JD coloration

[Imsobored152]

I know jack dempseys can change color, but is it lighter theyre happy, or dark theyre happy?

Mine went from this (not my fish or picture) in the store
To this (my fish) once settled in the tank. He seems pretty content, eats well.

 

[cichlidfish]

Some people swear a black substrait or background will make cichlids want to blend into their environment and will appear darker.
I am not sure if that is the case always, because stress will do that.
But in your case I'd say it's the substrait and background. I have a black background and light substrait. When the fish move close to the background, they get dark. When they move away from it, they are lighter in color.

 

[Imsobored152]

Some people swear a black substrait or background will make cichlids want to blend into their environment and will appear darker.
I am not sure if that is the case always, because stress will do that.
But in your case I'd say it's the substrait and background. I have a black background and light substrait. When the fish move close to the background, they get dark. When they move away from it, they are lighter in color.

Good to know. Thanks

 

[duanes]

agree with cichlidfish, and just comparing how light colored everything is in the 1st pic, to the dark in your tank proves the point. Its the same in nature, where I've snorkeled with JDs in Mexico, those in shaded area's are always much darker than those in sunlit , open areas.
If you compare the ones in the beginning of the video under the stairs, to the ones toward to end living on a sunlit shallow plain, there is quite the contrast. Even the live bearers colors adjust when in the shadows, compared to when they are over exposed sunlit outcrops.
Eden2

 

[Frank Castle]

agree with cichlidfish, and just comparing how light colored everything is in the 1st pic, to the dark in your tank proves the point. Its the same in nature, where I've snorkeled with JDs in Mexico, those in shaded area's are always much darker than those in sunlit , open areas.
If you compare the ones in the beginning of the video under the stairs, to the ones toward to end living on a sunlit shallow plain, there is quite the contrast. Even the live bearers colors adjust when in the shadows, compared to when they are over exposed sunlit outcrops.
Eden2

IME it was always the dominant fish/fishes that turned dark while the rest stayed light.......however, this might be my own little secret as i don't see anyone else keeping 6 and 7 JDs in groups the way I keep them.

 

[cichlidfish]

IME it was always the dominant fish/fishes that turned dark while the rest stayed light.......however, this might be my own little secret as i don't see anyone else keeping 6 and 7 JDs in groups the way I keep them.

I agree. How do they do in groups like that? Seems like they stay in groups in the wild.

 

[duanes]

When spawning in nature the JD pairs usually break off and guard an area of 4ft x 4ft plus whatever depth allows, I would guess @ 250 gallons.
In the video below taken in Cristalino Cenote, a small JD pair guard an area of at least that size at @ the 1 minute mark, probably more because depth is more than 4 ft.
Cristalino
A friend of mine keeps his JDs in a group of about 7 or 8 (1 male , the rest females) , until they start to spawn, and then removes all from the tank, except the pair.

 

[Frank Castle]

I agree. How do they do in groups like that? Seems like they stay in groups in the wild.

When spawning in nature the JD pairs usually break off and guard an area of 4ft x 4ft plus whatever depth allows, I would guess @ 250 gallons.
In the video below taken in Cristalino Cenote, a small JD pair guard an area of at least that size at @ the 1 minute mark, probably more because depth is more than 4 ft.
Cristalino
A friend of mine keeps his JDs in a group of about 7 or 8 (1 male , the rest females) , until they start to spawn, and then removes all from the tank, except the pair.

this group is still a bit young and no pairs have formed yet, but previously my male bred with 5-6 females, and they willingly took turns producing eggs

 

[jhook]

What do you do with all of the fry? Use them as feeders, give them away or just leave them in the tank with other fish and let them eat them as they can?

 

[Frank Castle]

What do you do with all of the fry? Use them as feeders, give them away or just leave them in the tank with other fish and let them eat them as they can?

leave 'em be......there's no market for JDs around here - even a big impressive males