank, they are oversized for their environment right now, and it may be a loss either way if I don't do something with them soon. I don't want to give them away as I have grown so close to them, but I don't want to see them getting eaten either. Ugh!! Decisions, Decisions!


well goldfish are coldwater and cichlids are warmwater not the best mix but you fixed that you said. i say put about 4 fry in the tank wait about 2 hours if they are still there then you should be fine, but dont count on it

[Smthng2Do]

Will give it a whirl after I change up the environment a bit. Thanks again!

[nano cichlids]

Will give it a whirl after I change up the environment a bit. Thanks again!

no problem i love answering Jack Dempey Questions

[Smthng2Do]

Just When You Did Think It Was Safe To Go Back In The Water...

Another hatch!!!! I'm gonna be a Daddy again... Anyone in Southern Cali looking for some strappingly handsome Jack Dempsey's check back with me in a few months!!!

[nano cichlids]

haha if you were closer i would buy some females but i would want to ship across the US for some jacks... but what ever happened to your first clutch?


on and CONGRATS your an official Jack Dempsey breeder :19:

[Smthng2Do]

Have seven left from my first batch. Grown very fond of four of them. Three females & one male. The others have gone here & there. I definately have to move them though. They have so outgrown their tank. I have a 45 I can get them into, but they will certainly outgrow that even faster... Decisions, decisions... What's a guy to do?!?! :18:

[nano cichlids]

luckly man just started out the EBJD breeding project here!!!