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Our Fish Aquarium
We have 2 tanks of Cichlids: Tiger Oscar , Jack Dempsey , Convicts
Tiger Oscar
Temperature: 72F/23C to 85F/29C Water pH: 6 to 7.5 they reach maturity at around 9 to 10" /23 to 26cm and about 2 years of age
General Characteristics
Oscars would have to be about the most popular South American cichlids in the aquarium hobby, and with good reason. They are attractive, large cichlids that interact with their owners from a very young age. Often acting more like a dog with fins, Called a Aquatic Puppies , Oscars soon steal the heart of anyone that falls for that cute little "Take me home and love me!" dance that most juveniles will display in the tank at the local pet shop.
Oscars are highly intelligent fish, each with its own distinct personality. At times, they can be likened to a young child, with all the mood swings and temper tantrums that go along with that. Live plants do not tend to last very long in an Oscar tank, as they soon come to be considered toys. Even plastic plants will be dug up and thrown around the tank. Oscars are diggers, so make sure that the gravel is rounded, otherwise you run the risk of them injuring their mouths during one of their mammoth excavation sessions. They have a long lifespan, 15 to 20 years, so if you are planning on buying an Oscar, you should be prepared to a life time commitment.
In the wild, Oscars claim large territories and years of tank breeding has not dulled that instinct. Don't be surprised if your Oscar decides that the area around him or her tank for several feet also belongs to them, and reacts quite strongly when an unknown or potentially dangerous creature, such as the cat, enters that space.
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Jack Dempsey
Distribution: Central American - Southern Mexico to Honduras
Size: Up to 12"/30cm Temperature: 80f/26c Water pH: 7-8
General Characteristics
There is a reason that this fish was named after a heavyweight boxer and anyone who has owned one can tell you why. Pugnacious and territorial, the Jack Dempsey personifies everything "cichlidish" that a hobbyist could wish for. Their aggressive nature does not detract at all from their spectacular colouration, with males having a light grey base color, plenty of blue and green spangles covering the entire body, and a dramatic red edging to the dorsal and anal fins. Females show the same general colouration, with fewer spangles. There are also two new color morphs available in the hobby, the Electric Blue Dempsey with a bright blue base color and vibrant blue spangles, and the Gold Dempsey, with a pale, metallic gold base color and gold spangles concentrated around the gill plates and cheeks. the two new color morphs are still very rare in the hobby, and can command fairly high prices.
Jack Dempsey's cannot be considered community fish, due to their highly aggressive nature and tendency to depopulate tanks. They do well, however, in fish only tanks, where they tend to become very owner-responsive, often fixating on one member of the household. They are excellent fish to inspire young hobbyists due to this nature. Jack Dempsey's are not a fish that plays well with others even from quite a young age. Dempsey's are highly territorial and will take their bad temper out on tankmates if they feel that their territory is being "invaded". As these fish are not enormous in size, like many other extremely territorial cichlids, the amount of damage that can be done in each attack is not as severe, but with on-going beatings on a regular basis, even the hardiest tankmate will eventually succumb. If you would like to keep your Jack Dempsey with other cichlids, then it is recommended that you start with a minimum of a 100 gallon tank and keep your fingers crossed. As with many medium to large cichlid, getting your Dempsey to co-exist with other fish, even in a large tank, can be a bit of a hit and miss experience. Due to their pugnacious nature, there are some Dempsey's that just cannot be kept with other fish, no matter the tank size or tankmates attempted. If you are going to attempt to keep you Jack Dempsey with other fish, then you should be prepared to keep a very close eye on your tank for the first few weeks and be ready to remove the other fish if aggression ensues. It really comes down to trial and error with these fish, and be ready to have many trials before you find a workable combination. Our Jack Dempsey and Oscar get along well , thank goodness!
Dempsey's are diggers . Their natural environment contains plants, but their tendency to dig can make keeping live plants in a Dempsey tank a little on the tricky side. Plastic plants can be used instead, and your Dempsey won' t really notice the difference. Driftwood is common in their natural environment and is a good addition to a Dempsey tank. Rocks can be used as well, usually stacked in piles or arranged to provide caves. Many people also add large terracotta pots to their tanks to provide a cave for lurking and spawning.
As with all cichlids, filtration and water quality is important. Jack Dempsey's are messy eaters and will happily strew their food from one end of the tank to the other. Good filtration and water circulation is essential to prevent the tank from becoming polluted
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Oscar and Jack Dempsy
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Convicts
Distribution: Central America - Pacific side from Guatemala to Costa Rica, Atlantic side from Honduras to Panama
Size: Up to 6"/15cm (females usually smaller) Temperature: 70 to 80f/21-27C Water pH: 7.0 (although a very wide range will be tolerated)
General Characteristics
Feisty, aggressive and full of personality, Convicts are one of the most commonly available fish in the hobby. With their ease of breeding, these pocket-sized monsters from Central America are often referred to as the "rabbits" of the fish world. One male Convict plus one female Convict equals babies on a regular basis, usually every 4 to 6 weeks, for the rest of your original pairs life. Pound for pound, Convicts are one of the most aggressive of all Central American cichlids, but this is often overlooked, due to their small size. Spawning time is when you will see the most aggression, and I have heard of Convict pairs taking down full grown Oscar's more than twice their size. These are not community fish and cannot be considered safe unless a very large tank is involved.
Several color morphs now exist for Convicts. The regular "black" Convict with its bright grey background and black stripes, the "pink" Convict which are stripe-less and have a base color ranging from white to a light pink and the "marbled" or "calico" convict which shows mottled patches of the "black" and the "pink" coloration's. Black and Pink Convicts are the most commonly available. Difference in color, however, does not mean a difference in personality, and all Convicts exhibit the same aggressive nature.
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Tank Companions for Convicts - Giant Danio
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