new chiclids

Question
i have a new fish tank with 4 chiclids living in it, i recently got a jack dempsey, and he just doesn't seem to be taking to the tank. he jus hides in the back corner and doesn't move, even when being feed. any help would be appreciated. thank you again....codell

Answer
Good morning, Cody, thank you for your question.

To get a better idea of what is going on, I need a little more information. How many gallons is your tank, and how long has it been set up? As you probably know, a Jack Dempsey gets to be about 10 inches and is an energetic fish that needs lots of space. An aquarium of at least 45 gallons will be necessary to keep one adult Jack Dempsey healthy.

While a Jack Dempsey will adapt to most water conditions, they are South American, or to be more specific Central American, cichlids (do note the spelling, and it's pronounced "sick-lids") and will be incompatible with cichlids of another region such as African cichlids. So if you write back, do tell what the other four cichlids are.

Remember that cichlids are highly territorial, so if you are going to introduce new cichlids to a tank one precaution to take is to move the decor around so the fish can re-establish new territories. A possibility for the distress of your JD might be due to his getting picked on by the alpha male cichlid of your tank.

If this is not the case, then I would say that your tank probably is not fully mature yet, since you mention it is new. If your tank is a month old or less, cycling is definitely not complete yet and you will see some ammonia spikes sooner or later. That's why it's very important to test the water in a new tank. Do you have a test kit? It's one of the most important pieces of equipment you'll ever buy. Your local fish store can test the water for free for you, but be sure to ask for the readings otherwise they might just generalize. Your ammonia and nitrite MUST be at 0 ppm (any detectable levels whatsoever, and you can be sure that's what is bumming out your JD) and nitrates should not go higher than 20 ppm. You'll start to see problems with nitrates consistently over 40 ppm. Do keep that in mind!

Here is an article about Jack Dempsey cichlids:
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/universal-viewid434.html

Here is a site with lots of Q&As about Jack Dempseys:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/dempseyfaqs.htm

I hope that helps! If you would like me to ponder your question further, just drop me another line and include some more details about your tank. How big, when established, other tankmates, test kit readings including pH and temperature, and your maintenance schedule and I will be able to give you a much more conclusive answer.

Have a happy holiday, Cody!
Nicole