Jack dempsey question

[jaws7777]

Can you guys post some pics if you have them of JD's from these two catch locations ?

Pantanos de Centla. I was onlyl able to find one pic from this location and the fish looked washed out or it just had a lighter base color than the JD's I'm familiar with.
And
Cenote Escondido I think this isorw common correct ?

Thx

 

[tlindsey]

Can you guys post some pics if you have them of JD's from these two catch locations ?

Pantanos de Centla. I was onlyl able to find one pic from this location and the fish looked washed out or it just had a lighter base color than the JD's I'm familiar with.
And
Cenote Escondido I think this isorw common correct ?

Thx

duanes

 

[MADMALINOIS]

Love cichlids... best fish family ever!

 

[duanes]

When I snorkeled in Cenote Escondido (granted, there may be many with that name), I didn't see any JDs, I saw urupthalmus, and maybe robertsoni. This of course doesn't they weren't there, just that I didn't see any.

I have noticed that when there are more than just JDs, the other cichlids seem to edge out JDs, and JDs seem to suffer the presence of the others.
In Cristllino, I only saw JDs and they thrived, also in Eden the JDs dominated, and I only saw a few other species, again, the JD population thrived.
Eden2
It seemed the further south I went in the Riviera Maya, the fewer the JDs, I didn't see any in Aktun Ha (there were Parachromis present) and Escondido is even further south (just south of Tulum)
As far as color, it seemed to me, in the most bowl shaped and totally sun lit cenotes, without caves, the JDs were lighter in color, in those with lots of caves, rocks,and overhanging vegetation cover the JDs appeared darker.
027 zps4b102ffd
Cristalino, had plenty of caves, rock, and overhanging vegetation, and plenty of JDs.

From these observations in nature, I would not try to keep JDs with other cichlids in an aquarium, but would think of them more as a single species shoaling type, and stick to dithers like the live bearers that they share the natural waters with. I would also give them much more space, than the normal aquarium literature suggests. My tank would be at minimum 6ft long.

 

[jaws7777]

When I snorkeled in Cenote Escondido (granted, there may be many with that name), I didn't see any JDs, I saw urupthalmus, and maybe robertsoni. This of course doesn't they weren't there, just that I didn't see any.

I have noticed that when there are more than just JDs, the other cichlids seem to edge out JDs, and JDs seem to suffer the presence of the others.
In Cristllino, I only saw JDs and they thrived, also in Eden the JDs dominated, and I only saw a few other species, again, the JD population thrived.
Eden2
It seemed the further south I went in the Riviera Maya, the fewer the JDs, I didn't see any in Aktun Ha (there were Parachromis present) and Escondido is even further south (just south of Tulum)
As far as color, it seemed to me, in the most bowl shaped and totally sun lit cenotes, without caves, the JDs were lighter in color, in those with lots of caves, rocks,and overhanging vegetation cover the JDs appeared darker.
027 zps4b102ffd
Cristalino, had plenty of caves, rock, and overhanging vegetation, and plenty of JDs.

From these observations in nature, I would not try to keep JDs with other cichlids in an aquarium, but would think of them more as a single species shoaling type, and stick to dithers like the live bearers that they share the natural waters with. I would also give them much more space, than the normal aquarium literature suggests. My tank would be at minimum 6ft long.

Thx Duane's if I did get one it would end up in a 300 gal where the only cichlid is a pearsei and maybe the small heterospilus

 

[duanes]

In a 300 I would think no problem, but I would get more than one, maybe 4 or 5.
And since pearsei and heterospilus are most vegetarian, and inept predators at best, a shoal of relatively small juvies would probably so well.
I kept JDs in a 1960s then lost interest, but snorkeling with them in Mexico gave me a new respect, and renewed my interest.
And the wild ones seemed very different than the long interbred aquarium strains, not any more colorful but the variations in markings and body types from one place to another very interesting.

 

[DMD123]

Wet Spot pic from AquaBid of their F1

Would like to see one of these grown up....

Found these videos too, catch locations might be different

 

[jaws7777]

In a 300 I would think no problem, but I would get more than one, maybe 4 or 5.
And since pearsei and heterospilus are most vegetarian, and inept predators at best, a shoal of relatively small juvies would probably so well.
I kept JDs in a 1960s then lost interest, but snorkeling with them in Mexico gave me a new respect, and renewed my interest.
And the wild ones seemed very different than the long interbred aquarium strains, not any more colorful but the variations in markings and body types from one place to another very interesting.

There's also a vulture catfish and 7 large bichirs in the tank. Bioload wise I'm pretty close to maxed and may well be over the limit. I'm consider adding one or two fish along with a continuous drip. I guess we'll see.
I really like the patterns and appearance of the whole JD's I had a CB one long ago and it was one of my favorites

Wet Spot pic from AquaBid of their F1

Would like to see one of these grown up....

Found these videos too, catch locations might be different

Yes both are Lookers !!!

 

[jaws7777]

duanes what temp would you recommend ? Are these one of the cichlids that can be kept at cooler temps ?

 

[duanes]

The cenotes I dove in were in the high 70s low 80s water temp, depending on time of year, heavy rainy season slightly cooler, dry season warmer, Although the water wells up from below the lime stone in cenotes, keeping them rather stable. During my Eden centote video it was rainy, and the denote was over its banks, you can see, the reeds that were sometimes growing totally emerged toward the end, but emersed by about 2 ft.