I bought a little Jack Dempsey around the start of the year. My family was getting into fish as a hobby, with a few small tanks here and there. Bettas, shrimp, etc. I found the Jack Dempsey at a PetSmart, and was simply taken in by this rainbow bedazzled cichlid from the first time I spotted him. Yes, I am pretty sure my little buddy is a him now, thanks to so many guides here on sexing.
So, I brought that Jack Dempsey home and set up a little 10-gallon tank to start. And true to form, everything that went into that tank was eaten. I tried some big mystery snails, thinking they were needed to control any algae. Eaten. Some plants! Eaten. Other fish... HAH! His name is now 'Sid Fishious', and this week, I am setting up a 50-gallon tank. Cause my buddy Sid is already over six inches long. And I have to wonder. Just how fast do these things grow?
I am also learning how to raise a few differing live birthing fish, to give Sid the prey he so enjoys. He eats fish kibble just fine also. As well, he eats crickets, green hornworms (raised for this purpose, and fed a diet of hornworm chow that is nontoxic), and pretty much anything I toss in his tank. Yes... He even ate a big Pleco I put in there thinking it was too big to eat. Sid circled that Pleco a few times and just left it alone. I wandered off thinking a big 6" Pleco would do! But an hour or two later, I found him with a big hunk of Pleco hanging out his mouth, and the other half of it floating by the filter. Sid was only about 4" long then.
Regardless, I must admit, I do love my Jack Dempsey. But just how fast do this fellers grow anyhow? And on a side note, what are some good plants to keep in there with him. Are there some kind of barriers I could use to help divide a larger tank up so I can keep an algae eater in there?
Thanks in advance for any tidbits and information.
Cheers
Anjin
So, I brought that Jack Dempsey home and set up a little 10-gallon tank to start. And true to form, everything that went into that tank was eaten. I tried some big mystery snails, thinking they were needed to control any algae. Eaten. Some plants! Eaten. Other fish... HAH! His name is now 'Sid Fishious', and this week, I am setting up a 50-gallon tank. Cause my buddy Sid is already over six inches long. And I have to wonder. Just how fast do these things grow?
I am also learning how to raise a few differing live birthing fish, to give Sid the prey he so enjoys. He eats fish kibble just fine also. As well, he eats crickets, green hornworms (raised for this purpose, and fed a diet of hornworm chow that is nontoxic), and pretty much anything I toss in his tank. Yes... He even ate a big Pleco I put in there thinking it was too big to eat. Sid circled that Pleco a few times and just left it alone. I wandered off thinking a big 6" Pleco would do! But an hour or two later, I found him with a big hunk of Pleco hanging out his mouth, and the other half of it floating by the filter. Sid was only about 4" long then.
Regardless, I must admit, I do love my Jack Dempsey. But just how fast do this fellers grow anyhow? And on a side note, what are some good plants to keep in there with him. Are there some kind of barriers I could use to help divide a larger tank up so I can keep an algae eater in there?
Thanks in advance for any tidbits and information.
Cheers
Anjin