# Help Save My Jack Dempsey's Life



## Gary57 (Aug 24, 2012)

I have a 2 inch Electric Blue JD in a 40 gallon tank with another 2 inch oscar and a 1.5 inch pink convict. I got all of them like 3 days ago. My EBJD is kind of floating sideways at the top of the water flapping his fins. PLEASE HELP!!! The temp is at 80 and the PH is around 7.2. please please please help. i am going to get them into a 100+ gallon tank when i have the money this was just temporary. please help save his life.


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## Gary57 (Aug 24, 2012)

*Please help save my EBJD's life!!!*

I have a 2 inch Electric Blue JD in a 40 gallon tank with another 2 inch oscar and a 1.5 inch pink convict. I got all of them like 3 days ago. My EBJD is kind of floating sideways at the top of the water flapping his fins. PLEASE HELP!!! The temp is at 80 and the PH is around 7.2. please please please help. i am going to get them into a 100+ gallon tank when i have the money this was just temporary. please help save his life.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

You are describing the behavior of a fish that has taken a beating. He would like to run away, but he has nowhere to go. If he goes down to the bottom, whichever fish laid the beating on him will kill him.
You have bought three incompatible cichlids. Either of the other two will be the attacker, and if the dempsie had come in stronger, the oscar would be in distress.

The only way to save his life is to get him his own tank, or to remove the fish that is winning. However, since he is flapping his fins and signalling weakness, odds are, when the attacker is gone the other fish will go for him. 

These are all aggressive and territorial fish.

Sorry...


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

*Re: Please help save my EBJD's life!!!*

I'm sorry to say there's no easy solution. He's been beaten up, and is trapped with a fish that will kill him. A cichlid at the surface is doomed unless you give it its own tank. he/she is beaten and has given up the fight, but has nowhere to run.

You have three nasty cichlids there - each could easily kill the other two. Mr Blue Dempsey is the first to lose out.

I tried to answer before but the response vanished. Weird.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

*Re: Please help save my EBJD's life!!!*

your first post got through; 2 threads same op same question.....same answer.That fish needs shelter,away from others(any thing ; deco's/plants/sticks/rocks to help him hide?)


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: Please help save my EBJD's life!!!*

Plus they aren't good cycling fish, Tank was set up a week before adding fish.


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

I have had an EBJD bedore and they aren't as agressive as the standard JD. Don't mix EBJD with other large Cichlids, they can't defend themselves. My EBJD lived easily with other smaller fish, he wouldn't even eat feed guppies.


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## Crazy (Mar 1, 2012)

Well you seem to have bought and custom taylored your own nightmare. All 3 of those fish are pretty aggressive and outstandingly territorial and I wouldn't have placed them together to start with. Also that oscar is a very fast grower, and will grow an inch per month so that means that he will outgrow that 40g in a matter of no time. Your pink convict is also aggressive but he is a bit different. He is a lot like a chiuahuah, a little fish with a lot of attitude, until the oscar gets big enough to eat him or just beats him to death. If I remember correctly you would need something like an 8ft tank just to ensure that they don't fight over territory as the convict takes a 2ft territory, the JD and oscar both take 3ft or more each. I really hope you can get it figured out, good luck.


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## giddetm (Apr 30, 2011)

At least put a divider in until you can seperate them.


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