The Jack Dempsey cichlid fish is named after boxing great Jack Dempsey due to it being an extremely strong and energetic fish. These fish are sought after by many aquarium enthusiasts because of their colorful scales and energetic nature.
You are probably reading this to learn how to care for Jack Dempsey fish. It is worth mentioning that inexperienced aquarium owners should carefully consider the decision to own Jack Dempsey fish as they are extremely aggressive and moody fish; something that can be a challenge to novice aquarium owners. Whether you are just starting out or have been an aquarium and fish enthusiast for years, a Jack Dempsey fish is a great fish to have in your aquarium, but be sure to strongly consider everything mentioned below before purchasing a Jack Dempsey. Also consider that a Jack Dempsey in good conditions can live 8-10 years.
With other fish – Jack Dempsey fish can be extremely aggressive and some aquarium owners choose to house them separately from other fish. However you can safely mix other fish with these aggressive fish if you choose carefully. You should avoid standard aquarium fish as they tend to be passive and less able to defend themselves against an aggressive fish. Fish that are in similar size to the Jack Dempsey and also come from an aggressive fish species are a good pick. You’ll want to limit one Jack Dempsey fish per tank however and you’ll want to be careful not to select fish that look similar to the Jack Dempsey cichlid.
Environment – Whether you choose to keep the Jack Dempsey in its own tank or a community tank, they like a lot of space. Your tank should be at least a 45 gallon tank. They also prefer the ability to claim a small part of the tank to claim as their own territory. Through the use of aquarium decorations, one can set up a tank in such a way that the Jack Dempsey is sure to find a small, partially segregated area to claim. This allows territory claims that limit the amount of area the fish will claim.
Avoid plants as the Jack Dempsey fish will often try to eat the plant. This fish is also a digger, so a layer of aquarium rocks is advisable. Just make sure that any decorations are placed directly on the bottom before adding the rocks since digging can disturb the decoration causing it to potentially harm the fish.
Temperature – This fish thrives best in water temperatures that are between 72-86 degrees F. However many Jack Dempsey enthusiasts prefer to keep the water temperature lower, around 78 degrees F to reduce aggressiveness. Cooler water seems to lower the aggression in these fish. The pH of the water should be between 7.0-8.0.
Nutrition – The Jack Dempsey fish eats a wide variety of food, these fish are often found in the wild eating insects, small crustaceans, worms, and small fish. At first what you try to feed the fish may be rejected, until the fish realizes you are giving it something edible. Food pellets are recommended over flakes, due to the size of the fish. Food pellets should be combined with occasional live food such as fish, earthworms, grasshoppers, shrimp, and crayfish. Also since these fish do eat plants, plankton or lettuce should be given as food from time to time.
