tank compatability , Jack Dempsey

Question
Ron,

I have a 48 gallon bowfront tank with a 10" eclipse catfish, 2 large blue gouramis, an 8" botia and a very large yellow fish I cannot id that looks somewhat like a gourami in shape 10" long x 6" tall fairly aggressive. I would like to add 1 or 2 different colored Jack Dempsey ciclids to this mix, will this work?

Thank you,

Steve

Answer
Hi Steve,
  An adult Jack Dempsey is about 8 to 10 inches long and as you might guess from the name, they don't play well with others.  I suspect that blue gouramis wouldn't last long with an adult jack dempsey in the tank.   The catfish will probably be okay.  I can't say about the botia but I suspect it wouldn't survive long.   Hard to say about the yellow fish.  Can you send me a photo of it (to the address below)?

-- Ron Coleman
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>