question about jack dempsey not pairing

[Apollyeon]

so i have a mature male and female in a tank with some large buenos aires and giant danios for targets and have tried just about everything to get these 2 to pair which im stumped as to why they havent.i used an eggcrate divider for a few days with both fish hanging out right next to each other on their respective sides,take the divider down to see how they act and what happens seems to be random.one time they actually looked like they were going to pair,they were crossing over each other slowly following each other around and then for whatever reason the female flips out and just starts trying to get away which the male starts the chasing nonstop all over again like he normally does.he doesnt do any damage to her just chases her forever and a day until i intervene.while hes doing this his aggression towards the dithers is much worse,prolly cause she wont give in yet im not sure.ive lowered the temp at times,ive also raised it a good bit to the recommended temp they like to breed at.doing more frequent water changes.changed decor around.put them both in a bigger tank with other large cichlids in hope of getting them to pair nothing so far has worked.as it stands ive got the same divider in with holes only she can fit through and just leaving it alone for now until i can figure something out or find out more info.

 

[bathawk]

I am no expert but having a male and female doesn't mean you they will pair up some times you need a group and a pair will form from the group for example I have 4 electric blue acara's 3 females one male the male and one of the females paired up within a week . A while back I had a male and female rainbow snake head's they never paired up but were in the tank for 3 years . You may get lucky maybe you can get another female and things may change just my opinion.

 

[duanes]

I agree with bathawk, the best way to get a compatible pair is to start with 6 or 8 (better more of any cichlid) and allow them to pick their own partner.
Most cichlids have an elaborate mating selection processes, so just having a male and a female is not a guaranteed, or even reliable way to get a sustainable mated pair.
By allowing the cichlids to select also helps assure that once a spawning happens, that they will actually guard it, and not kill each other in the process, and the process of selection within a group, often further cements that bond.

 

[YankeeJack]

Any pics?
I wonder if the female is larger than the male. I’ve not had success when the female is larger than the male.
Another trick I use is to put in another smaller male- which tends to help trigger pairing.

Gotta watch closely though. If they do form a pair, that third one is in for trouble!

Send us a pic

 

[Apollyeon]

they are almost same size,male is a bit larger.hard to get a decent pick since they both hide if i approach the tank lol,male is about 7 inches and the female 6.my 2 midevils went through this same ordeal,female not wanting anything to do with the male then after a week they paired,but so far with these 2 its been a month or so with no luck,trying to grow another jack right now since only ones in my area are all like 2 inches lol,got lucky to find this male i have.i do have another male and hes about 8-9 inches and while he is nicer to the female he doesnt seem like he wants to breed,hes about 6 years old

 

[YankeeJack]

How big is the tank? I think some competition with other JDs might spur some painting.

You could put in a few 2 inchers. Possible the male would pair up with a 2 inch female.

Could also put in that other big male of yours -- whew that might be WWF though.

 

[Apollyeon]

How big is the tank? I think some competition with other JDs might spur some painting.

You could put in a few 2 inchers. Possible the male would pair up with a 2 inch female.

Could also put in that other big male of yours -- whew that might be WWF though.

well see ive also done that,moved them both to the 125 where the large jack is,and all that happens is the normally peaceful jack goes ape **** trying to kill the smaller male.ive tried putting them in a 100 gallon with a few other cichlids which seems to only make the aggression worse,so right now they are in a 55 with some small tetra for targets until i can figure out some other plan,im looking at growing out 2 more jds hoping for another female i can try or a male that isnt as aggressive,we'll see how that goes.he isnt actually damaging her at all,i check her body and fins and they look fine,he just chases like a mad man.part of me thinks i should just leave them both out,divider down and place plenty of hiding spots for her and let em work it out.its the only thing i havent tried long term.ive paired ca cichlids before,my midevils never gave me anything close to this much problems and that large male is a killer which i had to be very careful with introductions

 

[YankeeJack]

Looks like you've got all the right elements in place. Hoping that they'll pair up for you! Sending you some good vibes from the West Coast.