Help!

[Eric9647]

I recently started a new tank and I fear that my Jack Dempsey isn't fitting in. I finished the cycle period a month ago and purchased several fish immediately. I currently have 10 fish (including the JD). 7 African Cichlids of various sorts + the Dempsey, a small catfish-like shark and an algae eater. All the fish are interacting just wonderfully except the Dempsey. Each fish is approximately 2 inches in length, the tank is extremely clean, well filtered, consistently at 78 degrees and a lot of oxygen is pumped in. The only downside is that the JD tends to stay at the top corner of the 75 (US) gallon tank and hides near the filter. When another fish occasionally wonders by, he cowers away. He seems oddly sad and scared. Any suggestions? Would another JD help? PLEASE help a fellow fish lover.


- Manhattan Eric

 

[Eric9647]

no suggestions! Please help, he looks miserable!

 

[firetank]

hi eric,

Have you got a spare tank the JD can go in?

I would try stay away from mixing south\central american cichlids in with Rift Lake africans,

They have different behavioral\patterns and markers and I fear he may be getting the brunt of any aggression from the tankmate..

what else is in the tank btw(malawis\ tanganikyan??) ; also what water ph are you running with??

if its a rift tank over ph 8 its probably too high for the JD anyways.....

HTH

Craig

 

[Eric9647]

Thanks Craig,

I have another tank but it is full of far less aggressive fish that I've had for years. I fear that if I place the JD in their, the other fish will be slaughtered.

I just checked my PH and it is at about 7.8 or 7.9

Earlier today I went to the pet store and they suggested that I might not be putting enough stress coat in the tank, I'll try upping the dosage a bit. In addition to that, I picked up another JD a few hours ago. I rearranged the rocks in the tank but the second the new guy was released, the other cichlids began chasing and trying to nibble at him, that continued to this minute.

I would pick up another small tank, but fear it would kill the JD as a new tank wouldn't have gone through the cycle period. If I were to use transport the water in my current tank to the new one, would that allow me to skip the cycle period?

- Manhattan Eric

 

[dthoffsett]

While JD's are considered an aggressive fish, they are nowhere near the aggression level of most African Cichlids. I'm afraid not moving them to another tank will get them killed faster than moving.

About 90% of beneficial bacteria live in the filter, so tank water will do nothing for cycling, if you can, move 1/3 of your filter material from your mature tank to the filter in the uncycled tank. That should be enough for 2 fish, just keep an eye on the ammonia/nitrite for a mini-cycle.

 

[Ferris]

The JD really needs to go IMO i'm afraid - Most Mbuna will prove to aggressive for a juvenile/sub-adult JD but if it survives to adulthood, the reverse will probably be true.

Mixing NW and African cichlids is not impossible, although it is fraught with problems but i certainly wouldn't recommend this combination.

 

[Eric9647]

thanks everyone, I wish the people at petco weren't so adamant about their likelihood to co-exist. Now I am facing a new horror, Ich! in the past I used blue methane, now I am told the best way to treat it is this new product called "lifeguard" ever hear of it? Also, I read other posts and will try garlic and raising the tank 2 degrees

-E