3 Jack Dempseys... Need Help With Sexing.

[Jackiee]

I have had one 4.5" JD in my tank for a few months now. I was unsure of the sex of it to begin with.
I got both answers of female and male.. So I remained clueless.

Now, I've acquired 2 more JD's.

The previous owner told me it was a pair. One male, one female. The male looks obvious. He's about 6 inches and just "looks" more like a butchier male. The female is about 4 inches.
The one that's supposed to be the new female out of the pair, looks just like the JD that I already owned except just a lighter color, which makes me believe that the JD that I already owned before getting the new pair is a female as well.

Tell me your opinions? Here's some pictures.

(by the way, the new female out of the pair that I acquired had a torn tail fin, so she's in a hospital tank as of now. I went ahead and put her male partner in my big tank along with my other JD, so they are pictured together.)


My JD (female?):

New male:

The new male and my JD:

New female:

So, 1 male and 2 females? or am I mistaken..

 

[Verminator89]

The pictures of your existing Jack with the new male clearly don't seem to be bothered by each others presence. Which makes me pretty sure my previous sexing of yours being a female seem true. The male you've added certainly looks like a male, and 'his' behaviour with your 'female' certainly look to be like that of the two sexes meeting. The female you have in your hospital also looks like just that - a female. So i would say you have a male and two female Jacks now

 

[GShorty1981]

Yep looks like 1M,2F

 

[Jackiee]

Thanks guys!

It's been a few days, and these 2 are spawning together
Quite amazing. They're dancing and shaking/vibrating around each other, and female is digging a pit into the gravel. Her and the male keep taking turns passing over it, shimmying, moving rocks around, and chasing off any fish that come near.. I really wish I could get a tank divider, because if these 2 do indeed lay eggs, I would live to divide the tank to keep the fry safe from the other fish, and my other fish safe from the jacks!
But with having a 90 gallon, they don't make tank dividers that big. The biggest goes to a 55 gallon.

If they lay eggs and hatch them, should I move the fry to a seperate small tank? or leave them with parents? If I do leave them with mom and dad, do you think they'd have a chance? I'm not sure how good of parents JD's are, or how protective.. I know my convicts did a good job on keeping their fry safe until they grew up.

The other fish in the tank are blood parrot, severum, 2 small convicts, and a sailfin leopard pleco.