| Welcome to Recichlidus. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Jack Dempsey; *cichlid | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 15 2006, 02:49 PM (525 Views) | |
Morrigan
|
Feb 15 2006, 02:49 PM Post #1 |
![]()
|
Jack Dempsey Quick Stats Scientific Name Nandopis Octofasciatus, Cichlasoma Octofasciatus, Heros Octofasciatus Distribution North and Central American – Southern Mexico to Honduras Size Up to 12" Common Names Jack Dempsey pH 7 to 8 General Characteristics There is a reason that this fish was named after a heavyweight boxer and anyone who has owned one can tell you why. Pugnacious and territorial, the Jack Dempsey personifies everything "cichlidish" that a hobbyist could wish for. Their aggressive nature does not detract at all from their spectacular coloration, with males having a light grey base color, plenty of blue and green spangles covering the entire body, and a dramatic red edging to the dorsal and anal fins. Females show the same general coloration, with fewer spangles. There are also two new color morphs available in the hobby, the Electric Blue Dempsey with a bright blue base color and vibrant blue spangles, and the Gold Dempsey, with a pale, metallic gold base color and gold spangles concentrated around the gill plates and cheeks. the two new color morphs are still very rare in the hobby, and can command fairly high prices. Jack Dempsey's cannot be considered community fish, due to their highly aggressive nature and tendency to depopulate tanks. They do well, however, in fish only tanks, where they tend to become very owner-responsive, often fixating on one member of the household. They are excellent fish to inspire young hobbyists due to this nature. Aquarium Set-up The minimum tank requirement for a Jack Dempsey is 55 gallons for a single fish and 75 gallons or more if you'd like to keep a pair. They inhabit the slow moving lower river basins of Central America, and their tank should be set up with this in mind. The preferred substrate is sand but small, fine gravel can be substituted. If using gravel, then care should be taken to make sure that the gravel is very smooth, Dempsey's are diggers, and the last thing you want are mouth injuries from sharp pieces of gravel. Their natural environment contains plants, but their tendency to dig can make keeping live plants in a Dempsey tank a little on the tricky side. Plastic plants can be used instead, and your Dempsey won' t really notice the difference. Driftwood is common in their natural environment and is a good addition to a Dempsey tank. Rocks can be used as well, usually stacked in piles or arranged to provide caves. Many people also add large terracotta pots to their tanks to provide a cave for lurking and spawning. As with all cichlids, filtration and water quality is important. Jack Dempsey's are messy eaters and will happily strew their food from one end of the tank to the other. Good filtration and water circulation is essential to prevent the tank from becoming polluted Feeding In the wild, Jack Dempsey's feed on small crustaceans, insects and other small worms that inhabit the rivers they live in. In an aquarium, they do extremely well on a diet that is based around the beefheart recipe, with the addition of frozen foods, such as bloodworms and brine shrimp, with the occasional treat of live insects such as earthworms and crickets. Good quality pellets are also accepted readily, starting from small sized pellets for a juvenile fish, graduating to larger pellets as your Dempsey grows. Compatibility Jack Dempsey's are not a fish that plays well with others even from quite a young age. The minimum tank size for a single Dempsey is 55 gallons, and keeping a pair, even a breeding pair, should not be attempted in a tank less than 75 gallons. Bigger is always better fish with these fish, even more so that with other cichlids. Dempsey's are highly territorial and will take their bad temper out on tankmates if they feel that their territory is being "invaded". As these fish are not enormous in size, like many other extremely territorial cichlids, the amount of damage that can be done in each attack is not as severe, but with on-going beatings on a regular basis, even the hardiest tankmate will eventually succumb. If you would like to keep your Jack Dempsey with other cichlids, then it is recommended that you start with a minimum of a 100 gallon tank and keep your fingers crossed. As with many medium to large cichlid, getting your Dempsey to co-exist with other fish, even in a large tank, can be a bit of a hit and miss experience. Due to their pugnacious nature, there are some Dempsey's that just cannot be kept with other fish, no matter the tank size or tankmates attempted. If you are going to attempt to keep you Jack Dempsey with other fish, then you should be prepared to keep a very close eye on your tank for the first few weeks and be ready to remove the other fish if aggression ensues. It really comes down to trial and error with these fish, and be ready to have many trials before you find a workable combination. Breeding Sexing Jack Demspey's can be tricky when the fish are still young. As they grow, males will begin to show more spangles, particularly on their face, than females, but due to the amount of inbreeding this method is not as reliable as it once was. If you are planning on breeding Dempsey's, then the best option is to purchase several juveniles and raise them together. That should ensure that you will get one bonded pair out of the group and the other fish can be returned to the pet shop. Eggs are laid on a flat, smooth rock that has been cleaned by the parents, and both fish will take turns in guarding and protecting the eggs. The fry will hatch in between 3 to 5 days, and both parents will continue to guard and protect the flock. Your adults will be at their most aggressive at this point and it is highly recommended to remove tankmates to a safer environment when you see your Dempsey's preparing to spawn. It is also recommended not to bother your fish if it can be avoided, as they will attack anyone or anything that entered their territory. Jack Dempsey's are somewhat uncommon where I come from and I have only had a few opportunities to see this beautiful fish in the flesh. What I have seen, however, has made me adamant that one day I will own one of these beauties. A full-grown male Dempsey is a spectacular sight, especially in full territorial display. They are truly worth the extra hassle of providing them their own, personal tank. |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · FISH PROFILES · Next Topic » |







12:35 AM Jul 12