Electric Blue Jack Dempsey Tank Mates.

[GGriffin]

Hiya I'm hoping next year to get a 105 gallon tank for either a single EBJD or a pair. Undecided on that at the moment. What I would like to know is which fish would be okay, as I realise from reading around the JD is named because of it pugnacious nature. Reason getting the EBJD os that the missus saw some juvies at a LFS and she fell in love with it. Where as my I love the Red Severums.

Is there any likelihood that a JD and Severum won't kill each other in a 105 gallon tank. Measuring 4ft by 2.5ft by 2ft. Personally I want a 135G tank but the missus says she does not want a tank that large in our front room. I still got a year to persuade on the extra foot length

So if not a a Red Severum, what other fish are a possibility?. If none, it probably end up 2 EBJD's and a pleco.

 

[Glenbo1981]

Get them both young and add dithers and you should be OK.

Also you get the bonus of not having to spend so much by getting youngsters and you wont lose so much if you have to rehome one.

Dont get a EBJD pair as they are incapable of produce viable offspring,meaning you will have constant small dead fish in your tank,they live for about a week and then drop like flys.

Don't add anymore Cichlids in the tank just keep it to the 2 and Dithers and I think you'll be fine,EBJD's are nowhere near as agressive as regular JD's...they dont get as big either but they are far more sensitive meaning you will need to stay on top of water changes.

Another option may be a Green Terror and a EBJD...but that may turn out worse.

 

[GGriffin]

Get them both young and add dithers and you should be OK.

Also you get the bonus of not having to spend so much by getting youngsters and you wont lose so much if you have to rehome one.

Dont get a EBJD pair as they are incapable of produce viable offspring,meaning you will have constant small dead fish in your tank,they live for about a week and then drop like flys.

Don't add anymore Cichlids in the tank just keep it to the 2 and Dithers and I think you'll be fine,EBJD's are nowhere near as agressive as regular JD's...they dont get as big either but they are far more sensitive meaning you will need to stay on top of water changes.

Another option may be a Green Terror and a EBJD...but that may turn out worse.

Well thats good news, had considered a Green Terror as a possible, but I do love those red severums. I've got my fish books open at the moment trying to find fish whch might go, if the Sev was not a possibility. Shame they forget to include a possible tank mates section in books.

Any suggestions on good dithers? the term is a bit lost on me sorry .

 

[Glenbo1981]

I use Rainbows in my tanks, some people say they are not quick enough but i find them adequete and to big to eat plus they are beautiful

Alot of sites recommend Rainbo1s for Cichlids under 12"

Just stick to 2 Large Growing Cichlids and make sure they grow up together so they are used to sharing territorys,you will be really pleasantly suprised by how tame EBJD's are in comparison to the normal variety (they are almost certain a hybrid,and they cant prove either way...but i have never heard of a colour morph that changes body shape,temperament,hardyness and cant produce viable offspring!....remember they believed a Red Texas was a legit colour morph until they prove'd it was a Green Texas x Midas hybrid.)

I have no hands on experience with Green Terrors but I really liek the look of them, there seems to be conflicting views on there temperament but the ones I have seen have been volatile! lol

Don't get a Oscar if you want to share the tank with anything else...not enough space.

How about...

1 x Red Sev
1 x EBJD
6 x Rainbowfish
3 x Clown Loach
1 x Royal Plec

Avoid real plants unless they are really tough...Giant Vallis may be OK,put in some good hiding places and make sure there is plenty of water movment (i use powerheads in mine)

Loads of colour there

Edit: Soz, Dithers are smaller shoaling fish that are used as almost aggression targets,these fish need to be quick enough to escape the cichlid and they tend to make your cichlid more confident,being the bigger fish in the tank....keeps the tank very active also.

Sometimes Dithers are needed when breeding fish to re direct aggression etc.

 

[GGriffin]

I use Rainbows in my tanks, some people say they are not quick enough but i find them adequete and to big to eat plus they are beautiful

Alot of sites recommend Rainbo1s for Cichlids under 12"

Just stick to 2 Large Growing Cichlids and make sure they grow up together so they are used to sharing territorys,you will be really pleasantly suprised by how tame EBJD's are in comparison to the normal variety (they are almost certain a hybrid,and they cant prove either way...but i have never heard of a colour morph that changes body shape,temperament,hardyness and cant produce viable offspring!....remember they believed a Red Texas was a legit colour morph until they prove'd it was a Green Texas x Midas hybrid.)

I have no hands on experience with Green Terrors but I really liek the look of them, there seems to be conflicting views on there temperament but the ones I have seen have been volatile! lol

Don't get a Oscar if you want to share the tank with anything else...not enough space.

How about...

1 x Red Sev
1 x EBJD
6 x Rainbowfish
3 x Clown Loach
1 x Royal Plec

Avoid real plants unless they are really tough...Giant Vallis may be OK,put in some good hiding places and make sure there is plenty of water movment (i use powerheads in mine)

Loads of colour there

Sounds like a possible list. I got plenty of time to iron out the kinks as I save for the tank. I got a lovely L222 Plec sitting in my 40gal community tank I would like to possibly carry over to the 105gal. Would Red Line Torpedo Barb make a suitable dither fish ?

 

[Glenbo1981]

Yep they would be perfect mate

Very expensive tho!! £20 each locally (the barbs)

Silver Dollars are another popular choice,although i'm not a fan,they are kinda dull.

Not sure what the L222 is,aslong as it isent a dwarf plec it will be fine

 

[MBOU]

Severums can be little gits, they would get on fine with the EBJDs which seem to be really quite wussy as Juvies, nothing near as bad as the 'normals'. I would go for younger Severums and get a pair, they do like their own company. Just bear in mind how large your severums are going to get.

If you get loach, i'd avoid clown loach as they will definately outgrow your tank, i have 4 clown loaches at 12-15cm each and they are growing quickly! Go for something like Botia Striata (zebra loach), Botia Histrionica, Botia Almorrhae(sp) aka lohachata aka yoyo loach. My personal favourite 'big but not too big' loach is Botia Kubotai or polkadot loach, their markings are stunning and you can fit in a nice shoal of them.

EDIT: Denisonii get to 20-25cm EACH, they are VERY fast moving to a point they barge everything out of their way. Sound much like a ditherfish? i just had to take out a shoal of 5 babies (2.5-3cm) out of a 260L tank because they were just too fast and it upset the other fish.

Ditherfish: Rainbow fish (reds, blue, bosemani etc) Tetras (Columbian, Silver Tip, Diamond, Buenos Aires, Red Eye etc) and maybe something like Golden Wonder or Sparkling Panchax as a surface dweller, get to about 8-10cm long max adult size and nice brightly coloured and will hold their own any day.

 

[Glenbo1981]

I wouldn't get a pair if you are planning on housing it with a EBJD long term...not enough space and the EBJD will get torn up.

Your probably right about the Clown Loaches....to a degree,these things take 30 years + to get beyond 12" tho,my step father has a group of 3 and he has had them for nearly 20 years and they are 8"

I have 3 in my tank which is the same size as the one in question.

 

[GGriffin]

Thanks MBOU

So possible list could be:

1x EBJD
2 x Red Sev
Shoal of Red Line torpedo barbs/ Rainbowfish
1x L222 Plec
Couple of loachs to be determined.

Yep the Torpedo Barbs tend to be expensive. One LFS near me was selling them at 30 quid each and 75quid for 3. I was like as I swear I saw them in another shop at about 16quid a fish. But felt since I be saving for the tank might as well save for the fishes to go with it as well LOL.

Edit: Or possible 1 sev LOL yet to be determined.

Glenbo the fish on the righthand side of your sig is a gorgous fish, can I please ask what it is ?

 

[Glenbo1981]

If you was keeping a pair of Sevs with something small like a Blue Acara...I would say yes go for it...but something big like a EBJD will get in the Sevs space far to easily and wont back down fro ma fight and will eventually get torn up.

If it was a 6ft tank then yes by all means,but not in a 4ft.

I cant say much,I have 3 Sevs in my 4ft/100g but planning on rehoming stuff later on.

 

[GGriffin]

Fair enough. I really only want two large fish in the tank if possible. As I doubt I get a 5 footer out of the missus and a 6 footer would not fit at all so taht be a definate no no.

 

[MBOU]

I would definately rule out the Denisonii barbs (Torpedo Barbs, Red Line Barbs, Rose Line Barbs), they get big enough that one alone would be bigger than your severums or EBJD and they are shoaling, minimum of 6 really and they are scatty fish.

If you get your cichlids young then you can get more and see how they grow on and settle down and then rehome or sell on the fish that just dont fit in. EBJD are pretty slow growing and you wont see them anywhere much bigger than 2-3cm Juveniles and at a fair price too! £25 in most places. Severums you will be able to find at bigger sizes. Maybe 2 juvenile severums, 1 juvenile EBJD, panchax and loach and maybe something like juvenile firemouths or blue acaras or laetacaras etc and grow them on as your tank will look sooooo empty with 3 juvenile small fish in it!

 

[Glenbo1981]

Thats kinda bad advice,hes better off having what he wants and stickign with it rather than filling it full of different species.

I did that and i'm paying the price now because you become attached to what you have to get rid of.

Also what do you mean Torpedo barbs will outgrow your Sev? lol they get to 6" at the very maximum.

 

[MBOU]

Well, I've seen Denisonii over 15cm but if you say.... 15cm, if you have one Denisonii you have at least three because they are shoaling, that is then minimum of 45-50cm of fish as dithers! Not to mention the 20cm per severum (bout 8inches)... then the loach all get fairly large, in all fairness, severums need a bigger tank and they are the ones that are going to cause the problems.

 

[Glenbo1981]

Severums can hit 14" if given enough space and well fed.

My biggest Sev is 9" and still growing,EBJDs can hit 10"

I can assure you that you will never show me a picture of a 14" Torpedo barb! lol

Severums need 75g and this guys tank is 105g,JD's need a 55g so combining them would make this about perfect with a plec and some dithers.

NOT adding a ton of smaller cichlids.

I did exactly that when i got my bg tank and ended up giving away and selling loads...and it annoyed the hell out of me I still miss my Firemouth pair,my Rainbow cichlid and my Green Severum now.

When you are stocking wet pets the inch per gallon rule goes out of the window.