280L (61 Imp Gallons) Dempsey Tank

[Verminator89]

Well, things havn't took off, which it looked at first as though things would.

The male is still shimmying alongside the female whenever she gets near. She inturn keeps mouthing at his side gently as she does EVERY time she breeds, but so far nothing. She is still diggingsand out from the pot i placed in the tank. She keeps picking up lose twigs and swimming around the tank with it in her mouth then droping it away from the pit.

Basically, they are doing everything they have always done before breeding, except the next step they've always taken. Laying the eggs. Somewhat confused, but i shall persist and keep my fingers and toes crossed!

 

[Proxo]

Well, things havn't took off, which it looked at first as though things would.

The male is still shimmying alongside the female whenever she gets near. She inturn keeps mouthing at his side gently as she does EVERY time she breeds, but so far nothing. She is still diggingsand out from the pot i placed in the tank. She keeps picking up lose twigs and swimming around the tank with it in her mouth then droping it away from the pit.

Basically, they are doing everything they have always done before breeding, except the next step they've always taken. Laying the eggs. Somewhat confused, but i shall persist and keep my fingers and toes crossed!

Lol sounds like my green terrors mate, they used to be at it like rabbits and now they do everything to show they're about to breed and then dont!
You might remember me asking about it a while back, i've still had nothing since then .

Hopefully you'll have better luck then me anyway

 

[Verminator89]

Long since gave up on the breeding. They just kept digging pits, then swimming around it, then stopping. They've since stopped all of it totally now, blighters. Never mind aye. Well, the stocking has changed somewhat, as i had a sale of some tanks to colleagues of mine at work, and have had to shuffle stock to and fro. So the current stocking of this tank is now as follows, and shall remain like this for the next few months (hopefully);

Full Stocking

x1 Male Electric Blue Jack Dempsey 8"
x1 Female Jack Dempsey 6-7"
x1 Rotkeil Severum 6"
x1 Firemouth 3" (the boss somehow?)
x1 Sailfin Plec 4"
x1 Magnum Plec 4"
x1 Bumblebee Catfish 3" (tank migrant on bogwood - now can't catch him so he shall stay)
x1 True SAE (other 4 have all jumped over previous months)
x3 unknown Giant Rasbora 3"
x7 Yellow Tip Tetras

A Plec, probably my annoyingly nocturnal magnum, and the sev + firemouth will probably be rehomed into another tank soon also, as i want to regain the focus on the Jacks, which has somewhat wavered over the last few months.

Shall get some pictures up once i get the tank looking a little more respectable. Cichlids digging and algae bloom currently, makes it look a mess.

 

[njstockley]

this tank, since joining this forum in September, has been my very favourite. was the reason i got my JD and therefore CANNOT WAIT to see some pictures! if only my landlord hadnt been such a !?**!?!.
Nick

 

[Verminator89]

I've been struggling with this tank since i added an Fx5 to it, thats what i've narrowed it down too. Seriously concidering crashing this tank, and starting over again. Something isnt right in the balance, and i've been tweaking things here and there for a while now with little to no luck.

Constantly in the same small patch in the centre of the tank i get this green film algae on the sand, just the one spot. The plants are constantly being uprooted and there are fish i've released into this tank that i want out, and can't get to without stripping it down. Just a couple of reasons to restart things up.

The Jacks may not like it, but i may evict whilst i sort the tank out. Or at the very least have a massive overhaul once more. Swapping back to either the TetraTec EX1200, or a Fluval 305. Hmmmm, decision time. This tank started so well, then fell into decline and i'm struggling to pull this back around again. It may be coincidence, but it's been since the Fx5 was added

 

[star4]

I would go for the aps 1400 or 2000 with the uv light see if that helps with the algae. Anything to get them jiggy with it again!!

 

[hamfist]

I would go for the aps 1400 or 2000 with the uv light see if that helps with the algae. Anything to get them jiggy with it again!!

A UV will only help with "cloudy water" algae problems, not static, attached algae.

For a small patch of persistent problem algae, you could consider buying a small wavemaker and aiming it at the spot.

 

[This Old Spouse]

It's been several weeks ... any news? Or new photos?

 

[This Younger Spouse]

A very cool journal, and helpful since I'm new to JDs. It was especially nice to see there's a conformation difference between males and females, which I hadn't known before.

 

[Verminator89]

I havn't updated this in a while, and theres a rather prohibting reason for this. I've actually moved out of my mums house, and this tank is still there currently haha. All my tanks are still at the parents house and will gradually be taken apart and transferred over the girlfriends parents house, where i'm living currently. So a "final" picture update of how the tank is currently will be up whichever Sunday i can get over their to begin the transfer.

Don't confuse the conformation difference with the species difference though, just to point out lol. I've had one person tell me how suprised he/she was that a male and female Jack can look so very different, they took a longggg while to grasp the concept the male i have is the EB variant and the female is just a normal Jack.

 

[Jackiee]

What kind of lighting are you using on your tank? What Kelvin is it ?
I'm trying to do new lighting on my tank, I've been through just about every bulb at my LFS from 10,000k to 6,700k to 6,500k to 50/50actinic, a "color enhancing" bulb that didnt have a labeled kelvin, now purchased a 5,000k bulb that i got home to find was defective and wouldnt turn on All the bulbs except the color enhancing one have been way too blue. the color enhancing one was way too red/pink.. Yours just seems to be a crisp white that shows off the jacks well.

 

[Verminator89]

Hey, sorry for the late replay. Havn't been on here in the last 6 weeks.

I don't know what Kelvin rating the bulbs are. Its just a Hagen Glo light set, the 3ft one to be precise, with the standard bulbs you have to buy with it. So i couldnt tell you unfortunately. Its a high wattage system that is really only used for planted tanks, thats why i bought the 3ft unit for this 4ft tank as i didn't want to promote algae too much! Still does though!

On a separate note with this tank, it should soon be dismantled and brought over to where i'm living with the missus soon. I'm off to Solihull tommorow to pick up a 4ft cabinet i bought of eBay for the tank, then the transfer can begin of atleast this first tank. I'll get pictures up after, as it really is in a state of neglect currently. Its appalling, i've done one water change in the last 5 weeks because i havn't been home. Oh dear....

 

[minnnt]

Hey, sorry for the late replay. Havn't been on here in the last 6 weeks.

I don't know what Kelvin rating the bulbs are. Its just a Hagen Glo light set, the 3ft one to be precise, with the standard bulbs you have to buy with it. So i couldnt tell you unfortunately. Its a high wattage system that is really only used for planted tanks, thats why i bought the 3ft unit for this 4ft tank as i didn't want to promote algae too much! Still does though!

On a separate note with this tank, it should soon be dismantled and brought over to where i'm living with the missus soon. I'm off to Solihull tommorow to pick up a 4ft cabinet i bought of eBay for the tank, then the transfer can begin of atleast this first tank. I'll get pictures up after, as it really is in a state of neglect currently. Its appalling, i've done one water change in the last 5 weeks because i havn't been home. Oh dear....

TUT TUT James!

I thought you would have used the house move as the perfect excuse for a 5ft!

 

[Verminator89]

Oh thats all in the pipework haha! Ultimately looking to upgrade my 280L into a 600L+ over time and the gf's step-dad is looking to upgrade his 3ft in the kitchen to a 5ft! Its all there being planned don't worry haha, moving house certainly hasnt meant any downsizes, only future upsizes!

 

[Verminator89]

Righto. Yesterday morning me and the gf's step-dad went to Solihull to pick up a 4ft Segusino Cabinet i bought, and boy is it big haha. So yesterday afternoon i went about stripping the tank and placing my fish in my Rio 180 still at the parents house, whilst i transfer this 280L to where i'm living now. Let me say, oh my word was it heavy lifting it with wet sand in, by golly! Well, after putting all our backs out carrying this thing over here i now have it set up, with the existing filters and lesser decor than before. I'm very very happy with it, just have to purchase a few more plants for it and i'll be happy. Going synthetic plants this time though, live werent really working out too well in here before. After a week or so and i'm happy with it i'll bring my Jacks over along with the Rotty and Magnum plec. The 4 fish i'm NOT risking. I currently have in my 1 Firemouth, 2 Geo Brasiliensis, 1 Sailfin Plec, 1 RTBS and an "American Cichlid" which i bought from A5 Aquatics yesterday. He's been in their tanks for a few weeks now and nobody has bought him, so i did. I suspect he's a Green Terror, which isnt too good, but only time will tell when he heals up. I shall include pictures of him and the rest of the gang once the tank has settled down and the Jacks are in So watch this space...

Next is to update my planted journal, and begin shipping that tank over to this house. Ohhh boyyyy