# Questions about my Texas



## peteandhisn3phew (Nov 8, 2008)

I have a texas cichild that i bought about a month ago from my lfs. He is in a 55 gallon with a jack. From some reason he likes to stay at the top of the tank in corners and near the heater and is not very active until the lights go out. He eats and looks healthy excepet for the fact that he just hangs out at the top just floating there. Is this unusual beahavior for these type of fish or is just less active than my jack. Tanks is at a stable 75 degrees ph is 7.3 and is still cycling with ammonia between 0 and .25. Any help would be greatly apprciated.

-Rich


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

you may have answered your own question. if the tank is not fully cycled, the fish will most likely be effected. do you have any media, gravel or decor that you can seed your tank with to speed up the cycle? just be patient and keep an eye on him until the cycle is complete.


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

I'd have to wonder if your temperature isn't a bit low.

Also with your tank still cycling it's going to be putting some stress on your fish as well.

Lastly, that tank is too small for those fish once they are mature/full grown so hopefully you have a plan for a larger tank down the road. I realize you can keep those fish in that sized tank, but it is far from ideal.


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## peteandhisn3phew (Nov 8, 2008)

thank you for the quick replys both fish are quite small at the moment and i plan on getting a 75 -125 gallon with the next few months. Would that be sufficient..im not sure as i am fairly new to keeping aquariums


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## peteandhisn3phew (Nov 8, 2008)

ya i do not have anything to speed up the process as the last tank i had lost all the water over night and thus i had to start the cyling process again. I decided to do it with fish this time.


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

i would blame that little dempsey for pushing your tex to the top. either of these fish would do much better alone in that tank. you should pick a fave, and replace the other with community types, until it matures a bit more. then, when you see them hugging the corners, you'll have to reconsider tank size and/or tank mate issues again. :lol:


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

the JD is punking him, id be willing to bet if the JD was out of the tank for a day he would have a new home on the bottom of the tank, but with the JD in there, no hope for now. Create more hiding spots and cover, i just had to re-home a Convict because she was punking the others around.

D


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## peteandhisn3phew (Nov 8, 2008)

well maybe ill call the lfs and see if they will take him back, I feel bad for the guy. so you think it best that the jd be by himself rather than have any tank mates? I don't want to see the texan die. again thanks for the input. what about a female jd or the oppsite sex as I don't know how to sex these fish....


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

did you realize your jd is nicknamed with respect to the heavy weight boxer 'jack dempsey', aka 'the manassa mauler'...51 ko's in 66 wins...it's hard to find a tank mate for this fish.


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

The Jd can have tank mates, they have to be as stong as him or stronger and or bigger. My jd was alone his whole life, but he as weird as it sounds was the best pet yet. Id put food in my hand and he would swim up gently and eat it... I could even get him to chase a laser pointer!

David


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

is300soon said:


> The Jd can have tank mates, they have to be as stong as him or stronger and or bigger....David


 good point, but it's really difficult when the jd got there first. they make great solo pets, for sure.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

JD's are not as aggressive as they are put out to be, being one of the first cichlids discovered, it probably seemed more aggressive back then therefore earning the name Jack Dempsey.

most large cichlids will live just fine with a JD, just not in that tank size, the tank is to small


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

all true, a JD needs room, mine use to swim from one side to the other very very fast, when my tank had a leak and I put him in a smaller tank while the repair went down he seemed to lose weight and wasn't the same, took about another 3 months after getting back in the 55g until he was happy agian. Back to goldfish!


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## peteandhisn3phew (Nov 8, 2008)

Well thanks for all the insight, i rearranged the decorations ins the tank seemsto be better for now. I plan on bringing him back to the pet store. Ill leave the jack alone. They only thing live that will go in with him are some molllys that are in another tank being quarantined. I want to see him eat live fish lol bad idea?


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

Jack + molly = early turkey day!

Kinda fun though!


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## peteandhisn3phew (Nov 8, 2008)

haha yes my thoughts exactly. He not quite big enough to eat them som maybe they can get there numbersup in the mean while. ON the other hand i put the texan up for adoption today. I hope he makes it until them  .


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