# help stocking a 55 gallon tank



## lifepool (Nov 16, 2009)

so i have a 55 gallon tank, and *** had a jaguar cichlid in it since he was about 2 inches. well, he has now reached 8 inches and i have made the decision to find him a new home rather than upgrade tanks. so now i have an empty 55. i really like chocolate cichlids and electric blue jack dempseys. would both of these be ok in a 55? if not, which one would do better? and also, what else could i put with them? i would prefer not to have only one fish in the tank. the jag was by himself and most days were a bore.


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## lifepool (Nov 16, 2009)

anyone?


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## Lancerlot (Feb 22, 2006)

lifepool said:


> anyone?


You rehoused a Jaguar cause it gets to big. Yet you want to get a choc cichlid which gets just as big. :? But you also want to put it with a delicate fish like a EBJD. I wouldn't recommend it.

Just 2 EBJD in the 55 . No other fish. I wouldn't even try the Choc cichlid alone in that tank.


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## lifepool (Nov 16, 2009)

well i didnt realize chocolates grew to 20 inches? i just read they max out at like 11. regardless, thats why i asked. so if i were to get one ebjd, what else could live with it?


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## Lancerlot (Feb 22, 2006)

lifepool said:


> well i didnt realize chocolates grew to 20 inches? i just read they max out at like 11. regardless, thats why i asked. so if i were to get one ebjd, what else could live with it?


Find me a jaguar that gets 20"... I got no idea where you got your info but jags/chocs get to 10-14". That's what I thought you meant for size cause they're both similar sizes. With choc cichlids you also get you also get round long which I think has to be looked at to with higher tanks.

um i'm not a fan of mixing EBJD they are to delicate of a fish, Species only if I were you. u can put more then 1 in a 55. Pair possibly. Or a EBJD/JD doesn't matter.


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## jack lover (Aug 12, 2008)

I know some jagz get like 15-17 but even thats alot


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## SinisterKisses (Feb 24, 2004)

Besides the point anyway...anything that grows bigger than 8" full grown is too big for a 55gal tank. Go with the EBJD if you want, but leave it as a species tank.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I have a pair of adult Blue Dempseys in a 125 gal tank with a large breeding group of Red Hump (Steiny) Geos... I think a single Blue Dempsey with a small group fo Geos in a 125 gal would eb fine...


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

Lancerlot said:


> lifepool said:
> 
> 
> > well i didnt realize chocolates grew to 20 inches? i just read they max out at like 11. regardless, thats why i asked. so if i were to get one ebjd, what else could live with it?
> ...


Jaguars are capable of getting 20", not common, but it happens.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I have seen a pic of confirmed 16" SL male jag before, against the measuring tape and all in the pic.

Just throwing that out there.


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## FiremouthShogun (Apr 26, 2006)

We are still dealing with a 55 right ?

If you want activity go with a smaller species. A lone JD with dither that can grow big enough not to be food would look real nice. Or a jack and a pair of smaller Cichlids like rainbows. I like to have some activity in the tank and I'm not a huge, huge fan of the wet pet setup but to each his own. I like to see the fish interact and not only responding to me like a wet pet does.

Nothing like a dozen fish begging for vittles or jockeying for the good rock. : )


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