Jack Dempsey Cichlid 5cm

Jack Dempsey Cichlid
 

Jack Dempsey is a criminally underrated South American cichlid. They are one of the most naturally vibrant cichlids with an array of purple, blue, green and black which is something that is almost exclusive to these fish. These cichlids reach around 25 cm and are incredibly hardy, and cheap and make for a fantastic entry-level cichlid compared to the more conventional species like Oscars. 

Jack Dempsey cichlids have a quite distinguished elongated but stocky body shape whereas other south American cichlids dent to be more oval in shape. The base body colour can range from black to purple and even a cream colour depending on gender and mood. It's incredibly surprising to see just how much these fish change colours based on mood and you can quite literally see this happen right in front of your eyes. Aside from the body colours, there is an array of metallic highlights on the scales that start from gold to green and finally blue. The level of vibrancy that these scales have almost glowed under the aquarium lights is a sight to see. Jack Dempsey is a semi-aggressive species however some individuals can be incredibly territorial. 

Jaguar cichlids breed very easily in aquariums usually digging a pit or laying eggs on a smooth, flat surface. Male jaguar cichlids are larger in size in comparison to females. Females will have thin vertical bars and a pronounced dark broken horizontal bar. The wild habitat of jaguar cichlids is quite widespread throughout South America.

Tank Recommendations for your Jack Dempsey Cichlid

The Jack Dempsey cichlid is a very territorial fish that needs a tank that is at least 470 litres and around 4 feet minimum length. This ensures that there is enough space for Jack Dempsey along with any other tank mates. Keeping these fish on a sandy substrate will be great as jack Dempsey will sift through the substrate in search of food. Having rock caves and driftwood in the aquarium also helps with any territorial aggression. 

Suitable Tank Buddies

The Jack Dempsey cichlid is a relatively aggressive cichlid and should only be housed with similar-sized and tempered tank mates. With enough hiding places, these fish will be fine with a range of tank mates. 

Usually Compatible

Large growing aquarium species such as Oscars, jaguar cichlids, and fire mouths. These species are equally aggressive and large enough to where they can hold their own against any possible fights with a jack Dempsey cichlid.

Sometimes Compatible

Severum, Uaru, pictus catfish and other large but peaceful cichlids.  

Rarely Compatible

Shrimp and nano aquarium fish like neon tetras, ember tetras, corydoras and similar species. 

Feeding your Jaguar Cichlid

Jack Dempsey cichlids are by far one of the easiest fish to feed. It is an opportunistic hunter and will readily eat a wide range of foods being both dry, fresh, and frozen. Their diet should contain good quality slow-sinking pellets with high protein content. This should be supplemented with frozen foods such as bloodworms.