Can jack dempseys live with elephant nose fish?

Verdict

No. Jack dempseys and elephant nose fish should not share a tank. Jack dempseys are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.

Jack Dempsey72–86°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Elephant nose fish73–82°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerJack dempseys are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.

What works

Both are fine at 73–82°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: jack dempseys the mid, elephant nose fish the bottom.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Jack Dempsey	Elephant nose fish
Temperature	72–86 °F	73–82 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	10.0 in	9.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for jack dempseys

CrayfishYes

All jack dempsey tank mates

Better tank mates for elephant nose fish

All elephant nose fish tank mates

Questions

Can jack dempseys live with elephant nose fish?

No. Jack dempseys and elephant nose fish should not share a tank. Jack dempseys are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.

What temperature suits both jack dempseys and elephant nose fish?

73–82 °F. Jack dempseys need 72–86 °F, elephant nose fish need 73–82 °F.

What size tank do jack dempseys and elephant nose fish need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the jack dempsey. Add space for each extra fish.