EBJD Looks too white?

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H

H2O_Beasts

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 3, 2010
199
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Arizona
I've had this guy for about 5 months and he seems perfectly healthy but I expected his to start coloring up a little more by now. Shouldn't he be a little darker blue?

He's in a 40B with 5 tiger barbs and, 1 BN Pleco and 1 danio. I feed him Hikari gold, blood worms, flake, and frozen krill as a treat.

[video=youtube;FlNwf7BQ-oQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlNwf7BQ-oQ[/video]
 
Some Ebjd's take a long time for their colors to darken up. Couldnt really tell in the video but does your 40b have a black background? That usually helps

Also 2 things. I would stay away from feeding him blood worms. EbJds have a very sensitive digestive system and they can bloat easily from it. Also, I would switch his diet over completely to NLS. Hikari gold contains startch and other "filler ups" which arent too good for the fish long term.
NLS will color him up nicely like it has w/ my blues and the garlic will keep him healthy.
Good luck, you could also add 1 more blue in there


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Totally agree with Endo's advice.
The light colored substrate is also not conducive to a cichlid darkening up, and it is very open, few places to feel secure. And instead of 1 zebra danio, a school would be more normal and also afford security.
Cichlids watch schools of dithers to assess danger.
Cichlids, line bred or not, have a way of mimicking their habitat in order to blend in to escape predators.
And in nature, JDs do not stray from cover such as rock crevices, fallen logs, over hanging vegetation, especially when young like yours.
Below is natural habitat in Mexico, note the large, dark crevices to dash into if danger threatens, and the large schools of live bearers they live with.
086.jpg
 
Agree with endo & duanes, also consider wether or not this fish is a "platinum" JD, expressing both the electric blue, and gold gene.
 
I also agree with Endo. Just my experience. I had a EBJD a couple years ago and I fed mine bloodworms (which he loved) unfortunately lost him after having him several months. (hes in my avatar) anyway I feel that the bloodworms had a lot to do with that. Going on 3 weeks I have had 3 EBJD and 8 BGJD and the breeder said he feeds his 2 things. Beef heart flakes and frozen brine. I recently got a sample of some garlic flakes and thought about mixing with the beef heart. have to order more NLS. (very good stuff). The only other thing I have added is a UV steralizer.

Endo thanks for mentioning the Garlic in NLS. I had to check one of my empty NLS. Did not realize it had garlic.

Anyway I'm no expert on EBJD but I have read a lot especially from successful breeders. Here is a blog I have created. Yes takes a little time to get the color. Looks like a blue to me.
http://www.etnac.com/jack.htm
 
NLS is the shizz, NLS Thera A is the formula with garlic...although I think the regular formula has it too, just in a smaller dose? Thera A can actually make your water smell a tad garlicky...my brother used to say I was pre-seasoning them for the frying pan; /
 
Glad I was able to help and hope the OP finds the information beneficial.
As Duanes mentioned, hiding places would also help significantly.

Also, Steve, I would avoid the beefheart flakes and check out the freshwater flakes made by NLS called Optimum.
This way, you get the best of both worlds. Garlic + all the wonderful ingredients of NLS in an easily digestible form for your blues :)
 
Also agree with Endo about the beefheart, it has been recently proven that most freshwater fish cannot properly digest mammalian flesh, and it leads to liver and digestive issues. In nature the main component of their diet is algae and the organisms that live within, with only an occasional meal of fish protein.
 
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