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My Problem Child Gift - Pics

987 views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  jpbotha 
#1 ·
I got a fish for a gift.
At the LFS where it was bought they sold it as a Jack Dempsey.
My friends thought it was a bargain price for such a "big Jack Dempsey cichlid". They informed me that he is about 10cm, which is totally acceptable for the size fish I already have versus a Jack Dempsey temperament.
When my friends brought me the"Jack Dempsey" gift, I got a big surprise.

It was not a 10cm Jack Dempsey, but rather a fully grown 20cm Texas cichlid.
He is the most agressive fish I have ever seen. A real Terror. The other fish are surviving but he wants to, no sorry he will be king of the tank. He is together with Oscars, Arowana and Severum's.
Its a beautiful cichlid, but a problem child.
I'll probably have to move him to his own tank at some stage, still monitoring the situation. Cannot tell my friends I returned their gift.
 

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#5 ·
Well for the Americans in the group that don't know Metric... 10 cm is 4inches... so he is 8 inches without a tail. WOW.
What size is your tank? I'm worried what you might find each morning when you turn on the lights.
Good luck and keep us posted on what you end up doing. He really is beautiful.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Its a 600 litre (approx 150g) with 80 litre (20g) sump. Give or take a few gallons on my conversion.
The photo creates a perception that he is not so big, thats because he is at the back of the tank and the rest in the front when picture was taken.
Believe me he is HUGE.
Its the biggest Texas cichlid I've ever seen.
I would say he is close to 12 inch in total
Really did not know that they get that big.
Well lets hope for the best
 
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