Jack Demsey Help

[marksayer10@tiscali.co.uk]

I have a pair of jack demspeys. the male is about 5 inches in size and the female is about 4. they always seem to like a little cave that i have made for them and recently for the last 2 to 3 days have been digging around the little bit of slate in the bottom of the cave. am i right in saying that they are hopefully going to spawn and lay eggs. just been finding it alittle strange as they been digging for a couple of days now and nothing has happened. is this normal.

many thx

 

[england]

Do they lip lock <like a tug of war?
if there cleaning an area together this is a good sign, is there any other tank mate's in tank?
I would be inclined to preform a 40% waterchange, hopefully the drop in temp should get them in the mood, they usually do this a few day's before there breeding tube's appear, once the tube's appear spawning is imminant

 

[marksayer10@tiscali.co.uk]

hi. thx for replying. they have been cleaning the area together and to me the female looks to have a white-ish colour tube by her anal fin so fingers crossed.they have done all the lip lock thing. there are no eggs as of yet. they will not let any other fish never there little cave. tank mates are silver dollars, bala sharks, 3 parrot fish and 2 severums and a couple of catfish and a common plec and a golden nugget plec. like i say they are not letting any fish whats so ever near the cave. as it looks so close to them spawning is it wise to do abit of a water change or not. as soon as they do spawn and i know the eggs are fertile would it be ok to put them in a breeding net out of the way to develope. plz let me know. i will keep posted as soon as they lay eggs. i really do hope they do successfully breed as they are stunning fish.

 

[england]

In a community tank id imagine nothing would survive, as it could be there first time i would just leave them to get on with it.
You never know, yes i would preform a waterchange, Maybe a good idea now to get hold of a tank just for them if your planning on breeding, it would probally not be a good idea putting egg's in a net/trap as they need constant fanning, probally all go fungus'ed.......Get a tank, set it up then once matured you could transfer them to the new tank and let them get on with it