Jack Dempsey Cichlid Bullying... please help!

Brendan Maas

So I have 2 Jack Dempsey Cichlids, and 2 fire mouth cichlids. The one Jack Dempsey is about 2 inch big, the other 1 inch. The 2 firemouths are about 1.5 inch and 2 inch respectively. I've had them for 4 weeks. Before tonight they seemed to be coexisting nicely, aside from the occasional nip from the big jack. But tonight that changed, the big Jack is attacking everything in its path, especially the small Jack. I have plenty of hiding spots, and live and plastic plants, driftwood, cave, and hollow log. But everytime the little Jack leaves it's cichlid stone, the big one attacks? Any suggestions would be very helpful... Thanks!!


40 Gallon Tank
2 Jack Dempseys (2.0 inch and 1 inch)
2 Firemouths (1.5 inch and 2.0 inch)

1077

Due to their nature, which nearly any book on cichlids will confirm.. There is usually room for only one Jack Dempsey in all but the largest aquarium.

leogtr

hi there!!!

get the tube from the syphon vacuum that you use to clean the substrate and put it by where the dempsey bully hangs out and if you see him bullying the others blow bubbles at him! and tell him to stop doing that! he'll get the point and he will stop.

I have Zebra Danios(glofish) and the orange one( Lilinette) bothers the green one(Vladamir). Lilinette is okay with the red one(Hamza) and does not bother him at all but with Vladamir is another story...before she would not let him into to the central or easter parts of the aquarium. When I blew bubbles at Lilinette and told her to stop she stopped and every time I see her bothering Vladamir I tell her not to do that and she stops and goes behind some plants. The others just stick around.

you have to blow bubbles towards him and him only(whoever is being a bully) and you HAVE to yell at him to stop doing that...that way he remembers that tube when you tell him to stop when you just walk by and see him acting up. After a while he wont bother the others.

Brendan Maas

So, there is nothing I can do, but to buy another tank and separate them? Thanks for taking time to respond.

jeaninel

Do you know what sex your JDs are? If you have 2 males they will not get along and you'll have to remove one. With a male and female it may be hit and miss on if they will get along and you may have to put a divider in at times. Also providing lots of hiding spots for the female to escape from the male will help. Can you post a pic of the fish and your set up?

Brendan Maas

I will try and post a pic. I believe the bigger one is female, because she has a high concentration of blue dots around her gills. Now they are juveniles so it's less pronounced. The other JD that is being harrassed is only 1 inch or so, and I really can't tell. Let me see if I can post a pic. Thanks for the help everyone!