african cichlids
angelfish
blood parrots
firemouths
fish
fish as pets
fishkeeping
jack dempseys
keeping fish
pets
One of My Fish is a ...... Murderer! LOL I Learned a Lesson.....
By clownfish
@clownfish (3269)
United States
April 8, 2007 2:23pm CST
Hi! I am so bummed! I just started an african cichlid tank. I had three little ones, a white one with red eyes, a bluish purple one, and a yellow one in a tank with two jack dempseys and a firemouth. Last week I found the white one dead. I thought it fell apart easily but didn't think about it. Then last Friday I found the blue one dead. When I took it out of the tank, I noticed a big gash in its side. It had been bitten by one of the bigger fish! Wow! Didn't see that coming! So, yesterday, the dempseys were hovering over the yellow fish and I knew it was next (the yellow fish was also cornered, by the way), so I scooped it out of the tank and put it in with my blood parrots and angel fish. It is doing much better and as of today, they are all getting along well. Guess not all cichlids can share a tank. I really didn't know that dempseys have a tendency to bite. Live and learn!
4 people like this
7 responses
@judyt00 (3497)
• Canada
8 Apr 07
Jack Dempseys are vicious fish, they will turn against anything else in the tank, My daughter had 2 jacks and afew other larger fish in a tank, and the jacks killed the other fish, then one turned on the other, Now this fish lives by himself in a huge 45 gallon tank because he kills anything else put in with him. Luckily, I have guppies,(they breed like crazy) and we feed him some every month or so.
@clownfish (3269)
• United States
8 Apr 07
Hi! Just goes to show, I should have done my own research instead of listening to the pet store people! LOL For the most part, they do know what they're talking about, but they told me the dempseys would be more territorial than vicious. Guess they were wrong. I wonder if I should be concerned about the firemouth in with them? I will never get dempseys again, that's for sure! :-)
@NikkisGoodies (56)
• United States
17 Jul 07
I learned the hard way about putting the wrong fish together in one tank. It was a big mess!! =(
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
9 Apr 07
When we go and get fish, we always check with the workers. They usually know, and so far we have been lucky. I am glad you caught it and saved your fish.
@maildumpster (3815)
• United States
20 May 07
That is a shame. I only have two bettas and they can't be together anyway so I can't help.
The thing I do know is that you should ask the pet store what fish shouldn't be together. A good one should be able to tell you so that you don't lose any more fish.
(you know this past week I had my 3 year old green anole and a betta die on me - I was sad so I already replaced them)
@ahrens12904 (33)
• United States
15 May 07
I had to find out the hardway to I had got a jack dempsy from my local pet shop which isn't that big and she told me it would be fine in a community tank so that is where I put him at first was in my 125 galloon community tank and he managed to kill 3 of my other fish before I realized it was him doing it. So I removed him from the tank and then did some research on him and found it that they are really aggressive fish. So He is in a tank alone now and seems to enjoy it very much.
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
8 Apr 07
When my cousin first started his fish tank he was pretty clueless. He started out buying any and every fish he thought was "neat" or different. End result... a buffet for some of the fish! lol He learned quickly that you have to figure out which fish CAN be put together. I'm always impressed that people can put soooooo much time, effort and money into these little creatures! You start out thinking in terms of goldfish in a little bowl and realize the work and intensity level it can get to!
You should post pics of your tank and some of the fish!!!
