Jack Dempsey Advice.

[DazzaClio]

Hi,

Ive got two young Jack Dempseys that i havent had long. When they where both im my smaller tank they seemed fine, i have now moved them in my bigger tank with my bigger fish they still seem fine but dont seem to be together as much.

They both stay at either end of the tank under rocks etc and when they come out the slightly bigger one always darts after the other one, the dominant one always stays dark in colour and recently the other one is always very light in colour now.

Some pictures, not very good its hard to get a good picture.

So my questions is why has this one started to stay a light colour?

Im not moaning as i really like it in the light colour.

They are both around 3 Inchs.

Thanks Darren.

 

[GShorty1981]

Females tend to be darker, juvi males look alot like texas cichlids at first glance because they are so light.

 

[DazzaClio]

They were both dark but since the other one started dominating it its stayed light in colour.

Thanks Again.

 

[GShorty1981]

If its any help, both pictures are female JD's

 

[DazzaClio]

If its any help, both pictures are female JD's

Yeah thats nice to know so the one in the pictures above is a female the pictures above are of the same JD. I assume you would need a picture of the other one to work out its sex lol!

Thanks Again.

 

[Verminator89]

Jacks are very temid fish. As with all cichlids they have their own personality, so some may be bolder than others in personality and temperament. They also change colour quite alot, dependant on their mood more often than not. I have a female Jack who exhibits dark blue/black colouring to almost a pale(ish) pink and grey. Obviously the latter is when she is stressed, but her normal colours (somewhere inbetween) and her dark are simply beautifull. Breeding colours are the best.

I have a breeding pair and they can be really shy at times, which is daft as the male is 8" and the female 6", with nothing other than Yellow Tip Tetras and a few barbs in their tank with them, yet they still dislike being out in the open for long. Often darting between cover before venturing out for a swim here and there.

If you have shy fish there isnt alot that i've found to change that. I've tried dithers with mine and they are still shy.

 

[DazzaClio]

Jacks are very temid fish. As with all cichlids they have their own personality, so some may be bolder than others in personality and temperament. They also change colour quite alot, dependant on their mood more often than not. I have a female Jack who exhibits dark blue/black colouring to almost a pale(ish) pink and grey. Obviously the latter is when she is stressed, but her normal colours (somewhere inbetween) and her dark are simply beautifull. Breeding colours are the best.

I have a breeding pair and they can be really shy at times, which is daft as the male is 8" and the female 6", with nothing other than Yellow Tip Tetras and a few barbs in their tank with them, yet they still dislike being out in the open for long. Often darting between cover before venturing out for a swim here and there.

If you have shy fish there isnt alot that i've found to change that. I've tried dithers with mine and they are still shy.

Thanks for this and i totally agree with what your saying.

Yeah one of them stays dark and the other pictured above changes colour alot but as said seems to be light alot of the time when the other chases her/him.

Im learning that they are quite shy always hiding under rocks only really come out when feeding or for a little dart around then straight back.

A couple more quick pics

Heres the darker and slightly bigger one the one that chases the other one around, he wouldnt come out for a picture.

The one that gets chased and normally in his/her lighter colouring.

Are these quite easy to sex?

Thanks Again Darren.

 

[GShorty1981]

They are very easy to sex, the males are lighter with blue spangling all over, females are darker with blue spangling on the face only.

 

[DazzaClio]

They are very easy to sex, the males are lighter with blue spangling all over, females are darker with blue spangling on the face only.

Thanks mate i will try and work out what the other one is when he comes out.

Darren.

 

[Verminator89]

Out of curiosity what size tank are they in with what fish. There are some potentially huge Oscars in that tank with the Jacks and this will certainly make them shy, unless your Jacks are confident and have a slightly beligerent nature to them i suspect they will always be shy in a tank with 3 Oscars swimming around like they own the joint

 

[DazzaClio]

Out of curiosity what size tank are they in with what fish. There are some potentially huge Oscars in that tank with the Jacks and this will certainly make them shy, unless your Jacks are confident and have a slightly beligerent nature to them i suspect they will always be shy in a tank with 3 Oscars swimming around like they own the joint

Its my new tank which is around 550 Litre and yes i do understand your point, and yes the Two Albino Oscars do own the tank.

Ive got a Firemouth around the same size as the JD's and hes not to afraid, hes out quite alot darting around.

Out of intrest how long does it take for them to grow into Adults ie fully grown, even when fully grown are they renowned for being shy?

Thanks Again Darren.

 

[roadmaster]

Healthy Jack Dempsey should grow about the same rate as your Oscar's, around one inch per month.
The opinion that these fish are timid, or shy, is not shared by many who have kept these fish. Sub dominant fish often shy away from larger more dominant fish and faded colors are sometimes an effort by the fish not to attract the attentions of dominant fish.

 

[Verminator89]

IME with Jacks i've had all personalities.

My Electric Blue Male is 8", which took him about 12 months to achieve. His personality is somewhat shy, he's very friendly to all tank mates, i mean all, i keep him with Harlequin Rasbora and he's fine.

My current 6" female is somewhat shy also, however she can be boistrous at times. She puts the male in his place when required. I actually had to separate them a few months ago as she was literally killimg him.

I've had two other female jacks a little over a year or two ago. One was very bolshy and wouldnt let anything move in the tnak without it chasing them and nipping. As a result of this the other one of the two was somewhat reserved and timid. Once i got her on her own she was a beautifull female Jack who loved swimming out in the open, she got on with fish her size or similar but disliked anything smaller such as Tetras or small barbs. I sold these two fish as my male Jack paired up with the other of the three females.

At the end of the day Jacks are Cichlids, and each has its own personality. The old information of them being brutish and beligerent, not standing for any tank mates that werent as robust as they are is all tosh IMO. This has been proved wrong countless times since. Also science has found newer and far more aggressive Cichlids since the Jack Dempsey was first described by science.

 

[GShorty1981]

Healthy Jack Dempsey should grow about the same rate as your Oscar's, around one inch per month.
The opinion that these fish are timid, or shy, is not shared by many who have kept these fish. Sub dominant fish often shy away from larger more dominant fish and faded colors are sometimes an effort by the fish not to attract the attentions of dominant fish.

Not a chance, i have kept 5-6 Dempseys and 1 EBJD over the last 10 years and they tend to grow at a rate like a Severum, Oscars are rapid in comparison.

 

[roadmaster]

IME with Jacks i've had all personalities.

My Electric Blue Male is 8", which took him about 12 months to achieve. His personality is somewhat shy, he's very friendly to all tank mates, i mean all, i keep him with Harlequin Rasbora and he's fine.

My current 6" female is somewhat shy also, however she can be boistrous at times. She puts the male in his place when required. I actually had to separate them a few months ago as she was literally killimg him.

I've had two other female jacks a little over a year or two ago. One was very bolshy and wouldnt let anything move in the tnak without it chasing them and nipping. As a result of this the other one of the two was somewhat reserved and timid. Once i got her on her own she was a beautifull female Jack who loved swimming out in the open, she got on with fish her size or similar but disliked anything smaller such as Tetras or small barbs. I sold these two fish as my male Jack paired up with the other of the three females.

At the end of the day Jacks are Cichlids, and each has its own personality. The old information of them being brutish and beligerent, not standing for any tank mates that werent as robust as they are is all tosh IMO. This has been proved wrong countless times since. Also science has found newer and far more aggressive Cichlids since the Jack Dempsey was first described by science.

Yes, I would agree that the EBJD is somewhat docile compared to the Blue Green Dempsey but that was not what photographs represented.