January 23, 2010
My Jack Dempsey Cichlids Laid Eggs. What Do I Do Now?
Q…MY JACK DEMPSEY CICHLIDS HAVE LAID EGGS. WHAT DO I DO NOW?
A… If one day you find that your Jack Dempsey cichlids have laid eggs, just leave them alone to care for them. Jack Dempsey fish are fantastic parents from egg laying right on through to about 6 weeks what they pretty much leave them to care for themselves.
If the aquarium is housing only the two parents, then you’re in good shape. If other fish are housed in this aquarium then you need to take other measures. (see below) With only the two parents housed in the aquarium, leave them to care for the eggs and the fry once they hat
ch (about 3 days). Water temperature should be between 75–80F (24-27C). The warmer the water the eggs will hatch a bit sooner. It’s important to keep a gentle current of water moving across the eggs. An air stone with a gentle flow of bubbles nearby the eggs is good. This will help keep debris from settling on them. You’ll notice that the female almost constantly fans the eggs to keep off any debris that might settle on the eggs. This debris can often infect the eggs, causing a white fungus growth on them. The female will usually remove those eggs before others nearby are infected as well. Some eggs will always turn bad, even if your water is very clean. When the male fertilizes the eggs he seldom gets every single one of them and that eggs will die. It is best if the surface that she lays her eggs on is at or near a 45 degree angle so as to help avoid anything from settling on those eggs. If she has laid them on a flat surface in the aquarium, try to carefully slant the rock at an angle near the nesting site.
TRANSFERING EGGS TO A NURSERY
If the Jack Dempseys have laid their eggs in an aquarium with other fish then you’ll need to remove the eggs to a nursery tank before they hatch. Even cat fish or Plecos will be a danger. They will certainly be eaten at the egg stage or the hatchlings. A 5 or 10 gallon tank is the best size for the original nursery so that the young fry will have an easier time finding food on the bottom. It’s best that you not place gravel on the bottom for ease of cleaning and the fry find food faster. If possible, place the female in the nursery with the eggs. This is NOT necessary but her care is beneficial to a high percentage of hatchlings. Remove water from the original aquarium and place in nursery tank before moving the eggs. Be sure the temperature and PH are very close to that of the original environment before placing eggs in this nursery. An airstone placed near the eggs is very important, even if the female is put in with them. Remember to keep the rock with the eggs near a 45 degree angle.
It’s important to keep the water very clean when eggs are developing. If you have a UV filter or Ozone generator, now is the time to use it. Water that is heavily infested with bacteria from fish waste and uneaten foods is a serious danger to those tiny eggs. Once the fry have hatched, it is less important to have such pristine water conditions. After 3 or 4 weeks, your baby Jack Dempsey Cichlids should be placed in a grow-out aquarium. Keep in mind that if your hatch is 3oo to 500 babies, just imagine how much space they will need in 3 months. Good luck and by all means, have fun and enjoy nature in the “World of Jack Dempseys”. —
… Jack Lamountain
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janelle douthwright
March 8, 2010 at 9:37 pm
My jack dempseys laid eggs in a tank with a variety of different cichlids (about 8 others). I didn’t notice the eggs, but have noticed the little “wigglers” in the corner, beneath a little “hut” the parents have created.
I’m worried my other fish will eat them, although the parents have become VERY vicious towards the other fish. Should I leave the wigglers in this tank, or move them to an other? I don’t know what to do because they are no longer eggs.
Bmaas
June 1, 2011 at 3:01 am
In the same boat as Janelle, and don’t know what to do, please help!!!
Jason
September 4, 2011 at 5:23 am
If they r not eggs u should quarentine the babies and parents for the other fish. A tank divider of n e kind that is dark or hard to c threw. the parents or female may cause itself damage attacking the divider if it can still c the other fish.
Avis
September 16, 2011 at 2:02 pm
I just noticed last night that my “babies” are now brooding. I did not realize that they were big enough to lay eggs…grandma already.
Both parents are very protective of the eggs, but how long will it take to hatch and do I need to move them now?
Please help, I do not want to lose the little ones.
Thanks.
jackarthur46
September 16, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Hi Avis….
Young Jack Dempseys can breed at 4-5 months old providing they are in good health and grown out normally. You didn’t mention their age or if there are other fish in the aquarium. I would imagine that the other siblings and parents will soon begin feeding on the fry. If the eggs are attached to something that you can move to another container, do so now. They usually hatch in about 72 hours. Good luck
Jack Lamountain / The World of Jack Dempsey Cichlids
courtenay
May 4, 2010 at 2:18 am
What Happens if my Jewel Cichlids have laid their eggs on the wall of my aquraium and there are other cichlids in there that will deffinately eat them as soon as the mum lets her guard down???
Philip
August 19, 2010 at 12:51 pm
like others i got up this morning and saw the eggs on rainbow rock. this is my first time having cichlids so i’m a little excited. 1 i can’t tell the male from the female. but 1 is very black now, and been having trouble with my ph. its around 7.0. now would the female have laid the eggs if the conditions were not right. and i have 3 more cichlids in the tank with them but they do not go anywhere near the eggs. the black one will not allow it and it had changed its color overnight. from colorfull to the black.
Philip
August 19, 2010 at 5:30 pm
How do I know if the JD eggs have been fertilized do they have a certain color to them or do I just wait and see if they hatch.
Russell
December 3, 2010 at 3:00 am
My jacks have laid eggs but the male does not show any interest in furtilising them is there anything i can do to incourage him?
Amanda
May 20, 2011 at 5:48 am
My jacks have been breeding pretty well now that they have the tank to them selves..but now..They have 3 stages of hatchings going on..i have around 6 week old fry 2 week old and now this week i came home to find i have brand new wrigglers…? what is going on? im not prepared for all the babies….what do i do..
jennie
July 19, 2011 at 11:05 pm
what do i do with the other jd that are not the parents the breeders are fighting them really bad to keep them away from the babies
robin
November 3, 2011 at 4:47 pm
We have a pair and they have had two set of babies and we have lost both of these. One day they are there and the next few days, boom, they are gone. The parents are the only ones in the tank as we separated the other fish immediately when we saw the eggs. They hatched and were about 3 to 4 weeks old and they just started disappearing. And now they are all gone. What could we have done or could do next time?
jamie
February 14, 2012 at 5:35 am
the parents ate them. research online about when to remove the parents after the eggs hatch
Tulga
November 8, 2011 at 5:31 am
Jack DEmpsey eated the hatchlings is that possible???
Ellie
December 22, 2011 at 2:38 pm
We had lot’s of fry. But each day there seems to be less and less. Is the male possibly eating them? Please let me know asap so I can save as many as possible.
jackarthur46
December 22, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Hi Ellie… Most egg layers lose a large percentage of fry soon after birth. It’s the natural course of things. Male JDs don’t usually eat their young unless they are in an aquarium that has other fish in it that will eventually eat most all of the fry. The male senses the inevitable and thus eats his own. Good luck
Matthew
February 9, 2012 at 1:33 am
Hey, I would like to breed Jd’s and i have one but im not sure if it is male or female… It is pretty aggressive toward other fish but doesnt actually bite or eat them, he/she just chases them around.. And he/she has red around fins if that helps
Kizzie
June 19, 2012 at 7:30 pm
I had only the one in my tank for a long time and just recently got another HD the one I had laid eggs so they say that the females are more aggressive so my guess would be yours is a female
terri
March 20, 2012 at 9:27 pm
hi my jack dempseys have laid for the second time now the first time i didnt notice till it was to late, this time i saw her layin her eggs and has recently had her second batch. Luckly i noticed and have moved the eggs and both mum and dad. they have chatched now and we have ???? how many health fry xx
Candi
March 21, 2012 at 1:43 am
I noticed my jd laid eggs. I don’t know if they are fertilized or what to do please help!
jackarthur46
March 21, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Hi Candi…
If your JD’s eggs turn white, they are NOT ferilized. The male probably fertilized most if not all of them. Just watch and enjoy.
ceegan
April 28, 2012 at 3:42 am
Ya 3 of my Jd eggs turned white I hope I have good luck on my side ow and what is the averige amount of babies survivng at the end
tina moore
July 16, 2012 at 3:55 am
i have a pair of jack dempsey cichlids theyve laid eggs twice less than two weeks apart on the 3rd day when they were sapposed to hatch they dissappeared what should i do next time they lay eggs?