Cichlasoma Octofasciatum

[Verminator89]

Since i started in this hobby just over 5 years ago aged 15 i knew what i wanted to keep as my ultimate dream - the stunningly beautiful and gracefull Jack Dempsey cichlid. Upon further research i heard about the rarer strain of Electric Blue Jack Dempsey and i immediately fell in love, Never in a million years did i ever expect to come across any for sale, but on a visit to A5 Aquatics (near coventry-ish) in October 2008 i came across some young juvi specimens no more than 1.5". I set home asap and began plans to convert my then planted aquaria into my dream tank. Later that day i went back and i bought a male and female Below are two pictures of my male and female as juvi back in Oct 08.

Please bear with me whilst i adjust to posting pictures again, havnt done so in well over a year and forgotten how to resize Apologies if these come out gigantic

Female EBJD 1.5" juvi

Male EBJD 1.5" juvi

It's not July 2010 and i'm sad to say that unfortunately these fish suffer health issues, and my female fell foul of an unknown illness which after 1 month of battling to keep her alive she sadly didnt make it. Not willing to fork out another £25 for a 1.5" juvi to risk the same again i bought initally 3 female regular strain JD's and to my astonishment my male EBJD paired up with one and began breeding 12 months or so ago. They've bred 3 times so far and the furthest i've managed to get is fry about 3 days old - then they went missing. In the next month or so i'll be emptying my tank to start afresh, tough times in the last 12 months and my tanks have suffered slight neglect. Just thought i'd add some pictures of my male and female as they are now, my male EBJD will roughly be 2 years old now

Female regular JD 4.5/5"

She's rather shy today and thats the best pic i could get atm

Pride and joy, my 6/7" Male EBJD

Sorry for the overkill on pictures Hard to pick which ones to post. You'll probably notice algae/BBA on the leaves of the plants in some pictures due to fluctuatings levels of CO2, life at over the last 12 months has unfortunately meant my 180L just hasnt been top priority, thus the reason i'm crashing the tank and restarting it and rededicating my time = to my dempseys to further attempt at breeding some juvi JD's My other 2ft planted is testiment to how my tanks can look

Hope you all enjoy the pics, i'd love to see other JD owners specimens! Don't see too many people with JD's. The odd thread pops up now and again so i thought i'd pop up with this one.

Thanks, James

 

[walkers101]

Wow they are simply stunning too hell with picking pictures post them all

 

[Verminator89]

Ha i suppose i am on a fish forum so it won't be out of place to post them all. Thats all the none blurred ones anyway. The last one makes him look like he's going green - its algae on the glass Inconsistent scraping ha!

 

[star4]

Yes post more pics! I just love jd's but do not have the room for any, they I can enjoy yours

 

[Verminator89]

I shall indeed post more pics as and when i get them. I shall also try and keep this going as a little breeding journal too perhaps as and when i get my tank sorted and the ball rolling so to speak. That'll be over the next month or so, right after i get my car fixed and back on the road

 

[ChilliPepper]

Beautiful fish

 

[star4]

I really hope you manage to get them to breed, just checked you profile your not far from me I would definately be interested in a couple. Shame I cant send you some of my tank water, everything I have seems to breed like crazy

 

[Verminator89]

Think i mentioned before that i've had them breed 3 times. first two times the eggs vanished over night (there are two plecs and 5 clown loach in with them) so i suspect they were the culprits then. The 3rd time i actually had fry, i've never been so excited its ridiculous. They lasted 3 days and just they gradually became less and less so don't know quite what happened with them. They were growing so well before they vanished, just started to develop very very early signs of black/white speckled colouring. I'm confident i can get them to breed again once the tank is set-up properly and assuming i'm successfull raising the fry i'll certainly let you know about it

 

[AstonN24vantage]

that last one - was that an angel in the background?

 

[Verminator89]

Yes, that is indeed an angel. He's an old boy, i naturally assume he's a he, who unfortunately was the sole surviving angel from my grandparents tank before he gave up the hobby. I took him in when he virtually had no finnage and was in poor health. I've since nursed him back to full health, although he has permanently scruffy finnage now - I bought him two juvi angel companions which have been growing out in a separate 2ft for the last 6 months, recently added them to the 3ft with him about 2 weeks ago

Any significance with you picking him out in particular?

Just a quick picture showing his finnage

I love him none the less, he's got character

 

[Verminator89]

Managed to get some pics of my female Jack Dempsey this morning. She wasnt shy for a change - miracle She's really coming into her own having started feeding Hikari pellets. Also a slight change around of the decor (trying to catch fish i've sold) has caused her to be far more active. Also her breeding colours are starting to show up again, hopefully a sign of whats to come. Notice the zebra like vertical brown patches, as these get darker and more vibrant usually means shes about to spawn

Notice the flash makes the males eye look white

ofcourse wherever she is, the brute is never far away!

 

[star4]

They are both just gorgous. good luck with the next spawn

 

[ChilliPepper]

They are beautiful, will be great to see the result if they do spawn

 

[ZoddyZod]

very very very nice fish.....and they are happy in your 3 foot tank?

(considers for future stocking!)

 

[Verminator89]

Yes they are more than happy in my 3ft tank. Although currently i'm selling off all my other fish and i'm ordering a 4ft from ND Aquatics tommorow. Focusing entirely on them now and so i want a bigger tank for them I shall then use this 3ft as a grow out tank for any potential fry. I also have a small 2ft tank to initially grow the fry on after emerging from their eggs.