Electric Blue Jack Dempsey-Nandopsis Octofasciatum:

The electric blue jack dempsey is an awesome fish that has a very vibrant blue color. Sometimes they are sky blue and at other times they are a beautiful mixture of gold/blue and deep turquoise blue.

Many people think these fish are a hybrid like the blood parrot cichlids but they are not. They are actually a naturally occurring mutation of the regular Jack Dempsey Cichlid. I will talk more about the breeding process later in this article. This is a fish that reminds me a great deal of Mendel and his pea experiments.

These amazing fish come from Northern Central America and Central America. They are found from Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and into Honduras.

These Cichlids who are native to Central America will thrive in at least a 55 gallon aquarium, though they do best in larger tanks like a 120 gallon aquarium. The Jack Dempsey Cichlid has a wide range of temperaments. They are named after the legendary boxing champion Jack Dempsey because they can be that aggressive. On the other hand, they can be very mild mannered and gentle. The electric blue variation are typically gentle. One of the greatest things about the Jack Dempsey Cichlid and the Electric Blue Jack Dempsey Cichlid is that they both are full of personality. They will learn to recognize the hand that feeds them and if you start them out when they are small they will eat out of your hand. Besides their beauty, their personality will win your heart. In smaller tanks (55 gallons-90 gallons) they are best kept alone. CIchlids by nature are territorial and crowding larger Cichlids is a recipe for fighting. In short their beautiful coloration and their personality make them a great pet.

There are two main types of Cichlids; the African Cichlid and the New World Cichlid. The two should not be mixed except by a master fish keeper... and then only with a high amount of caution. I know people mix them all the time and the fish live... but rarely do you see either or thrive to the point that their coloring becomes eye popping.

One of the amazing things about Cichlids is that they can rival saltwater fish for color. These fish come in every color imaginable and then you add in the peacock cichlids and their coloration looks like fine art.

Another amazing fact about Cichlids is that they have a language. It is a color language. The reason that African Cichlids and New World Cichlids should not be mixed is because their color language is exactly opposite. An African Cichlid may become very dark as a sign of submission. This means that another African Cichlid who may be sparring with the now darker Cichlid would know that the other fish has give up and the fighting stops. When you mix New World Cichlids and African Cichlids and their is trouble... the African Cichlid darkens to submit but to the New World Cichlid... that is a sign of aggression. This means that the fighting continues usually until the submitting fish is dead. The fight could go either way. New World Cichlids turn pale when they submit which to an African Cichlids is also a sign of aggression. THIS IS WHY the two species should not be mixed.

Another Amazing fact about African Cichlids is that they choose their hierarchy by observation and not by fighting. Observation is the very first step in logical thought and these fish are truly smart.

There are three basic types of Jack Dempsey Cichlid. The first type is a normal cichlid with dark and sometimes purple is tones. There is the normal Jack Dempsey that has the blue gene and they are also dark but with a blue coloration. The third type is the electric blue Jack Dempsey and they are vividly blue. Each of the three pictures in this hub represents one of the types of Jack Dempsey Cichlid available.

Jack Dempsey Cichlids are a New World Cichlid and not an African Cichlid. I have mentioned the African Cichlids here as a means of explaining why the two types of fish should not be mixed.

The Jack Dempsey needs a tank that is a minimum of 55 gallons, but preferably a tank that is over 120 gallons. These fish can get up to 12 inches long. Providing an optimal environment will allow the fish to grow and develop the best coloration possible. That should be the goal if keeping fish... they should be pleasing to look at.

Water Parameters:

Temperature should be between 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmer is better then cooler because warmer water promotes better movement and cooler water promotes hiding and staying in one place. Ph should be anywhere from 6.5-7.5

Substrate: Smaller to medium sized gravel works well for these fish. They like to dig and make their own home. Don't bother to really decorate their tank as they will move things around and pile gravel here and there. They like to decorate their tank themselves. If keeping one fish, a large swimming area and a single large structure with a large opening works well. It is good to be able to see the fish when they are sitting at home. If keeping more then 1 fish then several smaller caves that are separated as much as possible. If you are lucky the will co-habitate and maybe share the same cave.

Feed a varied diet that includes plant matter such as algae. Cichlids for the most part are omnivores and not pure carnivores. There are aquatic plants that you can feed them. Plants such as Anachoris is easy to come by and they will eat it up. Just plant it in the aquarium and it will disappear quickly.

I do not feed live fish to any of the fish I keep. Most feeder fish are not taken care of and often have disease or parasites that I do not want to spread to my fish.

I typically feed larger fish, large krill and bloodworms (tubi-flex) on an alternate schedule. Along with live plants and sometimes zucchini. A well balanced and rounded diet works best to keep fish healthy. Healthy fish do not get sick as often as fish that have a poor diet. Treating fish for illness can be expensive, especially in a large tank.

Cichlids in general are fascinating, and it is an awesome experience to witness the entire process of their having a family. Cichlids are known for their aggressive nature and part of that aggressiveness is brought on when they spawn.

In the wild or in an aquarium, potential mates spar. Female against male for the sole reason of determining if one or the other is capable or "worthy" of being a mate and breeding. In the wild this sparring may be to the death. Cichlids do not tolerate weakness, and the weak soon die. Once a mate is chosen the process of bonding and courtship begin. This is a period where the female beings to develop eggs and the male is tasked with preparing a home. Cichlid females often go in search for a mate and part of the attraction is how the male builds a home or cave. This is one reason why cichlids dig up the aquarium and spend all of their time redecorating.

Breeding the average cichlid is fairly easy. Breeding Electric Blue Jack Dempsey Cichlids is a little more difficult. Earlier I mentioned Mendel and his pea. Mendel is credited with discovering genetics. The reason that Electric Blue Jack Dempsey's are so hard to breed is because they are a mutation of the species. One would think you could mate two electric blues and find a gold mine of wealth from producing these beautiful fish. The reality is that you can not. They will mate and produce wigglers and then the wigglers will die. A wiggler is a fish, newly hatched from the egg and still attached to the yoke.

To breed Electric Blue Jack Dempsey you need to breed a regular Jack Dempsey with a Jack Dempsey that has the blue gene. Then only about 25% of your fry will be Electric Blue Jack Dempsey Cichlids. Even then the process is not over. The fry that are born as Electric Blues are very fragile and slow growing. They often become food for the other "normal" dempsey fry. It takes an experience fish keeper to successfully breed Electric Blue Jack Dempsey Cichlids because you have to be able to spot and separate the Electric Blues from the Normal fry. Then you have to become mother to these little guys and make sure they eat, clean their aquarium, and that they are healthy. The mutation in them may mean that some will not live very long despite your best effort. Those that do, become the beautiful and highly sought after Electric Blue Jack Dempsey.

Cichlids, for all of their aggressiveness, are excellent parents. They meticulously care for the eggs and once the eggs have hatched they guard and raise their young. Fry, hatch as wigglers and the mother will scoop them up her mouth and transport them to a very tight and difficult cave the father has dug. There she will guard them. Cichlids are known to kill fish that are five times their size while defending their fry. This is a job that both the mother and father share. Their parental nature will last until the fry are large enough to survive on their own. This may mean they are as large as an inch long. They are amazingly smart fish, born with an intelligence that will make you wonder just how smart they are.

Depending on the size of your fish tank, you may decide that you want more fish in there than just the jack Dempsey. A few fish to consider would be the Blood Parrot Cichlid, Urau Cichlids, Severum Cichlids, and Chocolate Cichlids. If your Jack is aggressive then try to mix in other fish of the same size and nature. Texas Cichlids, Oscar, Green Terror Cichlid, Red Terror Cichlid, Silvani Cichlids all work well in a medium aggressiveness tank.

When the tank is establish a bottom feeder like a plecostomus should also work well.

They key is to raise the cichlids together when they are small and allow them to grow up together. They grow quickly in size and do better when they grow as tank mates. It is very difficult to place adult cichlids in a new environment and not have aggression.

If attempting to breed cichlids leave the male and female in a tank by themselves because as soon as they pair off they will become little (sometimes big) monsters and kill off other tank mates. They do this to help ensure their fry will survive... even if they do not have fry.