How long can jack dempseys live

But the natural colors of tropical fish are often lost in this artificial light. However, the light quality of fluorescent bulbs begins degrading as soon as they are turned on. The lights will gradually dim and the color shift over a period of months. The bulbs require replacement to maintain the same level of illumination. LED lighting uses much less energy and lasts for many years.

Basic LED aquarium fixtures will provide natural-looking light and very low energy consumption. Some fixtures even have a built-in timer. The next level of light fixture has more LEDS for better light coverage, especially in deep aquariums. Like many cichlids, Jack Dempsey fish have a natural instinct to dig in the aquarium substrate. You can use any size gravel but the ideal substrate is fine sand.

The sand is easier for the fish to sift and explore, satisfying their natural urge to dig around the aquarium. The other benefit to using sand is that sand settles and levels itself after being sifted. The fish like rocks and crevices to hide in and explore.

Driftwood or resin logs and branches provide much appreciated cover and territory for the fish. Hardy live plants like Anubias and java moss can be grown in a Jack Dempsey fish aquarium. Taller Vallisneria also provides dense cover for the fish to swim through.

Jack Dempseys will eat a variety of prepared, fresh, frozen and live foods. Pieces of frozen mysis shrimp, brine or bloodworms are also a favorite treat. Prepared cichlid or carnivore pellets are the most popular diet for large cichlids like Dempseys. Floating and sinking pellets are readily accepted. Feed only what the fish will consume in a minute or two. Never let the uneaten food float or sit at the bottom of the tank after feeding time. The food will decay and pollute the water.

This ensures compatibility and reduces the chances of fighting during courtship. Be aware that during courtship and pairing, all other fish in the aquarium will be driven away, bullied or even killed.

Be prepared to remove the fish before this happens. The female Dempsey must be ready to spawn. If not, the male may chase and bully her. Be ready to remove or separate the female if things get rough. Give the pair a flat stone to use for spawning. They will pick at the stone, cleaning it in preparation for egg laying. After the female lays eggs on the stone, the male will fertilize them. Both parents watch over the eggs.

The fry become free-swimming in about 10 days. The young fish will eat frozen baby brine shrimp and small bits of prepared food. The Jack Dempsey fish can live up to 10 years with proper care. He will stay and watch it for hours and hours if it is in my room. He'll ignore eating or whatnot if the cat is in the room. I am glad he has such interaction, even if he is still a solitary fish.

I am glad I am giving him a better home. Its just creepy some times how smart he is. He also loves to hide in his flower pot and PVC pipe elbow. He also uproots the fake plastic plants I set in there. Toggle navigation. Tank Region : Middle to bottom Gender : Females may be smaller and less colorful. Pelvicachromis pulcher Kribensis Cichlid - Krib Another one of the easier to breed cichlids. Astronotus spp. Oscar Fish Often sold to new hobbyists that should now better.

Oscars need larger tanks than most hobbyists can provide. A hybrid Blood Red Parrot Cichlid An interesting hybrid cichlid that needs some hiding places and an established tank. Right now I have 1 5" female JD that lives with a common pleco. Though I'm thinking about getting a few convicts.

I feed her tropical flakes with the occasional rosy red gold fish that she loves. She also loves worms and crickets, and rarely she'll eat the algae wafer I put in for the pleco. Another thing is, never keep it with something smaller than it there are some exceptions because they will kill it.

From: Darren I got mine from my brother because they killed all the fish in his tank including a 12 inch pleco. The only way I have found is to give them a bigger tank, like 55 gallons or larger!

From: Michelle I just got one and he is just a baby. Every time I feed him flakes he attackes them as if they were alive lol.

He is so cute! From: Allison We got our 2 on a whim one day and they have been the most entertaining fish we have had. They surprised us after a month of owning them and now we have hundred's! We have other fish in the tank and they have been defending their young and have been doing a remarkable job of being parents! We are so happy to have them and we will continue to care for them and possibly breeding them accordingly.

From: Tay Hi, I went to a pet store today where I was told that they do well in only a 20 gallon tank. Would this be true if it were the only fish in the tank? Also, I would like to get some Blue Rams to go along with it. Would these two fish be compatible? Any information would be greatly appreciated!

I would recommend that you NOT follow that advice. This fish gets way too big for a 20 gallon tank. The blue rams stay quite small for cichlids 2 inches maybe and would make a nice snack for a full grown Jack Dempsey.

You can put them with other fish if you go with a large enough tank. Currently I have 1 large male with a Red Devil Cichlid of the same size, a Deboise about 4", 2 Jewels about 3" and some cats in a gallon tank.

They all look great, no fin nipping and only minor territory chasing. A good way to start is with a few aggressive fish all bought at the same time young and they will all fall in line.

Currently the Jack and the devil swap dominance in the tank. They truly are a great fish to have. From: Steve I've had my fish for five years or more, recently bought a 77 gallon tank, and decided to do a little research on him. You see I have always known him as an "Oscar" until I saw the picture of them in your site, I couldn't believe it, "that's my fish".

Thanks to your site I can now finally say "I have a Jack Dempsey", and he's in excellent health. By the way, 20 gallons is not enough, my poor guy was cramped up like that for a long time sad to say. It's a very expensive commitment to make, but to watch them glide around a large well lighted aquarium is well worth it. From: Hardy I had one for around three years, during which time I came home several times to find it had jumped out of the aquarium and landed the carpet.

And it needs to be able to pump enough water so dissolved wastes come into contact with the bacteria. Then rotting waste will put off deadly ammonia as it breaks down in the tank, eventually making the water unlivable. I really recommend that you go with an oversized filter to match your oversized fish and its monster-sized poops. So go with a filter that can easily handle the volume of your tank and then some.

And you can even get some extra filtration by adding on something like a sponge filter. Related: Best Aquarium Canister Filter. A puny heater will constantly struggle to keep the water warm enough.

That means it will have to stay on almost constantly to maintain the temp. Related: Best Aquarium Heaters Reviewed. OK so if you have plans for a big, beautiful planted tank, this is probably not the fish for you. Jack Dempsey fish, just like a lot of cichlids, love to dig in the substrate. I like to even out the gravel after a water change so it looks all nice and level.

I once watched a Dempsey I owned spend hours digging out a hollow and mounding up the gravel all around it. Related: Best Aquarium Plants. Since they like to dig, a planted soil substrate would end up being a huge mess since they would break it apart. Also, in my opinion, they look better against a dark substrate. Cichlid sand is made of aragonite , a crystalized form of calcium carbonate CaCO 3.

Jack Dempsey fish need a mix of open swimming areas along with large pieces of decor that they can use to establish a territory and as a place to hide. They definitely appreciate having a roomy cave that they can retreat to when they feel threatened. Mine would hide behind some big rock work I had in the tank whenever he got scared.

However, Jack Dempsey fish are tank bred fish, so they are able to adapt to a wide range of water conditions. They can be very aggressive and tend to become increasingly territorial as they age. Dempseys will usually stake out a territory in a cave or behind some driftwood so they have somewhere to retreat to if they feel threatened. They always kind of remind me of stereotypical tough guys from movies who stand on the corner and defend their turf. They may still beat each other up a bit from time to time, but more than likely they will just hang out together peacefully.

Pro Tip: Mated pairs will not tolerate other fish in the tank while they are breeding. They will destroy other fish with extreme prejudice. But you absolutely cannot keep two sexually mature males together.