Whats this fish!

[Scott.turner28]

I went to lfs today to purchase a female jack dempsey. There were jaguar cichlids in the tank too. The dempsey had a few blue markings not loads, however when they caught it, i was unsure which they caught they told me it was a dempsey however all colour had gone and it looked more like one of the different species in the tank. What are your thoughts. Thanks

[black ghost]

Jaguar

[Scott.turner28]

Really, Damn!

[black ghost]

Why on earth do they put them in the same tank when they can’t tell the difference...

[Scott.turner28]

I no, im not taking it back now to be in the grubby lfs tanks either. Guess ill call her dempsey lol

[black ghost]

You realise they grow to nearly 2 feet?

[Scott.turner28]

In the wild.. in aquarium about 36cn, its a female too. So about a foot and a couple of inch. Its going in my oscar tank, the jewel vision 450. If it outgrows that in a couole of years ill decide whats what then. Cheers for help p.s i have a ghost knife in my oscar tank, that should be ok with jaguar should it? It only really comes out at night hides in logs and caves during day

[black ghost]

A few points...

1. It’s way too small to sex.
2. It only stays smaller if the tank is too small for it to achieve its full potential.
3. It’s Central American so it needs hard alkaline water.
4. When it grows a bit it will kick the carp out of an Oscar.
5. Black Ghosts hate cichlids, which is why it only comes out at night. I added some 3” oscars to my 12” BG. They were only there a few weeks but the ghost immediately hid up, and didn’t come out during daylight again for over a year. I would never again keep a BG with cichlids. It’s not hiding up because it wants to (it wants to come out and eat when you feed them). It’s hiding up because it feels it has to. Their scales are very small and so they’re very easily scratched. When the get scratched they get fungus, and they don’t tolerate medications.

[Scott.turner28]

Well we are all here to learn so how about we tone it back to giving advice not throwing pointers out like ive done something wrong. ill take back the jag tomorrow and swap for a severum as the dempsey are pretty aggressive fish too arent they, but i hear severums arent so bad? And as for the ghost, he does come out if the lights are out, its when i turn them on he goes in, i mean he occasionally comes out if i push the light to face the back of the tank. ive purchased some floating plants to see if this helps dimmen the tank. Im no way an expert, so please dont get all factual throwing out does and donts. I like alot of people like to learn myself by watching youtube and trial and error myself. Again, thanks for the advice..

[black ghost]

Sorry if it came across that way. I’m a little pragmatic at times but I was only trying to point out that Centrals and South Americans have different water requirements and keeping them together usually compromises the osmotic systems of one of them... and that Jags are way too territorially aggressive for Oscars (as are nearly all Centrals)... and that the Jag isn’t sexable yet. Point 5 was to try to help you do the best for your BG and understand the stress it’s under being kept with cichlids.
Severums are much more peaceful, and suited to the same water as Oscars.