View Full Version : jack dempsey questions
dave76
07-22-2003, 10:53 PM
I was at the LFS today, and I saw two different kind of jacks. One that was black almost totally, and another that was pale. They were larger and kept with firemouths, I could barley tell the difference between the two except for some of the firemouths had red on thier lower halves. Is this normal or where they sickly? If normal what would the adult of this kind look like brown instead of purple?
Sum-X
07-22-2003, 11:18 PM
Well I'm guessing you already know what a JD looks like. Generally green with flourescent purple shades here and there. I can't very well say if they were sickly however, without a pic. Perhaps Albino?
optix
07-23-2003, 12:08 AM
When a jack is pale that is normally a sign of intense stress, or a sick fish. the darker the healthier as I've learned, My jack sometimes is a real dark tan when out and about, but when she first comes out of the cave she is black, and I mean black. All but the base of her tail and her head. Its rather weird, but thats just jack dempsey for you.
Yeah...without pictures it is hard to tell. There are 3 kinds of JD, Standard, Gold, and Blue (if you wanna know, go to www.aquamojo.com).
My 2" standard JD gets very pale when my GT chases him (assume a he until he gets bigger) around the tank. As Optix said, distress :D When he is having his favorite food, he turns real black. Even when my JD is picking on my female Con, he gets really black too.
dave76
07-23-2003, 8:11 AM
I know, I ended up getting the smaller black one. He has been chased but seems to be adapting well to the enviroment. If he doesnt fare well I have another 55 I can put him in. my thoughts are that they were sick, because the firemouths they were in with did not look to well either.
Just keep close eyes on your JD. Sometimes they just developed ich and not showing sign yet. Or maybe your JD needs to get fatten up :) Mine was very shy, thin, and small. He was being chased around in the tank by my male Con. I removed the Male Con. Now the JD takes control. He will fight over food and chase my female Con. I'm sure if I put my male Con back in that tank...it will be a different story. Either a fight or back to old chase again.
dave76
07-23-2003, 10:37 AM
his only problem is that he is smaller than the other fish in my tank. My smallest firemouth has been chasing him, so I may put him in the 55 gallon for a grow out. He seems to be healthy.
peifc
07-23-2003, 12:33 PM
What I did with my tank was to remove the aggressive Con instead of the weak and shy JD, female Con, and GT. I let them get use to their new home and catch up on their sizes before I put the Con back in. Right now all 3 fish have started to leave marks on certain territories. If I see that they have started to become stronger and fight for themselves (there are small signs), then the male Con will join them. The most important thing to me is to make sure that my weak fish can and does have his own territories and hidding places before I let the strong one back in.
I learned that with my other tank...I removed the weak fish when I found it was being chased. Then I put the weak fish back in later...the same result and actually gotten worst. I changed tactic. Removed the strong and waited. Put the strong fish back in. It was totally different result. I hope it works the same way with this tank.
dave76
07-23-2003, 12:39 PM
thanks for the advice, I was thinking that I might just remove the firemouths and put them in my 55 gallon, grow them out and trade them in on something, but I just love watching them squabble, it is so funny. My 1" faces down my 4.5" pictus all the time and obviously is not afraid of it. I was hoping maybe to get a pair, but I think they are both male since they have the flared gill plates.
peifc
07-23-2003, 12:52 PM
Originally posted by dave76
thanks for the advice, I was thinking that I might just remove the firemouths and put them in my 55 gallon, grow them out and trade them in on something, but I just love watching them squabble, it is so funny. My 1" faces down my 4.5" pictus all the time and obviously is not afraid of it. I was hoping maybe to get a pair, but I think they are both male since they have the flared gill plates.
My FM is living with the Blood Parronts and Severums right now. He was only an inch when I got him. Recently, I notice my FM has started to chase the 3" Gold Severum. It is about time for him to move him to the other tank...joining my JD, Con, and GT. :D I bet I will have free Pay-Per-View soon.
DarthV
07-23-2003, 1:08 PM
Never thought of removing the stronger fish... I might need to do that when I add my new JD to the GT/con tank.
Originally posted by DarthV
Never thought of removing the stronger fish... I might need to do that when I add my new JD to the GT/con tank.
To some, it seems cruel. This method, it is like playing trick on the fish mind, to make them think they have arrived to a new tank that is being taken by other fish. I moved the decor around after I removed the strong fish, so next time the strong fish goes back in the tank, he will not recognize his territory anymore.
A better way of doing that without stressing a fish into potential disease as the ich you've described ;) is to rearrange the tank decorations. Either way they aren't recognizing anything.