Need Help With My 12" Jack Dempsey

[TrikkyMakk]

Is it just me or do both jacks look to be males? Anyways, those jacks look very old and it might just be time for it to go. Not much you can do to counter the effects of age . . . How old are they?

I was thinking the same thing. Are you sure you got a Bertha and not a Bert? Those both look male mang.

 

[spaulding]

sorry i can't help with your problom, but i just had to say those are some of the best looking jacks i've seen.

 

[SweetR]

wow great jd's I have one thats 9 inches but its no where near that thick<--haha. best wishes on the health of your fish.

 

[samnierop]

Thanks!!! They are beautiful!

 

[samnierop]

what do you feed them ?

I feed them frozen blood worms, dried krill, frozen shrimp, a combined frozen spirulina food, live feeders once or twice a month and dried Hakari pellets once in awhile. They really like the Tetra Large Cichlid Sticks but they make such a mess in the tank that I rarely give this to them. I try to keep it pretty mixed up. It costs a bloody fortune! Boy can they eat! I'll post a pic of my Texas Cichlid, Jackie. She's bigger than any of the others. I'd love to get any ideas on making homemade food or cheaper ways to feed them. I've bought frozen shrimp and cut it up into small bits to feed them also but I got worried that it wasn't good for them and quit doing this about a two months ago.

 

[samnierop]

Hi Everyone! Wow! So glad I got so many responses. Here's the update:

1) For those who asked, I feed them a mixed diet of frozen bloodworms, frozen shrimp, frozen spirulina mix, dried krill, live feeders once or twice a month, Hikari pellets once in awhile because they really don't like it and on occasion Tetra lrg pellets (they like these but they make a mess in the tank so I don't give it often). I used to give them frozen shrimp that we eat. I'd chop it up into small bits and give it. They like it but I got worried that it wasn't good for them. My husband said it's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying the fish food! lol! Any suggestions as to cheaper ways to feed or homemade versions would be great. I tried frozen peas once but they didn't eat any. Also tried crickets and only my Texas Cichlid ate it!

2) Thanks for all the compliments on my Jack's - their size and beauty! I'm very proud of them. I am worried that Bertha the large one is getting old. I bought her not knowing her age so she very well could just be getting old. Buddy, the smaller of the two is about 2 1/2 yrs old so he's got a lot of yrs left in him.

3) This afternoon I put a divider in the tank so the Texas Cichlid, Jackie and the African, Charlie are on one side. Once I did this, Bertha came out and started swimming around. I also put some more salt in the tank and Melafix. After all this she was swimming around and I fed her and she ate. Yeah!!!! I know some say they both look like males and I thought this myself but I was told by two others they looked at them in person that they thought she was a female. Hmmmm.....I don't know. They seem to do the "mating" dance off and on. Not just locking lips but the shimmer side by side so I thought maybe she is a female. I guess I'll never know unless she lays eggs.

Anyway, she's looking better and I just hope she keeps getting better. I did notice a spot on her side, very small, size of a pea, but the scales did look a bit worn looking on one side. Just not the brilliant coloring and different than the rest of her. A little reddish too. This could mean she has an infection happening. I'll keep treating with the Melafix for the next 48 hrs and see how she does. If it looks worse I'll treat with an antibiotic.

But she's lively again which makes me happy!

4) I'll post a picture tomorrow of my Texas Cichlid, Jackie, who is the biggest in the tank. And she is a really hardy fish! I rescued her on her death bed. I knew nothing about fish whatsoever but she's what got me started with Monster Fish. She was about 3" when I got her and look at her now!! I'm so proud of her. I brought her back from near death. Her scales had literally fallen off and she was raw looking on the sides. I thought surely she was going to die but she pulled through and I'm really proud of her. She's the one who talks to most to us! Has a real personality. In the beginning I thought she was a Dempsey but as she got bigger and I did more research I believe she's a Texas Cichlid. She tried to mate with Buddy but he won't have anything to do with her!

Have any of you had big fish like this successfully mate? Just curious! I'd love to have babies some day!

Thanks to all of you for responding! It makes me feel better. My husband is adding a bigger air bubble strip in the tank right now to get more oxygen going in there. We love our babies!

 

[jgentry]

Hi Everyone! Wow! So glad I got so many responses. Here's the update:

1) For those who asked, I feed them a mixed diet of frozen bloodworms, frozen shrimp, frozen spirulina mix, dried krill, live feeders once or twice a month, Hikari pellets once in awhile because they really don't like it and on occasion Tetra lrg pellets (they like these but they make a mess in the tank so I don't give it often). I used to give them frozen shrimp that we eat. I'd chop it up into small bits and give it. They like it but I got worried that it wasn't good for them. My husband said it's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying the fish food! lol! Any suggestions as to cheaper ways to feed or homemade versions would be great. I tried frozen peas once but they didn't eat any. Also tried crickets and only my Texas Cichlid ate it!

2) Thanks for all the compliments on my Jack's - their size and beauty! I'm very proud of them. I am worried that Bertha the large one is getting old. I bought her not knowing her age so she very well could just be getting old. Buddy, the smaller of the two is about 2 1/2 yrs old so he's got a lot of yrs left in him.

3) This afternoon I put a divider in the tank so the Texas Cichlid, Jackie and the African, Charlie are on one side. Once I did this, Bertha came out and started swimming around. I also put some more salt in the tank and Melafix. After all this she was swimming around and I fed her and she ate. Yeah!!!! I know some say they both look like males and I thought this myself but I was told by two others they looked at them in person that they thought she was a female. Hmmmm.....I don't know. They seem to do the "mating" dance off and on. Not just locking lips but the shimmer side by side so I thought maybe she is a female. I guess I'll never know unless she lays eggs.

Anyway, she's looking better and I just hope she keeps getting better. I did notice a spot on her side, very small, size of a pea, but the scales did look a bit worn looking on one side. Just not the brilliant coloring and different than the rest of her. A little reddish too. This could mean she has an infection happening. I'll keep treating with the Melafix for the next 48 hrs and see how she does. If it looks worse I'll treat with an antibiotic.

But she's lively again which makes me happy!

4) I'll post a picture tomorrow of my Texas Cichlid, Jackie, who is the biggest in the tank. And she is a really hardy fish! I rescued her on her death bed. I knew nothing about fish whatsoever but she's what got me started with Monster Fish. She was about 3" when I got her and look at her now!! I'm so proud of her. I brought her back from near death. Her scales had literally fallen off and she was raw looking on the sides. I thought surely she was going to die but she pulled through and I'm really proud of her. She's the one who talks to most to us! Has a real personality. In the beginning I thought she was a Dempsey but as she got bigger and I did more research I believe she's a Texas Cichlid. She tried to mate with Buddy but he won't have anything to do with her!

Have any of you had big fish like this successfully mate? Just curious! I'd love to have babies some day!

Thanks to all of you for responding! It makes me feel better. My husband is adding a bigger air bubble strip in the tank right now to get more oxygen going in there. We love our babies!

Glad your JD is feeling better. It could be that the texas was just picking on it a bit. They are known to be bullies. Both you jacks are 100% male. Whoever told you one was a female didn't know anything about sexing them. If you look at there face they have zero blue spots below there jaw line or on there gill plates. Females have tons of blue in this area. Here's a picture I found online of a male/female pair. The male is on the left and the female is on the right. Females almost look like the have a blue beard sometimes.

If your texas is a female it's not uncommon for them to try to mate with other non texas males if there is not another texas in the tank.

 

[CTU2fan]

Glad to hear Bertha is doing better, agreed with others that Bertha is probably a Bert Anyway fantastic looking big jacks...and it's possible your Texas is messing with them a bit.

 

[samnierop]

Thanks!!! Yes, I see what you're saying about the coloring and that they're both males. Okay, Bertha is now officially Bert! lol!!!

I think you're right about the Texas too - she does bully the entire tank and specifically Bert. Bert used to be the biggest in the tank but now Jackie (the Texas) is way bigger and definitely likes to let everyone know.

I'm attaching a pic of Jackie (Texas) so you can tell me if I'm right about her being a Texas. When I first got her, she was about 2 1/2 to 3" and I thought she was a Jack but as she grew, her coloring changed and her shape changed tremendously. She's really beautiful and would be even prettier if she hadn't have been so damaged physically. She even had half her tail gone and that has fully grown back now.

She does try to do the mating dance with Buddy but Buddy won't have anything to do with it. Buddy (a Jack) grew up with the Texas first. Once Buddy and Jackie got big and they started fighting, I got Bert and the African. Bert was the biggest in the tank and I was right in that it settled everyone down. Buddy & Jackie quit fighting so much.

Interesting though that you say the Texas will try to mate with a non-Texas because she does try to do the shimmy dance. It's quite funny when she tries it though because she's so big!! And when I separate Buddy & Jackie, Buddy gets very upset. He doesn't like being away from her even though when they're together he acts like he's not interested!

I'll have to try and make move of a "mating" space for them to see if they'll mate. I'd love to have babies, even if they are mixed. I think they'd be beautiful!

Anyway.....I'm blabbing! lol!!! Okay, look at the pic of Jackie (The Texas) and tell me what you think!

Oh - Bert is very lively today. I haven't fed any of them today and they are all very active. They scream at us to feed them every time we get near the tank.

Thanks!!!

 

[samnierop]

Thanks! I didn't realize I had such beautiful fish until all the comments I've received! Wow! I mean, I think they're beautiful but I know I'm prejudice. So cool to know we've done a good job! lol!