Electric Blue Jack Dempsey's worthless?

rosita said:
Most people don't know that the Electric Blue Jack Dempsey is a Hybrid--that's how breeders get that great color. Thus, as with some hybrids, there are numerous problems with them. They are more delicate, need almost perfect water parameters, the best tank environment you can provide, and then you have to figure out what each one will eat!! They are more susceptible to parasites and diseases that come along--often things that your other fish could deal with. Breeding will only give you problems, as a hybrid rarely breeds true to one of its species, much less with a third specie interoduced. Even breeding back to a normal Jack may be difficult to impossible. I'll never have one in my tanks--rather have a normal Jack. Make life alot easier!!!!
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General Information: Easily labeled as one of the most beautiful freshwater fish in the hobby, not much scientific data is available for the Blue Dempsey also commonly called the Electric Blue Dempsey. As a result, internet "hearsay" including falsehoods have spread and become prevalent beliefs. One of these falsehoods is the belief that this fish is a hybrid which is not true. Electric Blue Dempseys are a natural occurring variant of the Jack Dempsey, a popular aquarium fish from Central America. The fact is that the variant was not recognized and developed until recent years after being accidently discovered in an aquarium by Hector Luzardo. It is thought that the species was missed previously due to early breeders of Jack Dempseys considered the smaller "blueish" fry to be runts and were generally culled from their spawns. What is known now is that the blue variant fish grows somewhat smaller than the regular Dempsey and while still a territorial cichlid, they are less agressive than the other.

The principle reason that Electric Blue Dempseys are not widely available on the market, and that prices remain high for the species ($30-$60), is due to the fact that breeding Jack Dempseys to achieve Blue Dempseys is a tricky proposition. Two blues bred together will not produce a full blue offspring. To achieve full blue offspring, you must first start with a blue male and breed him with a regular color female Jack Dempsey. The offspring that this pair creates will appear as regular Jack Dempseys, but the difference is that they will carry the blue gene. This group of fish must now be grown out to the size where a female can be determined and selected and bred back to the original blue male. The offspring of this pairing will produce an indeterminant number of true blue variant fish. Obviously a project like this is not for the faint of heart and will require enormous growout type of facilities.

http://www.geocities.com/jackarthur46/electric_blue.html

not trying to plug someone else's website...just wanted to shed some more light on the subject of the Electric Blue Jack Demseys. :)
 
I personally don't think EBJD's are any harder to keep than any other fish. I have three and althought I have not had them long and they are not that big yet they are fairly easy. The had ICH when I got them but pulled through just fine. I bought them at one inch maybe 1.5 inch about three months ago. They are now 2.5 inches almost three inches. They are not shy, eat like pigs and always begging for food. I use a UV in the tank and do regular water changes. I have them in with five smaller Blue Gene Jack dempseys which I plan to breed with the EBJD's. There are also going to be some Gold Genes in with them in a week or so.

Anyway sorry to sabotage the thread but EBJD's can be from a very strong gene or weak genes. Be cautious of where you buy them. Personally I would trust a tank bred and raised EBJD over one from a fish farm or where they bred in large quantity. Find a good breeder with a strong gened pair and I am sure you will have a strong healthy easy to care for Jack Dempsey in the end, and the beginning.
 
Mine are NOT doing well- I cant get them past the Parasites :-(
 
Did you try clout with daily water changes. Treat till you see a difference, fish starts to eat or looks interested. I treated a EBD for a week and it finally came around, look back in the thread about "Hole in the Head Disease" ( Hexamita ) and white stringy poop. If your fish has these symptoms you have nothing to lose, but your fish. Good Luck.
----- mrdempsey aka FC
 
Just an Update - I got 2 that are growing and looking good. The pics suck but this is them.:grinyes:

EBJD 001.JPG EBJD 002.JPG
 
im new here anyways i purchased a EBJD about 3 weeks ago he was always shy and would never come out or eat he lasted 3 weeks without eating and he just died today he was about 3 inches i payed 25$ for him he had internal parasites i treated the tank 3 times with jungle labs parasite clear
 
Well I picked up 2 more a few weeks back from the same LFS. I now have 4 that are doing great! Understand that I did loose 9 of the first 10 that I purchased but they were mail ordered. The one survivor of the 1st group I bought is doing well be smaller than the 1st one I got from the LFS. The 1st one I got from the LFS is twice the size of anyone else and is growing fast and is supper healthy. He is doing so well that I got 2 more a few weeks back from the same LFS. I will take some new pics and upate this thread next week!

Arkangel77
 
im going to go get one right now im going to put him in a q tank for 2 weeks before adding him to the big tank i hope it works out this time
 
Watch them eat B4 you pick one out. Get one that looks fat and active!:thumbsup: ALSO - make sure they have had the fish for a while B4 you buy one. Thats my Tips anyway!

Good Luck,
Arkangel77
 
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