Jack Dempsey Not eating...

First topic message reminder :

I bought a female Jack dempsey a little bit ago, for a companion to the male that I was getting. The male is significantly larger than the female. Male is 10, she's about 6 or 7.

I've had them for.. about 2 weeks now, and they won't eat. I have been feeding OSI cichlid sinking pellets, the smaller ones, then I switched to larger Hikari sinking pellets... They won't eat at all. They show no interested. They just chill in their terra cotta pot, and that's it.

The only thing they will eat is rosy red feeders.... They were being fed in pellets when I got them.

Any suggestions?

They are in a 55 by themselves right now, minus the pleco who minds his own business and eats algae wafers.

Well when I got her at the store, there was a male in another tank, that was being bought... the person said they were just brought in that morning, so I am thinking that they were a breeding pair...

I would rather him go with my koi since there's actually stuff for him to eat in there, and he won't be bothered... any Ideas? Water temps is at the 60s and shouldn't go down since winter is over.

mshill90 wrote:

Could possibly be the sides... She seems to lay on the back side a lot. I couldn't see anything, but I might just be missing it.

They will breed this soon to me having them?

And uhm... I've never had breeding fish before.. what do I do?

Should I get the pleco out of there, or will she fend him off? He doesn't seem to bother them.. just sucks on the substrate/tank at night. Doesn't go near them.

some fish like Jacks, convicts, red jewles, jags and plenty other SA will breed within just a few days if you give them a pot and water.

Holey Rock of Texas wrote:

the pl*co will rob the eggs at night when they fish let thier guard down.

mshill90 wrote:

Can a pleco deal with a PH of 8.0? It's the only larger tank I have...

I could put him in the koi tank, but the water is in the 60's...

I would not stress the pleco out. Nowhere else you can move him?

Also if you a flash light , shine it in the pot and take a look. After 3-4 days the female will move the eggs as they become wigglers. Probley at that time they will be in the back of the pot and at the bottom.

KMX wrote:

Also if you a flash light , shine it in the pot and take a look. After 3-4 days the female will move the eggs as they become wigglers. Probley at that time they will be in the back of the pot and at the bottom.

the Pot has the bottom cut out, and it's sitting in the middle of the tank.. She did make a flat spot beside the pot against the glass in the back, and has been sitting back there for the last 2-3 days...

I can't see back there, but I will check with a light.

Ok, I just went in there, and looked around with a flash light, and I seen some green looking small ball looking things. It's not food, and it's not fish poop, and it's where she was sitting it... any ideas?

They weren't gel looking, not see through clearish.. they were like straight up olive green solid in color.

I have never seen Jack Demp eggs. Not all eggs look the same. You might be pregno.

I google imaged searched Jack Dempsey eggs, and they look like what I have been seeing... So woo hoo!

Now.. what's the next step? Anyone? Other than removing the pleco..

The male is in the pot.. He freaks out most the time when she does.

He's in the pot, she is beside it.

knew it!!
if u wanna raise the fry i would take the eggs out!!
but ittl be hard with theparents in their!!! u freek them out they defend like crazy and/or eat the eggs!!!
u could let em grow out in the tank with the parents but they will probly end up eatin them!!! happend to me soo many times!!!!
its easier taking the parents out and putting them in another tank!

I think this time around I am just going to let them be, and let them do their thing. If they get eaten, they get eaten. I don't really have the means to house fry right this moment.

Also, would an egg tumbler be beneficial to have for Jacks?

I can't idenify those as wigglers or eggs. But My guess is you have something...or something coming. I had a pair of Jags that were the same way. When they had eggs or babies they would KILL anything near the tank LOL...or tried. When I removed the fry... No joke 20 mins later... calm and like nothing had happend.

lol

mine were the same way!

Well, it's getting dark here, and the pleco is out, so what I did is I dropped some algae wafers over to where he was hanging out, hopefully to deter him for some time. I also turned the tank lights on for the first time, and as soon as those lights came on boy did momma turn on her breeding stripes!

I will be ordering an acclimation dripper tomorrow, and we will be moving the pleco. Unless I can get my hubby to donate him to the LFS!

how big is he?

Almost 7 inches.

hes a good size! he should do pretty good in that pond!
do plenty of growin!!!
u got a heater for ur pond?

OH! I read that wrong. lol I thought you said how big is she...

The pleco I got at 4 inches and he's just now reaching over 8 inches.

No I don't have a heated pond, which is why I think just getting rid of him would be best.

yea! that would be
koi lik rather cold water dont they?
wouldnt want poor pleco to freeze!! lol
take him to a lfs! maybe ull end up gettin some credit!

yeah, Koi like cold water. He would be fine in a pond until the fall when the water starts to cool off again. And it will take TOO much electric to keep that pond heated.

Thing is, the LFS doesn't have any good fish that I like... except for a polyp Bichir and I don't have the space for him anymore.

maybe for some supply?? filters? food ?