I belive he meant he wouldn't get them at 1"... but would look for 3" or larger specimen...
I've found that Blue Dmepseys are much more delicate than standard Dempseys until sexual maturity. During this stage I'm extremely cautious to keep water quality as high as possible. I also usually use a UV light on them at this stage.
Sexual maturity usually comes in females around 3" and in males around 3.5". At this point I find my Blue Dempseys just as hardy as my Standard Dempseys. I move them into tanks without UV lights and still keep their water quality very high (but I do that with all my fish
).
But ultimately... I believe it comes down to genetics with these fish. Many have been excessively inbred to a point where they are simply weak fish. There are some people (myself included) trying to breed stronger Blues but I haven't kept up with them enough to know who to recommend. I do not have any sellable Blues right now.
I've found that Blue Dmepseys are much more delicate than standard Dempseys until sexual maturity. During this stage I'm extremely cautious to keep water quality as high as possible. I also usually use a UV light on them at this stage.
Sexual maturity usually comes in females around 3" and in males around 3.5". At this point I find my Blue Dempseys just as hardy as my Standard Dempseys. I move them into tanks without UV lights and still keep their water quality very high (but I do that with all my fish
).But ultimately... I believe it comes down to genetics with these fish. Many have been excessively inbred to a point where they are simply weak fish. There are some people (myself included) trying to breed stronger Blues but I haven't kept up with them enough to know who to recommend. I do not have any sellable Blues right now.
