View Full Version : Electric blue jack dempseys
scrubbs
09-22-2003, 7:54 PM
I just picked up 3 blue dempseys, they look spectacular. They are just over and inch long, i can't wait til they get big.
Congrat! I have 2 myself. They are over 2.5".
Tightdog1
09-22-2003, 8:43 PM
I hope you researched them first. because they are a weak strand of fish from the jack dempsey. keep them in good water conditions and you should be fine.
Originally posted by Tightdog1
I hope you researched them first. because they are a weak strand of fish from the jack dempsey. keep them in good water conditions and you should be fine.
Have you ever have them? :)
BDs are tougher than people think even with their recessive genes.
The only problem I found in BD is their temperament. It isn't the same as JD. My BDs will actually run from my RedHead Severums who are only 1.5" to 2" big. If you plan to raise JD with BD, have to have them raise together. I have had my JD before I got my BDs...so my JD was more territorial when BDs join her. She would not leave my BDs alone. I ended up putting my BDs with my Severums.
BD can actually be a community fish (just make sure that their tankmates are the same size.) Also, BDs grow very slow. My JD has grown 3" within 2 and a half months. While my BDs only grew an inch within 2 months.
If you plan to breed them, well, you need a standard JD to breed.
I visted last weekend at the home of another hobbyist, who has three BDs in his 75 gorgeously planted/aquascaped tank with smaller fish. They are ~6" or a bit more total length, stunning fish. To date, no digging, and the only losses were his Otos, which have all been eaten.
Most un-Dempsey like IME. For him thsy have grown fast - he said they were 1 1/2-2" when he got them, just under 6 months ago.
Sooo tempting...
GoLdFiSh_GrL
09-23-2003, 6:42 PM
hey Tightdog1, where did you get your Acaras? I can't seem to find any ANYWHERE around here... so i'll order some online i guess
and scrubbs... where did YOU get your piranhas? i wanted some... but they're illegal in the U.S...
Frameshift
09-24-2003, 1:16 AM
Originally posted by GoLdFiSh_GrL
Scrubbs... where did YOU get your piranhas? i wanted some... but they're illegal in the U.S...
They are not illegal in the U.S., they are just illegal in certain states. In Washington they are illegal, but in Oregon the are legal. You can own them in Washington, but you need to jump through some hoops to do it legally (I.E. paperwork). I'm sure you could find some easily enough in Cal.
(Sorry to get off topic.)
The blue JD's are stunning, but I'll stick with the normal JD's for now. They look almost as good and aren't anywhere near the price or as delicate. :D
http://atlantic.photoisland.com/sessions/24732820355/20809338lg.jpg
http://atlantic.photoisland.com/sessions/24732820355/20809444lg.jpg
Tightdog1
09-29-2003, 8:58 PM
i got my blue acaras from my LFS special order. i jsut asked them 1 day if they can order fish and they said yes if i put a deposit down in the full amount of the fish. i was gonna sell some of mine but i lost the female of my breeding pair so i no longer have a breeding pair. so i only have 1 batch of babies, about 1"-3" long. i would sell some but i would like to get another breeding pair brfore i do, sorry.
I have heard that the piranahas (sp?) are illegal in CA. i hevtn looked into it but thats just what i have heard you may want to look into it.
ScottoMacD
09-29-2003, 9:33 PM
Here's some pictures of my 4.5 incher. It's one of six I got in March. This one is the only one that I haven't been able to pair up with any of my regular JD's.
Certain is the most agressive of the bunch.
Beat the snot out of my Male 5 inch texas. To the point that the Texas is now licking his wounds in a hospital tank. THAT'LL TEACH HIM TO PICK FIGHTS!
The coloring is off because I snapped them quickly with a flash. It's coloring is much much darker.
Sorry fotki won't let me link anymore. Here a link to my page the recent blue pictures are on page 2
http://public.fotki.com/scottomacd/tanks-1/page2.html
Hey, Scott, is your BD male or female (the one that pair off). My female BD is more aggressived than my male. I might actually tried to pair her off with my male JD.
ScottoMacD
09-29-2003, 9:53 PM
The breakdown is as follows.
1 pair is Both blues
2 pairs are male regular and female blues
1 pair is female regular and blue male
Then there is toughy who is all alone.
[edit]
one more thing. If you pair a female blue with a male regular. Make sure that you have a divider with holes big enough for the female to escape to safety, but too small for the male to get through. I can't count the amount of times mine has had to scoot her butt behind the egg crate when my male got nasty. Definate life saver.
peifc
09-29-2003, 10:09 PM
Thank you Scott. I will note that down :D
Cypherman
10-01-2003, 11:58 AM
Mine are doing ok as well. I did lose one of my males to unknown causes, but my other male is not only the most dominant fish in the tank, but has become absolutely stunning as well. Brilliant cobalt with purple patches...Not as much gold as some others Ive seen though, unfortunately, just a lil on the head. He is about 3 inches now. My female has not grown a single centimeter and is about an inch and a half, if that. They live with three two inch normal dempseys (two males and one female) in my 75. I'd love to get new pics but I lent my camera out to a friend, so all Ive got are my old ones which I'll post shortly...
Edit: http://www.cichlidforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=2292
peifc
10-01-2003, 12:22 PM
Something grew on my male BD. It has white bumpy looking to it. He still swims and eats. He hasn't shown any sign of distress or being ill. The female is fine. *sigh* I might need to quarantine him soon.
Here is a picture of my female BD.
http://www.peifc.com/Our_fish/Blue_Dempsey/116-1694_IMG.JPG
scrubbs
10-11-2003, 10:34 PM
my bjd ended up getting ich, and i couldnt save them and they all died. I managed to get some photos of them before though
bjd pics (http://pictures.care2.com/view/1/220574691)
there are also some pics of my red bellies in there too
Sorry to hear about your lost.
PmAn2k3
10-13-2003, 4:30 AM
Originally posted by Tightdog1
I hope you researched them first. because they are a weak strand of fish from the jack dempsey. keep them in good water conditions and you should be fine.
I question that so called "fact" as I have 2 blue dempseys my self, and crappy water conditions, and I have NEVER had the SLIGHTEST problem out of my BD's, they say their weak, But I just have to disagree...
Cypherman
10-17-2003, 11:53 AM
Ill tell you what; the BD curse is for real! I lost my female mysteriously and Im now down to just my male, and he's taken to constantly hiding; he was my most outgoing fish. Also his color's just a shade darker than usual...It wont be long now :(
I have genuinely good water conditions BTW; I have a fluval 404 on my 75 gallon and the Jacks (3 normals, and previously 3, now just one blue) are the only fish, along with some assorted tetras and plecos...My normal jacks are stunning at barely 3 inches yet every blue jack Ive had just simply wilted away like this :(
peifc
10-17-2003, 12:53 PM
Strange I don't have any problem with them at all.
ScottoMacD
10-17-2003, 3:47 PM
I just lost one of my females this week. Death by floor.
I accidently broke one side of my aquarium covers Tuesday night. I went for a new piece of glass on Wednesday Morning. The fellow told me to come get it Thursay morning.
Wednesday night one of the females in the tank leaped out of the tank by one of the small areas that I didn't completely cover. I found her Thursday morning on the floor. Two hours before I went to pick up the new piece of glass.
As for them being a weaker strain of the fish. Yes it is true to a degree. They are seemingly getting stronger and stronger as the species becomes more avaliable. The original groups of fish were quite weak from all the inbreeding that was done to get the "blue" coloring to become dominant. The ones you can buy now are much hardier than the ones you could buy even two years ago. I still wouldn't say that they are as hardy as the regular JD's you can buy just yet though.