For years I have always dreamed of breeding EBJD's. Mid last year, I figured I would give it a shot. I had enough tank space and was tired of breeding just albino bristlenose plecos. I purchased a for sure male EBJD and started this journey.
I let him grow out for about 6-8 months, feeding him a varied diet and letting him get to size. Once I determined he was large enough to handle a mate (7-8 inches), I went and bought three female regular Jack Dempseys. I put them in the tank with him and let the pairing process begin. It took about a week, but he finally allowed the most agressive female to come into his cave with him. After this, I knew he would breed with her. I waited about two weeks, and they started clearing a spot. I fed frozen bloodworms and spirulina brine shrimp along with a pelleted Hikari Cichlid Gold diet. They finally started the ritual and laid eggs. He fertilized like a champ. A week or so later I had free swimming fry. I removed the other two females as they were starting to get stressed from being chased around the tank. They went into a 30 gallon bowfront by themselves.
The fry are now removed from their parents and have been in a 55 gallon grow-out tank for about 4 weeks. Once I can sex them by coloration, I will keep a few females and allow the other bigger two normal females to have a snack during "culling day". I can't think of any other way to keep my breeding stock of blue gene females without having blue gene males.
Anyway, that is where I am right now. Any thoughts or words of encouragement are welcome. Working on growing out the fry to get females to breed with male EBJD's.
CSnyde
I let him grow out for about 6-8 months, feeding him a varied diet and letting him get to size. Once I determined he was large enough to handle a mate (7-8 inches), I went and bought three female regular Jack Dempseys. I put them in the tank with him and let the pairing process begin. It took about a week, but he finally allowed the most agressive female to come into his cave with him. After this, I knew he would breed with her. I waited about two weeks, and they started clearing a spot. I fed frozen bloodworms and spirulina brine shrimp along with a pelleted Hikari Cichlid Gold diet. They finally started the ritual and laid eggs. He fertilized like a champ. A week or so later I had free swimming fry. I removed the other two females as they were starting to get stressed from being chased around the tank. They went into a 30 gallon bowfront by themselves.
The fry are now removed from their parents and have been in a 55 gallon grow-out tank for about 4 weeks. Once I can sex them by coloration, I will keep a few females and allow the other bigger two normal females to have a snack during "culling day". I can't think of any other way to keep my breeding stock of blue gene females without having blue gene males.
Anyway, that is where I am right now. Any thoughts or words of encouragement are welcome. Working on growing out the fry to get females to breed with male EBJD's.
CSnyde
