What are good types of foods for jack dempsey fishes?

Question

Hi. I currently have a jack dempsey eating medium sized pellets. He's been eating that for about a year. So I want to maybe give him something a little different in his diet. He's about 4-5 inches big. He's very aggressive and it looks like he can eat a feeder fish but i'm not quite sure. I was thinking about feeding him cooked shrimp but i don't know if he can eat that. Does anyone have any recommendations for feeding a jack demspey? Thanks

Answer 1

You can feed him small feeder minnows, ghost shrimp, Bloodworms, and brineshrimp for a varied diet. It also brings out their color. But start out with only a few feeder fish. Because he MIGHT not eat them.  

Answer 2

Definitely avoid feeder fish-- while it may eat them, it isn't healthy.  Jack Dempsey's are not natural pismires, and on top of that, feeders are notorious for carrying parasites and other pathogens into the tank.  Frozen blood worms and bits of prawn from the grocery store would be very good choices, IN ADDITION to the pellets.  Only feed frozen foods a few times a week, and keep using the pellets as a staple.