Help!!! I have searched everywhere trying to sex my JD, but it seems everyone has thier own way, and most are conflicting??? I keep only a single specimen, and last night I noticed some strange behavior. It seems that during the day while I was at work my JD has removed all of the substrate in one corner of the tank, and made a pile (fairly neat one too!!!) surrounding the depression. I have seen LM Bass do this in lakes while diving, and my understanding is that the female builds the beds. Is this true with JD's? Any help would be greatly appreiciated.Sexing Jack Dempseys
- Thread starter Depeche179
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Help!!! I have searched everywhere trying to sex my JD, but it seems everyone has thier own way, and most are conflicting??? I keep only a single specimen, and last night I noticed some strange behavior. It seems that during the day while I was at work my JD has removed all of the substrate in one corner of the tank, and made a pile (fairly neat one too!!!) surrounding the depression. I have seen LM Bass do this in lakes while diving, and my understanding is that the female builds the beds. Is this true with JD's? Any help would be greatly appreiciated.
LMB's are not cichlids. 
It wouldn't make sense to compare a centrarchiid to cichlids when trying to find a bit of info that is specific to a species of cichlid.
As for sexing your JD a female should have a notable amount of patchy blue coloration on the lower part of the gill plate.
A male's coloration on the lower gill plate will be pink or may have small blue spots go into it but these are not patches.
It wouldn't make sense to compare a centrarchiid to cichlids when trying to find a bit of info that is specific to a species of cichlid.
As for sexing your JD a female should have a notable amount of patchy blue coloration on the lower part of the gill plate.
A male's coloration on the lower gill plate will be pink or may have small blue spots go into it but these are not patches.
Yeah, I just had my Tiger shovel nose eat my Jack D., I think it was a female. I guess she wasnt growing fast enough in my 90 gal.