Jack Dempsey color
- Thread starter Buphy
- Start date
I will tell you that the sand is very light though. Just my opinion, but I think it's best when you use a great variety of dark and neutral colors.
Very nice. It's interesting though, even when my Dempseys do get "dark" their strips get dark, not their bodies, like yours. I think that's the "region dependent" variable.
You mentioned the Paratilapia, if it is the alpha in the tank, this could have an effect.
If the Paratilapia is a male, and it appears your JDs are both males, and in most cases, subordinate fish will have less vibrant colors than the alpha.
I have noticed in nature the darkest JDs are alpha individuals. In a cenote in hundreds of thousands of gallons you may find a number of alphas, but in a tank of less than 100 gallons, there is only room for 1.
Note the dark male on the right, guarding its territory in cenote Cristalino.
If the Paratilapia is a male, and it appears your JDs are both males, and in most cases, subordinate fish will have less vibrant colors than the alpha.
I have noticed in nature the darkest JDs are alpha individuals. In a cenote in hundreds of thousands of gallons you may find a number of alphas, but in a tank of less than 100 gallons, there is only room for 1.
Note the dark male on the right, guarding its territory in cenote Cristalino.
I'm assuming you mean mysis (shrimp), not mice. Another poster assumed the latter.
In any case, JDs will often show dark colors over light substrate if they are unstressed. Dark substrate promotes dark coloration because helps them blend in better, but other factors are also important. Below is a JD after losing a dominance contest with a Parachromis friedrichsthalii. Once the dust settled and the JD accepted his new role on the pecking order, his normal colors returned.
shortly after losing contest
a few days later
Here are some other examples. These are also kept with light substrate as well.
At this point I'm sure the stress has had something to do with it as well. They have both gotten slightly darker (just darker tan) since the paratilopia has mellowed out and gotten used to his tank mates (had his own tank at the LFS). Thank you all for your input, I will continue to watch this thread in hopes of continuing my learning.
There is also an interesting article in Cichlid News magazine called The Jack Dempsey from Mexico, Oct 2007 by Juan Miguel Artigas Azas, packed with info and photos of habitat, distribution, and history.
Back issues are available @ www.cichlidnews.com
Back issues are available @ www.cichlidnews.com
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My Jacks have always started out tan, then got black stripes, then eventually all black covered in blue green scales.
Didn't matter what substrate, tankmates, or diet. They are fairly predictable, as they age they darken, maybe at different rates of speed...
Didn't matter what substrate, tankmates, or diet. They are fairly predictable, as they age they darken, maybe at different rates of speed...
