Jag Advice
- Thread starter Jsm
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To answer your question I would want to know alittle more.
Generally speaking the 1st reply would be the minimum but also it can depend. I think a 48" x 18" floor plan would work ok for an adult female and some males. I have seen that some males however seem to have those " Jumbo Genes" and would probably need a 6' x 18" Floor like a 125.
The key to having fun w/ Jags is to try obtaining a pair and keeping them in as large of space as possible or if that isn't an option maybe keeping 1 in a Large CA Community Tank. They tend to hold their own well. Some can be very aggressive and others are like Puppy Dogs. They are my Favorite fish and honestly if you have the opportunity to keep one you will not regret it !
Generally speaking the 1st reply would be the minimum but also it can depend. I think a 48" x 18" floor plan would work ok for an adult female and some males. I have seen that some males however seem to have those " Jumbo Genes" and would probably need a 6' x 18" Floor like a 125.
The key to having fun w/ Jags is to try obtaining a pair and keeping them in as large of space as possible or if that isn't an option maybe keeping 1 in a Large CA Community Tank. They tend to hold their own well. Some can be very aggressive and others are like Puppy Dogs. They are my Favorite fish and honestly if you have the opportunity to keep one you will not regret it !
125 for male and 75 for female.I have owned 3+ yr old jags and the males can get huge in bulk and length i cant see them in anything but a 125 minimum as for females perfect for 75 and some look quite nice to the point you might think its a male.
The Jaguar Cichlid grows to a length of just over 21 to 24 (55-63 cm) and 3 1/2 pounds in the wild. In the aquarium, males get to about 16 (40 cm) and females to about 14 (36 cm).
Care and feeding:
The Jaguar Cichlid is a carnivore, a predator that feeds on other smaller fish and large invertebrates in the wild. In the aquarium they will eagerly accept large live foods such as goldfish and other small fishes, crickets and other insects, earthworms, and tadpoles. Though live fishes are their main food they can be fed large chunk foods such as cut up fish and crayfish, and they may also accept large pieces of freeze dried and dry foods. Feed once a day, and some say that a one day a week fast is beneficial. This will keep the water quality higher over a longer time. All fish benefit from vitamins and supplements added to their foods.
These fish need a lot of room, a minimum of 50 gallons for a single fish, though ideally 125 gallons for one and 180 gallons or more with tank mates. They need good water movement along with strong and efficient filtration. Provide a bottom of coarse gravel with some rocks and wood for places to hide along with lots of open swimming room and a large rock for spawning. Don't include plants as they will be torn apart. Be sure you have a tight fitting lid, as they will jump out at times. Some say duckweed floating at the top will help. Do water changes of 20% to 30% biweekly or weekly, depending on stocking numbers.
They are subject to infections as well as other diseases that ail all freshwater fish. One common problem is Ich. It can be treated with the elevation of the tank temperature to 86° F (30° C) for 3 days. If that does not cure the Ich, then the fish needs to be treated with copper (remove any water conditioners). Several copper based fish medications are available for Ich. Copper use must be kept within the proper levels, so be sure to follow the manufacturers suggestions. A copper test can be used to keep the proper levels. You can also combine increasing the temperature with an Ich medication treatment. Intestinal disease can be treated with metronidazol.
Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
These fish will swim in the middle and lower areas of the aquarium.
Acceptable Water Conditions:
Hardness: 10 -15° dH
Ph: 7.0 - 8.7
Temp: 75 - 82° F (24 -28° C), (82° F to breed)
Social Behaviors:
The Jaguar Cichlid is not a community fish. This fish is a predator that is territorial and aggressive, and even more aggressive when spawning. It needs to be kept with other large Central and South American cichlids, that are larger than they are. If breeding them do not house with plecostomus as these fish will eat the fry at night. Once they are ready to spawn, no other fish should be left in the tank.
They can be kept singly or in pairs. They are aggressive toward those of the same species and if they are not raised as a pair putting in a female that is unfamiliar is a risk, especially if the male is larger.As with all larger cichlids, room is of the utmost importance to keep aggression low.
Sexual Differences:
The male is larger and seems to have more vertical broken bars when young. Once he is full grown, he will not have any bars at all. The female will have thinner vertical bars and a more pronounced dark broken horizontal bar.
Breeding/Reproduction:
The Jaguar Cichlids form nuclear families and are excellent parents. Ideally for the safety of the female, the tank should be 180 gallons. It is best to raise a group of juveniles and let them pair off. They are sexually mature by 4. The male will display for the female and actually take very good care of her. They will excavate an area behind a large stone. Having the area covered and protected is desirable to them. After they dig out an area of mutual agreement and as the spawning day gets closer, the male will become less and less tolerant of any tank mates, and even your hand.
If the pair are well fed, doing 50% water changes twice in one week will promote a spawning response. Raising the temperature to 82° F is also needed. The eggs will hatch in about 72 hours at 82° F and the higher temperature will give fungus less time to form. The female will continue to fan the eggs and remove debris and snails from the site. As the eggs get close to the time of hatching, the female will take them to the pit that they made before spawning. Once the babies are born you may want to do 20% water changes every other day. This is due to the additional load on the tank from the feedings that they need once their egg yolk is used up. In 4 days after hatching, you can feed them Liquifry and baby powder food. It would be a good idea to remove any other fish that may eat the fry during the night like catfish or plecostomus. See more about cichlid breeding in: Breeding Freshwater Fish.
__________________
LIZ
Originally Posted by Camshaft Ramrod
And liz, you're all over this site like white on rice.
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Care and feeding:
The Jaguar Cichlid is a carnivore, a predator that feeds on other smaller fish and large invertebrates in the wild. In the aquarium they will eagerly accept large live foods such as goldfish and other small fishes, crickets and other insects, earthworms, and tadpoles. Though live fishes are their main food they can be fed large chunk foods such as cut up fish and crayfish, and they may also accept large pieces of freeze dried and dry foods. Feed once a day, and some say that a one day a week fast is beneficial. This will keep the water quality higher over a longer time. All fish benefit from vitamins and supplements added to their foods.
These fish need a lot of room, a minimum of 50 gallons for a single fish, though ideally 125 gallons for one and 180 gallons or more with tank mates. They need good water movement along with strong and efficient filtration. Provide a bottom of coarse gravel with some rocks and wood for places to hide along with lots of open swimming room and a large rock for spawning. Don't include plants as they will be torn apart. Be sure you have a tight fitting lid, as they will jump out at times. Some say duckweed floating at the top will help. Do water changes of 20% to 30% biweekly or weekly, depending on stocking numbers.
They are subject to infections as well as other diseases that ail all freshwater fish. One common problem is Ich. It can be treated with the elevation of the tank temperature to 86° F (30° C) for 3 days. If that does not cure the Ich, then the fish needs to be treated with copper (remove any water conditioners). Several copper based fish medications are available for Ich. Copper use must be kept within the proper levels, so be sure to follow the manufacturers suggestions. A copper test can be used to keep the proper levels. You can also combine increasing the temperature with an Ich medication treatment. Intestinal disease can be treated with metronidazol.
Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
These fish will swim in the middle and lower areas of the aquarium.
Acceptable Water Conditions:
Hardness: 10 -15° dH
Ph: 7.0 - 8.7
Temp: 75 - 82° F (24 -28° C), (82° F to breed)
Social Behaviors:
The Jaguar Cichlid is not a community fish. This fish is a predator that is territorial and aggressive, and even more aggressive when spawning. It needs to be kept with other large Central and South American cichlids, that are larger than they are. If breeding them do not house with plecostomus as these fish will eat the fry at night. Once they are ready to spawn, no other fish should be left in the tank.
They can be kept singly or in pairs. They are aggressive toward those of the same species and if they are not raised as a pair putting in a female that is unfamiliar is a risk, especially if the male is larger.As with all larger cichlids, room is of the utmost importance to keep aggression low.
Sexual Differences:
The male is larger and seems to have more vertical broken bars when young. Once he is full grown, he will not have any bars at all. The female will have thinner vertical bars and a more pronounced dark broken horizontal bar.
Breeding/Reproduction:
The Jaguar Cichlids form nuclear families and are excellent parents. Ideally for the safety of the female, the tank should be 180 gallons. It is best to raise a group of juveniles and let them pair off. They are sexually mature by 4. The male will display for the female and actually take very good care of her. They will excavate an area behind a large stone. Having the area covered and protected is desirable to them. After they dig out an area of mutual agreement and as the spawning day gets closer, the male will become less and less tolerant of any tank mates, and even your hand.
If the pair are well fed, doing 50% water changes twice in one week will promote a spawning response. Raising the temperature to 82° F is also needed. The eggs will hatch in about 72 hours at 82° F and the higher temperature will give fungus less time to form. The female will continue to fan the eggs and remove debris and snails from the site. As the eggs get close to the time of hatching, the female will take them to the pit that they made before spawning. Once the babies are born you may want to do 20% water changes every other day. This is due to the additional load on the tank from the feedings that they need once their egg yolk is used up. In 4 days after hatching, you can feed them Liquifry and baby powder food. It would be a good idea to remove any other fish that may eat the fry during the night like catfish or plecostomus. See more about cichlid breeding in: Breeding Freshwater Fish.
__________________
LIZ
Originally Posted by Camshaft Ramrod
And liz, you're all over this site like white on rice.
Quote
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