Vicki - 2005-07-01 i had 2 jack dempsys, they were so beautiful. they will watch u walk by and just stare at u where ever u are in the room. recenty they bred and i have hundreds of little babys. but i found jack(male) started to attack jill(female). it got to the stage where i had to put her into another tank, but sadly she died. jack is just over 8in and jill was just about 6in.
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MsBobbins - 2013-04-18 Hi Vicky. I would always have a tank ready to remove the male for about 2 weeks and try him then. I have seen my fish display this aggression. From From pesky spats to one male attacking very violently. I removed the female on that occassion for 2 weeks recovery and rest. I put a couple of babies in the tank which was the emergency ward.The male was crazy and almost killed my female. I know have learned this is because the male is only interested in making babies and the female isn't ready. It differs with different male fish some are a bit aggressive and accept her wishes and leave her alone for awhile. He will persist and try again later tho. Always have plenty of places she cane hide. Places he can't fit into. I now have a tank ready for this because the removal of the male when he displays this behavior has been the solution for my pair I mention above. My female was shocked the first batch of babies. I removed male with second batch for a few days. I have a lot of aficans. Most are not as aggressive however I do have plenty of hidings spots the male won't fit or dig into. Or knock over. Good lucFish are great! I'm about to try and match my JD and hope to have some little JD'S soon.
docpat - 2006-06-26 I purchased a two inch a pair of Jacks from the local pet shop. At first they got along well until one began growing significantly larger than the other. I was pretty sure they were a pair when I bought them. The larger one began his mating dance, shuddering and shaking around her, but she was playing hard to get. Finally he began chasing her to the point that one day she was just laying beaten and battered, fins missing on the top of the tank behind the heater. I took her out and nursed her back to health in a small two and a half gallon hospital tank for about a month. I then placed her tank directly in front of his thirty gallon. They saw each other and began following each other back and forth. I let this go on for two weeks. One day I put a piece of paper between the tanks blocking his view of her. He got very upset and was obvoiusly looking for her. After two days I put her in his tank and he began mating behavior again. By the third day he began chasing her around the tank, so I took her out and placed her in the small tank within his view again for a week. Then I reintroduced them. Five days later she laid several hundred eggs on top of and inside of a flower pot and the two of them now swim side by side when she's not fanning and guarding the eggs. I'm not sure when they will hatch, but it has been a real fun adventure to say the least. I have had FW, SW and reef tanks for forty years, but this is the first time I intentially manipulated breeding. Can't wait for the sequel.
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Kathryn - 2011-04-06 Got a question. When she was laying the eggs and prepairing to do so, did she turn a VERY dark color--almost black, while she was hiding in her area she chose for the laying? Ours is almost completely black. She has been in her hiding spot for about a week or so. Is this all normal?
'Jackie Miller-McGraw - 2011-06-22 Katheryn... mine is doing the same but has tried to kill the male now!!!!??? has yours been aggressive to your male?
Joyce - 2012-02-03 My female turns black every time she lays eggs and stays that way until the fry are about 3 to 4 weeks old. They she returns to her normal coloring. I have read that is it due to stress.
terry todd - 2013-03-16 I also bought mine at a pet store, not sure of their sex. One was larger then the other, both were the same color. The larger one has grown rapidly. The last 3 days the large one has turned black eyes & all. Does this mean it is a female & is going to lay eggs? It is real aggressive towards the other one.
Maree - 2005-05-15 I have had my Jack *female* for 9 yrs. she was my brothers for 2 yrs before that. I took her in cuz she was MEAN, lol. I just adore her. she meets me at the top of her tank and nibbles on my finger. gosh she eats everything; frogs, meat, and she loves ghost shrimp. I just love when I am at my desk, she sits in the corner and just looks at me till I move to play with her, lol. she is so active. she likes when I play with her with a long straw and she drags it in the water. anything and everything in her tank she pulls out. she doesnt like anything in there,... crazzeee fisheee. i just love her.
Bernie Mc1953 - 2012-12-09 I have four babies and two big jacks and the big dark bullies flight. One of the male's is a bit bigger, the other a little smaller. Should all six be in the same tank? Plus I put some feeders in so they can be eaten sometimes. I cut them up for the jacks. Am I doing the right thing?
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Clarice Brough - 2012-12-09 See the 'social behaviors' section up above. If all six are in a really good sized tank, they may be okay. But these fish will tend to pair up and then the pair will not tolerate any others in the same tank. They can also become very belligerent as they age. Feeders have been known to carry disease, so be sure you quarantine them to make sure they are healthy before you feed them to your cichlids.
Mike - 2005-08-28 I have 1 Jack at about 4 inches and a Tiger Osacar at about 5 inches in a 40 gallon tank, I just introduced the Oscar and my Jack is pushing him around everywhere, not to much fighting though. If Ocar shows aggresion toward Jack, it is put to an end quickly. For the most part they get along, both are very aggressive and destroy any other living thing that enters the tank!
jennifer cramaro - 2005-05-11 Well, I think I can top the ladder with my story. 30 gallons, 30 inches of fish, horse feathers! To this wonderland I submersed, 2" moorie, bless his fairy heart, 2"x2 Haps, they drove me nuts!, swimming laterally side to side, jack @2", botia loach jack fed with tidbits until complete inhilation!, 3 bumblebees, no fight in them!, 2 red zebras, gone in 3 days, and of course the pretty fish, 2 electric cichlids @ 1", I really thought they could run and hide. HA HA HA HA . And 1 buffalo @ 2". Jack, after 2 weeks of confinment, rammed every fish in the tank, even throwing a buffalo out to the carpet! Total death! I love Jack! He eats pieces of raw chicken from my hand, he sees me and swims to the front of the tank. He is the King! Problem, going away 1 month, sending Jack to day care. Husband set up 10 gal temp for secretary to run. Hope jack will be ok.
Eddie - 2012-07-10 I have a female convict, jd and black shark together living peacefully for 3 years. I arranged the decorations so each fish has one half they can chill and not see the other through the giant log and plants and the convict has a small cave to hide
Dont need to no - 2012-08-08 Ok I have hade a male jd for about 3-4 months and my mom just got me a female and she has a prity good 3 inches on him she is about 5 and she is about 8 can eny 1 tell me breeding behaviour the maid beds all ove my 55 gal I gust cleand it and the rearanged it how they wanted he keeps doing this dance around her bust she does not seem interested but she stays right near him I really dont have a question but just wanted to share
Jayson Ratigan - 2012-05-20 So amazing as it seems they say you shouldn't put jack dempseys in anything smaller than a 55 gallon am I correct? Well I started my pair in a 10 GALLON....... I currently have them in a 20 gallon and I am now being forced to upgrade due to my surprise of walking in to feed them and seeing at least 200 fry swimming all over the place in the tank..... I am just hoping they don't decide to go near my filter and get sucked in :D anyone want some fish?
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Shd - 2012-06-11 Yeah you use tap water, then the stuff that neutralizes the cornile in the water, just be sure to follow the directions on the bottle. You need to have a filter too. The basic rule for fish is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water, so try not to overfill it. I have a bit over that, I have 10 fish in a 10 gallon tank but one is a algae eater, so he stays out of the way of the others, just stays along the wall. You will need a light and possibly a heater depending on the type of fish you have, they will let you know at the pet store.
The Jack Dempsey Cichlid is one of the most interesting and beautiful of the American cichlids!
i had 2 jack dempsys, they were so beautiful. they will watch u walk by and just stare at u where ever u are in the room.
recenty they bred and i have hundreds of little babys. but i found jack(male) started to attack jill(female). it got to the stage where i had to put her into another tank, but sadly she died. jack is just over 8in and jill was just about 6in.
Hi Vicky. I would always have a tank ready to remove the male for about 2 weeks and try him then. I have seen my fish display this aggression. From From pesky spats to one male attacking very violently. I removed the female on that occassion for 2 weeks recovery and rest. I put a couple of babies in the tank which was the emergency ward.The male was crazy and almost killed my female. I know have learned this is because the male is only interested in making babies and the female isn't ready. It differs with different male fish some are a bit aggressive and accept her wishes and leave her alone for awhile. He will persist and try again later tho. Always have plenty of places she cane hide. Places he can't fit into. I now have a tank ready for this because the removal of the male when he displays this behavior has been the solution for my pair I mention above. My female was shocked the first batch of babies. I removed male with second batch for a few days. I have a lot of aficans. Most are not as aggressive however I do have plenty of hidings spots the male won't fit or dig into. Or knock over. Good lucFish are great! I'm about to try and match my JD and hope to have some little JD'S soon.
I purchased a two inch a pair of Jacks from the local pet shop. At first they got along well until one began growing significantly larger than the other. I was pretty sure they were a pair when I bought them. The larger one began his mating dance, shuddering and shaking around her, but she was playing hard to get. Finally he began chasing her to the point that one day she was just laying beaten and battered, fins missing on the top of the tank behind the heater. I took her out and nursed her back to health in a small two and a half gallon hospital tank for about a month. I then placed her tank directly in front of his thirty gallon. They saw each other and began following each other back and forth. I let this go on for two weeks. One day I put a piece of paper between the tanks blocking his view of her. He got very upset and was obvoiusly looking for her. After two days I put her in his tank and he began mating behavior again. By the third day he began chasing her around the tank, so I took her out and placed her in the small tank within his view again for a week. Then I reintroduced them. Five days later she laid several hundred eggs on top of and inside of a flower pot and the two of them now swim side by side when she's not fanning and guarding the eggs. I'm not sure when they will hatch, but it has been a real fun adventure to say the least. I have had FW, SW and reef tanks for forty years, but this is the first time I intentially manipulated breeding. Can't wait for the sequel.
Got a question. When she was laying the eggs and prepairing to do so, did she turn a VERY dark color--almost black, while she was hiding in her area she chose for the laying? Ours is almost completely black. She has been in her hiding spot for about a week or so. Is this all normal?
Katheryn... mine is doing the same but has tried to kill the male now!!!!??? has yours been aggressive to your male?
My female turns black every time she lays eggs and stays that way until the fry are about 3 to 4 weeks old. They she returns to her normal coloring. I have read that is it due to stress.
I also bought mine at a pet store, not sure of their sex. One was larger then the other, both were the same color. The larger one has grown rapidly. The last 3 days the large one has turned black eyes & all. Does this mean it is a female & is going to lay eggs? It is real aggressive towards the other one.
I have had my Jack *female* for 9 yrs. she was my brothers for 2 yrs before that. I took her in cuz she was MEAN, lol. I just adore her. she meets me at the top of her tank and nibbles on my finger. gosh she eats everything; frogs, meat, and she loves ghost shrimp. I just love when I am at my desk, she sits in the corner and just looks at me till I move to play with her, lol. she is so active. she likes when I play with her with a long straw and she drags it in the water. anything and everything in her tank she pulls out. she doesnt like anything in there,... crazzeee fisheee. i just love her.
I have four babies and two big jacks and the big dark bullies flight. One of the male's is a bit bigger, the other a little smaller. Should all six be in the same tank? Plus I put some feeders in so they can be eaten sometimes. I cut them up for the jacks. Am I doing the right thing?
See the 'social behaviors' section up above. If all six are in a really good sized tank, they may be okay. But these fish will tend to pair up and then the pair will not tolerate any others in the same tank. They can also become very belligerent as they age. Feeders have been known to carry disease, so be sure you quarantine them to make sure they are healthy before you feed them to your cichlids.
I have 1 Jack at about 4 inches and a Tiger Osacar at about 5 inches in a 40 gallon tank, I just introduced the Oscar and my Jack is pushing him around everywhere, not to much fighting though. If Ocar shows aggresion toward Jack, it is put to an end quickly. For the most part they get along, both are very aggressive and destroy any other living thing that enters the tank!
Well, I think I can top the ladder with my story. 30 gallons, 30 inches of fish, horse feathers! To this wonderland I submersed, 2" moorie, bless his fairy heart, 2"x2 Haps, they drove me nuts!, swimming laterally side to side, jack @2", botia loach jack fed with tidbits until complete inhilation!, 3 bumblebees, no fight in them!, 2 red zebras, gone in 3 days, and of course the pretty fish, 2 electric cichlids @ 1", I really thought they could run and hide. HA HA HA HA . And 1 buffalo @ 2". Jack, after 2 weeks of confinment, rammed every fish in the tank, even throwing a buffalo out to the carpet! Total death! I love Jack! He eats pieces of raw chicken from my hand, he sees me and swims to the front of the tank. He is the King! Problem, going away 1 month, sending Jack to day care. Husband set up 10 gal temp for secretary to run. Hope jack will be ok.
my jacks layed eggs on the tank bottom, every site i see says rocks
If there's a flat rock, they will usually use that... ours do. If not, then they have to find someplace else.
I have a female convict, jd and black shark together living peacefully for 3 years. I arranged the decorations so each fish has one half they can chill and not see the other through the giant log and plants and the convict has a small cave to hide
Ok I have hade a male jd for about 3-4 months and my mom just got me a female and she has a prity good 3 inches on him she is about 5 and she is about 8 can eny 1 tell me breeding behaviour the maid beds all ove my 55 gal I gust cleand it and the rearanged it how they wanted he keeps doing this dance around her bust she does not seem interested but she stays right near him I really dont have a question but just wanted to share
So amazing as it seems they say you shouldn't put jack dempseys in anything smaller than a 55 gallon am I correct? Well I started my pair in a 10 GALLON....... I currently have them in a 20 gallon and I am now being forced to upgrade due to my surprise of walking in to feed them and seeing at least 200 fry swimming all over the place in the tank..... I am just hoping they don't decide to go near my filter and get sucked in :D anyone want some fish?
Yeah you use tap water, then the stuff that neutralizes the cornile in the water, just be sure to follow the directions on the bottle. You need to have a filter too. The basic rule for fish is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water, so try not to overfill it. I have a bit over that, I have 10 fish in a 10 gallon tank but one is a algae eater, so he stays out of the way of the others, just stays along the wall. You will need a light and possibly a heater depending on the type of fish you have, they will let you know at the pet store.