Jack dempsey too big

[Nautilus291]

is a jack dempsey too big for a 55g tank? I was thinking aboug getting one for my 55g but Im worried that he might get too big. What do you guys think.

[Severus]

No. You will have very limited tankmates though

[KneeKickLou]

I did reseach on this forum and another that I am a member of and I came to the conclusion that with enough filtration and big weekly water changes you can keep a pair of dempsey's in a 55. The best way to do it would be to get 2 females or buy a few like 5 or 6 and see if you can get 2 to pair off and they return the others back to the LFS if you want a breeding pair. Here is the thread that I posted on the other forum http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=133240&highlight= and the one I did here http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=3282 hope this helps

[Nautilus291]

Well I have a firemouth right now. I was thinking of other cichlids I could put in there. I thought about a convict. I interested in getting more aggressive cichlids but I think a jack dempsey will take up all of my room. What do you suggest for tankmates with a firemouth?

[Lady Hobbs]

You should check to see if pH agrees with other fish you add. Blue Acrara=5inches, Convicts=6 inches and Jack Dempsey=12 inches!

[Nautilus291]

Im just trying to get together all of my possibilities. and Ive heard that convicts can hold there own against other bigger fish.

[Severus]

Convicts are tough little guys. More aggressive than Firemouths though. Firemouths and Convicts can do well in the same water conditions ph wise. KH wise the Convicts like it a little higher.

[Glasstapper]

Well, if you want an aggressive medium-sized cichlid, there's always the salvini. Adults are between 7 and 8 inches, and are sometimes tankmates with much larger aggressive cichlids like the jaguar cichlid. I think the reason mine was so evil was because he was with a bunch of peaceful fish and totally loved to bully them. I think a salvini would be perfect with fair opponents that hold their own like a convict and an especially aggressive firemouth.

And you know how their personalities are different from fish to fish, so if one is too wussy or too mean, try a different one and your results may be different. I think your 55 might be able to house all three as long as there are many hiding places/territory breaks. I'd also keep a divider on hand in case of emergency smack downs. Ideally, two of those cichlids would be better instead of all three, but hey....who knows with cichlids? LOL


(I also read that the femal salvini tends to be more psychotic than the male, so maybe that could be something to look more in to, and they both have amazing coloration)

[cartmanis]

Yeah, convicts will hold their own, tough little fella's. Heck, they constantly tried to fight me off when they were raising young lol.

[Nautilus291]

Well I went to town today and got my new fish. I got one salvani and a convict. The convict is 2.25 inches and the salvani is around 2.5". My firemouth is only 1.5 inches And they do chase him a little bit but so far there isnt much aggression in the tank. If I have to I can always take the little firemouth back and get a bigger one.

[Severus]

Yea, hopefully it will work out alright. You might get lucky because your Firemouth has already established territory in the tank...

[reddevil6]

a 55G is to small prehaps a 100G

[Fishguy2727]

A couple convicts and a firemouth are fine in a 55.

[Nautilus291]

so far soo good. My convicts are getting ready to mate, they are digging up my fake plants and have a huge hole right next to my drift wood. The female has beautiful orangeish pink on here stomach and dorsal fin.