Hello, All!

[Odd Duck]

I’ve kept fish since 1975, but took about 8 years out of the hobby and I’m catching back up on things recently. I took over care of a pair of Jack Dempseys and a couple common plecos (both males) that were in a very neglected tank. They did so well I now have around 800 fry still to clear out and that’s after selling or giving away around 700! Any suggestions on dealing with them is welcome!

The best thing about pushed back into fish care is a reawakening of my love for aquariums. I would like to eventually have just a couple decent sized planted community tanks and I have plans for a bank of smaller tanks for raising Neocaridinas, plants, and snails.

My focus has been getting baby Jacks moved out of my house, and learning about new techniques and equipment for growing plants and Neo shrimp.

 

[Guyb93]

What a way to get back into the hobby FairPlay I also rehomed a neglected pleco and ended up with a 500l tank lol how big is yiur tank for a pair of JD and commons

 

[Odd Duck]

What a way to get back into the hobby FairPlay I also rehomed a neglected pleco and ended up with a 500l tank lol how big is yiur tank for a pair of JD and commons

They are in a 75 gallon tank, but divided so they can’t mate again! I desperately need to clear out all these baby Jacks and I’m open to any and all suggestions! It is a less than ideal situation for them since they don’t have nearly as much swimming space as they should have, but I just can’t let them breed again!

The commons are divided now, too, since they were starting to get into scuffles because they are both males. They were around 5” long when I got them 7 months ago. They are both around 10” long now, TL. I have them in the 75 gallon also, one on each side.

 

[Guyb93]

Iv saw posts about dropping water temp to stopthem breeding my some larger tetra Colombian , Bueno Aries to eat some fry or catfish to eat eggs

 

[Odd Duck]

Iv saw posts about dropping water temp to stopthem breeding my some larger tetra Colombian , Bueno Aries to eat some fry or catfish to eat eggs

I have dropped the water temp a bit but I’m concerned about their overall health if I drop it too low. The male developed some fuzz on a pectoral fin when I tried dropping the temp the first time when they were still together. So I’ve dropped some, but only a bit. I have no idea the age of the adults since the person I got them from wasn't their original owner. She thought the owner had them around 4-5 years. [edit to say that her age estimate was a pure guess, she did not know the owner when he got them]. They generally live 8-10 years, but up to 15 years from what I’ve read.

I've also thought about letting them be together and just destroying the eggs when laid, but they’re sooooo hard on each other when breeding! Jacks do NOT have a gentle courtship!

I'm afraid they’re going to be stuck on either side of a divider even though they’re unhappy about it and it likely causes them a certain degree of stress.
I tried giving them giant danios as dither fish and they they started killing them so I moved the remainder from the adult tank to a fry tank and the fry still killed them! I think the fry just pestered them to death.

I will definitely NOT be getting anymore big cichlids! interesting, dedicated parents, and gorgeous, but not to my taste in personality.

 

[dascrow]

Welcome to the forum @Odd Duck - Glad to have you on board!

 

[Retired Viking]

I had one of my daughter bring home 8 young African chilids from college as a rescue. It was fun a 1st, then they grew and became aggressive and I had to move all the other fish except a large pleaco they left alone. They then had their own territories and started to have fry. It was fun watching them but I ended up with at least 50 plus young adults which I gave away.

 

[mcordelia]

welcome @Odd Duck! that sounds like an interesting pickle to be in, I have no idea where I would put >1000 fish haha. Hopefully you are able to sell/rehome them soon! Also welcome back to the hobby! sounds like you have plenty of experience, so in my case I'll probably be looking to learn from you!

 

[Odd Duck]

I had one of my daughter bring home 8 young African chilids from college as a rescue. It was fun a 1st, then they grew and became aggressive and I had to move all the other fish except a large pleaco they left alone. They then had their own territories and started to have fry. It was fun watching them but I ended up with at least 50 plus young adults which I gave away.

It was interesting and exciting to watch the courtship, and especially the parenting (they were phenomenal first time parents!).

Oh, how I wish I only had to deal with 50! I’ve sold that many to just one of my lfs’s! I’ve sold 475 in a couple batches (slipped a few extras in for him) to a local wholesaler (and I’m VERY lucky that I HAVE a local wholesaler willing to buy ANY), gave 20 to a random guy we met at the lfs, and sold around 150 at a couple different fish swap meets.

They really are beautiful Jacks, nice and dark, partly since I’ve raised them on dark substrate, good color for “normal” Jacks, but I just have soooooo many! I’d already be done if they had a normal size clutch! But NOOOOOOoooooooooo, they had to have at least 900 in the first clutch, then a more normal clutch of around 600 (I haven’t counted the second clutch yet, just estimating based on a gradual count of the first clutch as they went out and relative size of the clutches). ‍‍ For all I know I still have 800 of the ravenous little darlings in the second clutch!

If anybody has an in with a wholesaler, point them my way! I have about 200 in the 2”-4” range and once they’re gone, I can start sorting by size and separating for faster growth. Next couple hundred would be ready for sale in another 3-4 weeks. They‘re quite healthy. I’ve barely lost any! ‍

I’ve had a crash course in raising Jacks! Who knew they would breed back soooo fast after having a clutch? Let me tell you, they will! 2 months between clutches and that was with the temp turned down! Hence, the divider! No more Jacks for me!

 

[Odd Duck]

welcome @Odd Duck! that sounds like an interesting pickle to be in, I have no idea where I would put >1000 fish haha. Hopefully you are able to sell/rehome them soon! Also welcome back to the hobby! sounds like you have plenty of experience, so in my case I'll probably be looking to learn from you!

I‘m still trying desperately to figure out what to do with them all! I went from a single 55 gallon tank, bought a used 29 gallon to start the grow out process (did I mention they bred only 5 weeks after I got them?). Got a used 46 gallon bow front to add more fishy real estate. Then found a used 75 gallon which is now home to the parents. The last of the first clutch and the biggest of the second clutch are divided between the 29 and the 46. The original 55 gallon has the bulk of the second clutch. Everybody except the parents are crowded to the gills (hah, hah)!

Once I get the Jacks cleared out (if I EVER get there), I’ll swap the gnarly old scratched up 55 for a used 100 gallon I found.

It will become a planted schooling tank with schools of cardinal tetras, black neons (maybe), corys galore (probably pandas), kuhli loaches, maybe some other small loaches, neo shrimp, some snails (haven’t decided yet but mysteries or nerites are most likely), and maybe if I can find locally bred (and acclimated to our fairly high pH, not soft water), some rainbows, most likely something from the blue eye group. I’ve always loved threadfins!

Crazy dreams at this point since I’m stuck here with this voracious hoard of baby Jacks! Help meeeeeeee! Lol!