Geting A Jack Dempsey

[Fizban]

first off i will say i have about a 5 to 6 inch black shark may be alittle bigger thats just a guess i was told a Jack Dempsey would be an okay tank mate i was wondering about other sort of info i should no .....like should i get one the same size as the shark or bigger or smaller ? and will fight and re-fight and if thats normal as i said i dont no much about this fish any ifo is welcome.

 

[ox5477]

what size tank is it? Because I would say that an adult jd needs a 55G atleast and if you have another 6" fish in there then I would say atleast 75 to 90G.

What kind of black shark? a red-tailed black shark? Because those are known to be very aggressive as well as jds so aggression will most likely creep up.

 

[bmcelfresh]

I agree, what kind of "black shark"? The dempseys can usually take care of themselves unless the tank mates are A LOT larger to start with. Make sure there are plenty of hiding splaces. Also, you will need at least a 55gl as the dempsey will get big. Beautiful fish I might add!

 

[Fizban]

I agree, what kind of "black shark"? The dempseys can usually take care of themselves unless the tank mates are A LOT larger to start with. Make sure there are plenty of hiding splaces. Also, you will need at least a 55gl as the dempsey will get big. Beautiful fish I might add!

 

[Fizban]

its going to be about 110gl tank so space should be okay and i dont plan on haveing any other fish in there i might try to add a few fish from my other tank they are small ones but probly i will take them out and put them back in my 49gl cuz i no they probly will be attacked but hey every fish is difrent some i find that should hate each other can be okay together but most of the time thats not the case so i wont be buying any other fish for my bigger tank ..........its not a red-tailed black shark ....i have only seen it called the black shark or labeo chrysophekadion one main reason why i am going to get the Jack Dempsey fish was a reply a guy on here gave posted on the Cyprinids, Characins and Atherinids topic page said(((((((Large cichlids, Ive got a Red Devil, a Jack Dempsey, and other like tempered cichlids in with my black shark. Large agressive cichlids are your best bet with a black shark.)))))))) the topic i posted on the page was((Compatibility With A Black Shark Is There Any Fish?, any idears what fish may work)) on there and when i saw what a jack Dempsey was like i thort it looked realy nice so i went with that surgesten

 

[vancouver]

It might work.. you'll probably have to try it and see what happens.

In a 110g tank, they should be able to both have their own territories, so they shouldn't have serious problems.. but you never know.

Black sharks can grow enormous too, and the bigger they get, the meaner they get.. so down the road you could run into problems.

 

[Fizban]

thanks any more intresting info about the Jack Dempsey?will it eat any sort of fish food or is there some thing it should have ?

 

[ox5477]

Ok, well i just googled your "black shark" or labeo chrysophekadion and fosters and smith says it can get close to 24". yes, Thats after yrs if it comes close to that, but that still is a massive fish. I would say, when it reaches adult hood, get a bigger tank for it and watch for any stocking issues with anything you decide to put in there as it says they are omnivores so im sure they will slurp up and fish that can fit into its mouth for a easy meal.

Depending on the jd's temperment (usually aggressive but mine is a softie, so could go either way), watch for scales missing from either the jd or the black shark as this is a definate sign of bickering. How big is the black shark right now?

Facts you should know for the jd:

• If the fish is dark all the time and showing its black stripes, then it feels threatened and either angry/scared
• Will eat almost anything... I feed mainly cichlid pellets but suppliment with peas and krill. Will also eat algae wafers (when your's mouth gets big enough to fit the wafers in)
• Can really benefit from dithers like sd's, balas, tin foils, as it makes the fish feel more secure seeing other fish in the area

For the food, you can also do bloodworms (though when it gets bigger, these will barely be a snack), and I've given mine pieces of frozen cooked shrimp before

 

[Fizban]

fish will eat cooked food ???the black shark is still on the small size for a black shark hmmm i would say its around the 5 inch mark im not shore on the size many sites say difrent things but from what i gather its realy big when its full size i found anuther site saying some thing about they are good eating fish i think it said in thailand it was an asian place any way lolol i dont plan on eating my fish so that page was not good lol anuther site called it a tank buster fish ether way it sounds like a realy big fish..............from what i gather and i hope it stays like this my one is not that aggressive for a black shark i mean cuz he will chase the little fish now and again like when feeding but he never bites them or hurts them its like he is just want to show whos the boss hehe make him feel happy i think .....if they do fight is there a chance that its just cuz its a new fish and if they are left for a bit they willl get along or should i pull the jd out right away and if they are okay but still fight alittle from time to time is that okay/normal ??

 

[ox5477]

Yes, my guy loves shrimp/krill, whether cooked, freeze dried, or fresh, all though I dont like feeding fresh as it could have un healthy bacteria (i know im paranoid )

They prob will quarrell a little depending on how aggressive the black shark is. im pretty sure that the jd will eventually try to bully the shark as thats what they do. If you see constant conflict then the jd should be removed, but a little bout here or there is ok as its just normal nature to establish some sort of pecking order

 

[Fizban]

is there any way to be shore to get a male ???i ask cuz i gather they have brighter colors and u see i realy am hopeing to use it as like the desplay fish of the tank cuz i saw how nice the color of them are 8) hehehe so when friends drop by he can be impressive not just in size but color as well ....the fish i get will probly be arownd the 5 inch mark cuz the sharks about that ?

 

[Fizban]

what is a dithers fish i gather its some thing like the fish feel more secure seeing other fish in the area so dose that just mean any fish would work as long as its not eaten or a threat to the fish you want to make more secure?and dose size matter

 

[Nevergone815]

Giant donios, congo tetras, various species of rainbowfish all make a good dither fish for NW cichlids. They school and give the fihs more sense of being in its natural soroundings. Though many fish we come across are tnak bred and raised, their natural instinct still kicks in. Also, with aggressive fish such as cichlids, it can give them somethign else to chase besides it "enemies".

I have a female JD and she is a wimp too, but I think mine was a neglected abused return to the store. So knowone knows for sure if she uis jsut scared to death of anyhting.

The information provided for the JD is really good, males tend to be mroe cleaner on the gills, and have streamers off of their anal and dorsal fins. Females tend to be blotchier around the gill plates or on the gills. Their finnage is more rounded.

 

[ox5477]

It isnt that hard to tell a male from a female whne they are about the size your looking for. Anything smaller and you might run into some probs as with most fish, their predominant features don't come out until almost full maturity is reached at around 5 or 6 inches. With the aggression thing too, you might want to get a female as she would be less likely to try to pick on the shark than a male would. She will just as beautiful as any male as well!

 

[Fizban]

i was wondering about the Electric Blue Jack Dempsey are there any difference