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Jack Dempsey Breeding Pair

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JACK DEMPSEY CICHLID DISEASES

and recomended preventative treatments

                  Prevention / Treatment

The primary reason aquarium fish get sick in the home aquarium is STRESS. Stress causes the immune system to weaken, leading to increased susceptibility to diseases and existing pathogens to flourish. A healthy immune system will go a long way in preventing disease and pathogen infestation. If you have problems, check for these stressful situations in your aquarium.

     Things that cause fish stress in the home aquarium:

• Poor water quality: measurable ammonia or nitrites, or very high nitrates.
• The water temperature is fluctuating more than 2 deg F/day
• Incompatible species in the tank.
• Overcrowding your fish tank (5 adult angelfish in 10g tank).
• The tank is too small for the fish (foot long fish in 10g tank).
• The water is too warm or too cold for the species (goldfish vs. tropicals).
• Wrong pH for species (Discus vs. African cichlids)
• pH fluctuations greater than 0.2 units/day.
• Insufficient cover or hiding places present.
• Wrong water hardness for the species (Discus vs. African cichlids).
• Insufficient oxygen in the water.
• Improper fish nutrition (wrong food, foods not varied).

Indications that your fish are stressed and in poor health:

• Clamped fins (fins are held abnormally close to body)
• The fish refuses its usual food for more than 2 days.
• There are visible spots, lesions, or white patches on the fish.
• The fish gasps at the surface of the water.
• The fish floats, sinks, whirls, or swims sideways.
• The fish shimmies (moves from side to side without going forward).
• A normally active fish is still.
• A normally still fish is very active.
• The fish suddenly bloats up, and it’s not due to eggs or young.
• The fish is scratching against tank decorations.

If your fish display any of these symptoms, you have a problem and should treat them immediately.

Aquarium medications to keep on hand:

I suggest setting up a fish medicine cabinet. It seems like fish always get sick when the store is closed.The following list of items should be kept on hand by all home aquariusts:

• Water quality test kits: pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate
• Aquarium salt (NOT table salt. Most table salts contain additives to keep them from clumping. Kosher or rock salt is OK).
• Malachite green/formalin ich remedy
• Methylene blue
• Chlorine bleach for disinfection
• Maybe one antibiotic (Kaynamycin or Furanace)
• Antibiotic-containing food
• Copper remedy for parasites
• Q-tips
• Malachite green or Mercurochrome

Common diseases/problems or What’s wrong with my fish?

Bad water quality
Fish are gasping at the surface, or very inactive, but there are not visible lesions when it first starts. Their fins may be clamped. Many fish of different species are affected, and possibly the whole tank. If the water has been bad for a while, the fish may have fin rot, or streaks of blood in their fins.

• If fish are gasping at the surface, or have purple gills: high ammonia or low dissolved O2 may be the problem; test ammonia, dissolved O2
• If the main symptom is inactivity: test nitrites, pH, dissolved 02, nitrates

Depending on your test results, try the following:

Ammonia
Change enough of the water to reduce ammonia levels to 1-2 ppm for freshwater or below 1 ppm for saltwater. If that means changing more than a third of the water, be sure the water you add is the same temperature, salinity, hardness and pH of the tank water. It is also okay to do multiple smaller water changes for a few days. Aerate, and make sure pH is at or below 7.0 for freshwater tanks. In addition to or instead of changing water, you can also add a dose of AmQuel to give fish immediate relief. Find out why ammonia is present and correct the problem.

Nitrites
Change enough of the water to bring nitrites down to below 2 ppm (as with ammonia, if this is a lot of water, match water parameters or do multiple water changes), add 1 tbsp/gallon salt (not all fish may tolerate this much — start out with 1 tsp), and add supplemental aeration. Find out why the nitrite levels are high and correct the problem.

Nitrates
Change water and clean the filter. If your filter is dirty, there is more waste material present to break down into nitrate. Start feeding less and changing water more often.

Low oxygen
Run an airstone. If this helps a lot, the fish probably don’t have enough oxygen in the water. Your tank may need cleaning, fewer fish, or additional water movement at the surface from a powerhead, airstone, or filter.

Improper pH
If pH is too low: make sure carbonate buffering is adequate — at least 5 dKH. In general, adding baking soda at 1 tsp. per 30 gal. raises dKH about 2 degrees. For a 10-20g tank that just needs the pH a little higher, try about a quarter teaspoonful. If that isn’t enough, add up to a teaspoonful more. You can scale this up to 1 tsp/30 gal for larger tanks. If the pH is still too low and the KH is at least 5-6 dKH, clean the tank. For long-term buffering in saltwater and alkaline freshwater systems, add crushed coral. If pH is too high, pH down (phosphoric acid) can be added. Don’t rely on this stuff, except in extreme situations like ammonia poisoning because it can cause excessive algal growth. To lower pH long-term, filter over peat, or use distilled or deionized water mixed with your tapwater.

Freshwater Ich
Symptoms: Fish look like they have little white salt grains on them and may scratch against objects in the tank.

White spot disease (Ichthyopthirius multifiliis) is caused by a protozoan with a life cycle that includes a free-living stage. Ich grows on a fish –> it falls off and attaches to gravel or tank glass –> it reproduces to MANY parasites –> these swarmers then attach to other fish. If the swarmers do not find a fish host, they die in about 3 days (depending on the water temperature).

Therefore, to treat it, medicine must be added to the display tank to kill free-living parasites. If fish are removed to quarantine, parasites living in the tank will escape the treatment — unless ALL fish are removed for about a week in freshwater or three weeks in saltwater systems. In a reef tank, where invertebrates are sensitive to ich medications, removing the fish is the only option. Some people think that ich is probably dormant in most tanks. It is most often triggered by temperature fluctuations.

Remedy:For most fish, use a medication with formalin and malachite green. These are the active ingredients in many ich medications at fish shops. Some products are Kordon’s Rid Ich and Aquarium Products’ Quick Cure. Just read the label and you may find others. Check for temperature fluctuations in the tank and fix them to avoid recurrences. Note that tetras can be a little sensitive to malachite green, so use it at half the dose.

Use these products as directed (usually a daily dose) until all of the fish are spot-free. Then dose every three days for a total of four more doses. This will kill any free-swimming parasites as they hatch out of cysts.

Another remedy is to raise the tank temperature to about 90 deg F and add 1 tsp/gallon salt to the water. Not all fish tolerate this.

Finally, one can treat ich with a “transfer method.” Fish are moved daily into a different tank with clean, conditioned, warmed water. Parasites that came off of the fish are left behind in the tank. After moving the fish daily for a week, the fish (presumably cured) can be put back into the main tank. The disadvantage of this method is that it stresses both fish and fishkeeper.

Fin rot
Symptoms: Fishes’ fins turn whitish and die back. Fin rot often follows damage or injury. It can also be caused by poor water quality.

Remedy:First, fix the water and remove any fin-nipping fish. Change some water (25% is good) and add 1 tsp/gallon salt to promote healing. If bad water quality or an aggressive tank mate was the problem, that should be adequate. Healing will begin within a couple of days.

If it worsens, decide first whether it’s fungal or bacterial. Fungal fin rot looks like clumps of cotton on the fins and usually follows injury. It is commonly seen in African cichlids or fish that have injured themselves against decorations. Bacterial fin rot is whitish, but not cottony (unless it’s columnaris), and can be contagious. The fish then need to be removed from the tank and medicated.

Fungus: For fish large enough to handle, catch the fish, and dab malachite green directly on the fungus with a Q-tip. This is extremely effective. Repeat treatments may be necessary.

For small fish, a commercial fungicide such as Maroxy may work. For severe infestations, try a bath in methylene blue (enough so you can barely see the fish) until the fungus turns blue or for 20 min. If you add methylene blue directly to a tank, you will kill plants and trash your biological filter.

Bacterial: Antibiotic treatment in a quarantine tank. This is stressful for the fish, and doesn’t always work, so be sure of what you are doing before you attempt it. If the fish is still eating, the best bet is an antibiotic food. Tetra makes one that works well — just buy the one for bacterial diseases and follow the directions on the can.

If the fish is not eating, a bath treatment is necessary. A combination of Kaynamycin and Furanace usually works, especially for Columnaris. Again, treat in a separate tank and aerate heavily.

Injuries
Cichlids and other “scrappy” fish may sustain injuries that are severe enough to draw blood from fighting. Other fish may run into tank decorations, walls, or rocks.

Larger fish can be netted and their injuries dabbed with Mercurochrome (available at drug stores) or Betadine (iodine-based antibiotic also available at drug stores) to help prevent infection. Be sure to keep these chemicals off of the gills and eyes. For really small fish, put the affected fish in dilute methylene blue (pale blue) and 1 tsp/gallon salt in a separate tank. If you want to keep the fish in the main tank just add salt, as methylene blue will trash your biological filter.

Watch the fish to be sure injuries are healing cleanly, and repeat the Mercurochrome dosage if necessary. If fin rot or fungus sets in, see the above section on fin rot.

Dropsy
Fish swells up like a balloon and may show popeyes. It may recover with no treatment and may die despite it. The swelling is because the fish is absorbing water faster than it can eliminate it, and it can be caused by many different problems. High nitrates are one thing to check. Internal bacterial infections, including fish TB, are other possibilities. If there are no water quality problems, you may want to attempt antibiotic treatment in a separate tank.

Head and Lateral Line Erosion (hole-in-head disease)
This disease can affect discus, other cichlids, and many saltwater fish. The fish develops holes in it’s head and sometimes along its lateral line. Causes are unclear but as in any disease, stress and poor water quality likely play a role. Fish in planted tanks rarely get HLLE, which supports the nutrition idea, since fish can nibble on the plants and obtain extra nutrition. With large cichlids such as Jack Dempseys that rip up plants, feed Spirulina, lettuce or Kale often. Untergasser also observes that the protozoan Hexamita can be found in the lesions. Untreated cases can eventually prove disfiguring or fatal.

Remedy: First, make sure water quality is optimal and reduce stress. Stopping carbon filtration may help as it can remove nutrients from the water. Then feed a vitamin-enriched food, paying particular attention to vitamin C supplementation.

For stubborn cases, some books suggest metronidazole (Flagyl) to eliminate Hexamita (a mildly pathogenic protozoan) from the lesions. Your mileage may vary with that one. Metrozole and Hex-a-mit are commercial medications with metronidazole.

Swim bladder disorders
Fish floats upside-down or sideways. This is particularly common in fancy goldfish because of their bizarre body shapes. Dry food eaten quickly swells up in the fish’s intestine and keeps the fish from controlling its swim bladder properly.

To help, feed the fish pre-soaked or gel-based foods. Green foods are also helpful; peas in particular.

As with fin rot, these disorders can also be caused by bacterial infection. Treatment is much the same. Use antibiotic food if the fish is eating, or add antibiotic to the water in a quarantine tank if the fish is too sick to eat.

Large external parasites (as opposed to ich)
Add a copper remedy to the tank and monitor it with a copper test kit. Also, Mardel’s Maroxy works well. For anchor worms or leeches on pond fish, remove them from the affected fish with tweezers and swab the area with Mercurochrome to prevent infection.

Velvet
Fish look like they have been finely dusted with flecks of gold. Fins may be clamped and the fish may shimmy.

Treat with an anti-parasitic medication such as copper or formalin/malachite green.

Keeping your tank free of disease

Quarantining new fish is a good habit for all aquaria, but is not absolutely necessary for success. Quarantining is simply keeping a fish in a separate tank for long enough to be certain that it is disease free. Many beginners do fine without a quarantine tank, and object to the cost of another setup. A quarantine tank does cost more, but if a hobbyist has hundreds of dollars invested in fish, it is cheaper to have a separate quarantine tank than to replace fish killed by a newly introduced disease. Also, many of us become attached to fish and do not want to expose our pets to diseases from newcomers, no matter what the cost.

The purpose of quarantining is to avoid introducing new diseases to a stable system, and to be able to better observe new fish for signs of disease. A quarantine tank can also double as a hospital tank for sick fish. Hospital tanks are good because they lower the cost of using medicines and keep diseased fish separate from healthy ones. Quarantine is probably most important for saltwater tanks/reef systems because of the difficulty of treating diseases, or wild-caught freshwater fish because they are probably not disease-free. Quarantining itself can stress fish so be sure quarantine is as stress-free as possible.

How to set up a quarantine or hospital tank:

• Keep an extra filter — a sponge filter is ideal — or piece of filter floss in an established tank, so that you don’t have to keep the quarantine tank set up at all times. Some people choose instead to keep the filter going with guppies or danios (for freshwater) or mollies (for saltwater).
• If you don’t keep the tank running, use old tank water to fill the tank. So: old tank water + established filter = instant established tank.
• Add a spare airpump and heater. If you haven’t messed with the heater during storage, it should come to wherever you had it last time.
• Consider using Amquel or equivalent when medicating the tank in case the biological filter bacteria are sensitive to the medication. Sick fish are especially susceptible to ammonia. (Note that ammonia which has been bound with Amquel still shows up on a nessler ammonia test. So, if you are planning on testing for ammonia in that tank, you need to use a salicylate ammonia test.)
• For a hospital tank, do small, frequent water changes (even every day).

If possible, quarantine all of your new fish for about three weeks. During that time, gradually acclimate the fish to your tank’s parameters: hardness, pH, salinity, temperature, etc., and watch for and treat any signs of disease. Do not medicate quarantined fish “just in case.” Only treat evident, definitely identified diseases. Treating all quarantined fish with a bunch of medicines will just lead to weakened fish and antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Once you are done with the quarantine, if you treated any especially nasty diseases, it is good to disinfect the tank and reestablish the filter. Chlorine bleach or strong saltwater (for freshwater) work well. Be sure all traces of bleach are rinsed off. Another good disinfectant is potassium permanganate (Jungle’s Clear Water is one commercial way to get it).

If you choose not to quarantine, do not add store water to your tank with the new fish.

Q: How about quarantining plants?

A: Plants can carry diseases into a tank, too. It is a good idea to disinfect new plants if there were fish in the tank with them at the store.

Q: How do I avoid introducing diseases in the first place?

         A: Never buy sick fish from a store. Especially do not buy fish or plants from a tank if *any* fish in the tank shows any signs of disease or if there is medicine in the water (water is colored yellow, green, or blue). Store people may say the fish are fine, but if they were, why is the medicine in the tank? Also ask how long the fish have been in the store. New arrivals may be carrying diseases that have not shown up yet. It is better to wait a couple of weeks before purchasing the fish. If you must have a fish that just came in, be especially sure to quarantine it properly. 

       If your Jack Dempsey cichlid suddenly changes its coloration, the alteration can have been caused by a number of factors. Sudden changes can be caused by mood swings, and stress can also make the Jack Dempsey cichlid dampen its colors. A varied and nutritious diet is also necessary if you want your Jack Dempsey cichlid to display really great colors. Age and health will also affect the coloration of a Jack Dempsey cichlid. If your Jack Dempsey cichlid becomes ill or experience a lot of stress in the aquarium, it can turn much paler than normal and look dull. The dots and bands will be less visible. 

     A healthy, adult Jack Dempsey cichlid will typically feature a strong purple coloration with shimmering spots of blue, green and golden. You can clearly see a dark dot on each side of the body and tail, and the dorsal side features dark bands. If you closely at one scale, you will notice green or yellowish spots against the darker background. In older specimens, these spots will gradually become less visible. Really young specimens on the other hand will not have the purple coloration of the adult Jack Dempsey cichlids. Young Jack Dempsey cichlids are camouflaged by a pale grey or tan coloration, and have bleak turquoise dots. The mature male Jack Dempsey cichlid differs from the female, since the ends of his anal and dorsal fins are elongated and pointy.  

    It can’t be stressed enough that a  varied and nutritious diet  is very important not only for the coloration but for the health and longevity of your pet.  A crowded aquarium or one with constant aggression by other fish will cause stress to ALL the fish and effect many in the display of their natural colors.  Take care that you eliminate as much stress as possible, it’s a killer not only of color, but of your fish.  

            … Jack Lamountain

THIS BREEDING PAIR OF JACK DEMPSEY CIHLIDS ARE ABOUT ONE YEAR OLD.

Getting Jack Dempseys to the egg laying stage is sometimes difficult. Once they have their first brood, it’s a lot easier to get them to lay eggs again. 

Video by: Jack Lamountain — “The World of Jack Dempsey Cichlids”

How To Breed Electric Blue JDs

I wish to thank Dr. Martin Brammah mbrammah@gmail.com  for allowing me to post this article he wrote. For more detailed information on the care and breeding of Electric Blue Jack Dempseys, go to his website at: http://bluejax.co.uk/default.aspx

Obtaining a Pair: 

Adults JDs select their mates via a process of chasing one another around the tank and lip-locking, both of which are tests of the strength and health of the potential mate.  In the aquarium it’s best to have pairs of equal size (within a couple of inches) because males tend to be larger and more aggressive and can therefore do serious damage to a female that is much smaller.

Typically with cichlids, breeders obtain pairs by starting with six to eight young fish and rearing them together.  Once these fish reach maturity, some fish will pair up and the remaining fish (if they are still alive!) can be rehomed.  

 This method is fairly guaranteed to provide you with a pair, however there are two problems specific to EBJDs…

 Problem 1: 

Although it has been achieved, the general consensus is that EBJD x EBJD spawns result in non-viable fry, or at best very fragile fry that require extra special care.

Problem 2: 

The procedure currently held as the best way to produce spawns of EBJDs requires pairing an EBJD with a normal JD, a process that is potentially fraught with difficulties.  These difficulties can however be overcome.

I list the most common format for breeding EBJDs below:

1)  One or more EBJDs are purchased with the aim of getting a male of breeding age.

2)  Once the breeder EBJD male has been identified, multiple normal female JDs are purchased and put into the same tank as this male.  These females MUST be smaller than the EBJD male, otherwise they are likely to cause him serious damage as a result of their higher aggression levels.

3)  With luck, the male EBJD pairs with one of the females and the rest can be rehomed.

4)  This pair is allowed to breed and some fry are reared with the hope of getting a female.

Now for some science: 

If we call the electric blue gene ‘b’ and the normal gene (which is dominant) ‘B’ then the male has the genotype ‘bb’ and the female has the genotype ‘BB’. 

If we put this into a Punnet square (below: male on the top row, female in the left left column) then the proportion of each offspring genotype can be seen to be 100% Bb.

All the fry will be heterzygous for colouration (i.e. carrying one normal ‘B’ gene and one electric blue ‘b’ gene), meaning that they will look like normal JDs, but be carriers for the ‘b’ gene.

5)  To get EBJD fry, a female from this first spawn must be reared to breeding age and then mated to an EBJD male (preferably not her father to avoid inbreeding problems).

This will produce the following offspring proportions:

So 50% of the fry will be Bb and look like normal JDs but carry the ‘b’ gene for electric blue; and 50% will be bb i.e. EBJDs!

6)  At this point the commercial breeders cull the Bb fry and raise the EBJD fry to sell at hugely marked up prices.  Whether or not you cull the heterozygous fry, it is important to separate them from the EBJD fry because the heterozygous fry are much more aggressive than their bb siblings and rapidly outcompete them for food, resulting in the EBJDs dying from a combination of stress and starvation.

Other combinations: 

If it is possible to get EBJD fry from a male EBJD and a female normal JD, then it should also be possible to get EBJD fry from a female EBJD mated to a male normal JD.  The biggest problem here is making sure that the male normal JD doesn’t kill the female EBJD as males are much more aggressive than females in both normal JDs and EBJDs; and normal JDs are much more aggressive than EBJDs.  I suppose the most important thing would be to ensure that any males placed in the tank with the female EBJD were quite a lot smaller, to minimise the effects of aggression.  Even so I would keep a very close eye on proceedings!

The Breeding Tank:
The larger the better.  If the male gets too rough, the female needs room to get away. Decorate the tank with at least one cave and plastic (or well protected) plants for cover.  Provide a flat rock and perhaps a large plant pot as egg-laying sites.  Dempseys will redecorate a tank to their liking once breeding is on the cards. 

The addition of floating plants can help to remove unwanted chemicals from the water and will also encourage the growth of infusoria (microscopic organisms which make a great first food for fry).  Once free swimming the fry can be left with the parents for a while and fed on newly hatched brine shrimp (although they may take the frozen version) or finely crushed flake.  Once the parents lose interest in their brood, the fry should be moved to rearing quarters for growing out.  Don’t raise more fry than you can reasonably rehome!   

— — —    written by: Dr. Martin Brammah    — — — 

Common name: Blue Dempsey, Electric Blue Dempsey
Scientific name: Archocentrus octofaciatus, var. blue
Origin: Veracruz, Mexico to Honduras (aquarium accidental discovery by Hector Luzardo)
Adult Length: 8 to 10 inches
Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallon
Sexing: Difficult without vent examination
Breeding: Go to: Breeding Electric Blue Jack Dempseys

Diet Requirements: Not a picky eater…typical carnivore faire will do just fine. Cichlid pellets, earth worms, etc.. Go to:  Feeding Jack Dempseys - Quality, Not Quantity

General Information:  Easily labeled as one of the most beautiful freshwater fish in the hobby, not much scientific data is available for the Blue Dempsey also commonly called the Electric Blue Dempsey. As a result, internet “hearsay” including falsehoods have spread and become prevalent beliefs. One of these falsehoods is the belief that this fish is a hybrid which is not true. Electric Blue Dempseys are a natural occurring variant of the Jack Dempsey, a popular aquarium fish from Central America. The fact is that the variant was not recognized and developed until recent years after being accidently discovered in an aquarium by Hector Luzardo. It is thought that the species was missed previously due to early breeders of Jack Dempseys considered the smaller “blueish” fry to be runts and were generally culled from their spawns. What is known now is that the blue variant fish grows somewhat smaller than the regular Dempsey and while still a territorial cichlid, they are less agressive than the other.

Typical habitat for Jack Dempsey fish cichlids in Central America

NUTRITION, HABITAT AND HEALTH
OF CENTRAL AMERICAN CICHLIDS

Jack Dempsey Cichlid Fish

Lance Jepson
July 2005 

  Central American cichlids mean different things to different people—a pet, a breeding project, a one-fish force of destruction, or a taxonomist’s nightmare. However, with their personalities, colors, and wide range of behaviors, they are certainly hard to ignore, and they continue to maintain a great popularity within the hobby. And, of course, there is the surge of interest in cichlasomine hybrids such as the flowerhorn. For this group of fish in particular, health often equates with happiness; that is to say that if one looks after the cichlid’s environmental, behavioral, and nutritional needs, then disease and disorder are not that common. After all, these are rough-and-tumble hard nuts that have evolved to live in harsh environments.

A Diverse Group
Central America has been the site of a great deal of colonizing and evolutionary radiation of cichlids, producing piscivores such as the wolf cichlid Parachromis dovii, fry predators like Amphilophus sagittae, molluscivores like A. xiloaensis, and substrate-sifters like the firemouth Thorichthys meeki. Some are even largely vegetarian, while Vieja synspila, the firehead cichlid, is also partially frugivorous. Hence, the first step in achieving health and happiness is to select your fish appropriately by doing some research, part of which involves a look at how a particular cichlid fits into its original wild niche. Unfortunately there is a lack of information on the wild behavior of many of these fish in aquarist literature, but more is appearing all the time.Central America from Rio la Antigua in Veracruz south to Rio Ulua, Honduras (Artigas Azas 2004). It is an inhabitant of slow-flowing rivers and lagoons that are characterized by mud bottoms and limited aquatic vegetation. Water conditions are generally moderately hard with a pH of 7.5 or over, but seasonal variations do occur here, especially during the spring when water levels are low. At this time many of these water bodies are stagnant, becoming murky, very warm (34C/93F or more), and low in dissolved oxygen, and it is during this dry season that the fish spawn.

One Example
Let’s look at an old favorite, the Jack Dempsey Archocentrus octofasciatus. Its natural range is the Atlantic slope of Central America, from Rio la Antigua in Veracruz south to Rio Ulua, Honduras (Artigas Azas 2004). It is an inhabitant of slow-flowing rivers and lagoons that are characterized by mud bottoms and limited aquatic vegetation. Water conditions are generally moderately hard with a pH of 7.5 or over, but seasonal variations do occur here, especially during the spring when water levels are low. At this time many of these water bodies are stagnant, becoming murky, very warm (34C/93F or more), and low in dissolved oxygen, and it is during this dry season that the fish spawn.

Reproductively active males establish suitable territories that they defend against rivals, non-reproductively active Dempseys, and other fish, but into which they will actively entice females by display and probably pheromone dispersal. Once eggs are laid, the female guards and tends to the eggs while the male continues to defend the larger territory. Role reversal occurs after hatching, with the male tending to the larvae while the female makes forays away from the nest, possibly to refuel after her intense maternal duties. Once the fry become free-swimming, the parents take on more equal roles in guarding the young, digging pits in which to deposit the fry and stirring up food particles for them.

A. octofasciatus is an omnivore that sifts around the muddy bottom of its native waters in search of anything edible, such as crustaceans, insect larvae, worms, and algae. In the confines of an aquarium it will take smaller fish, but it is by no means a specialist piscivore, and fish should not be considered a major part of its diet. Now, let’s take a Jack Dempsey and transfer it into an aquarium. The main differences between this and a Honduran tributary are in water quality, diet, space, and cohabitants. 

Water Quality
In an aquarium, water quality is, or should be, close to optimal, with extreme clarity. There should be minimal nitrogenous compounds such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, high dissolved oxygen levels, and suitable pH and hardness. Temperature is properly maintained. All of these factors encourage good health, and the water clarity means that conspecifics are easily spotted.

Diet
The food factor can be broken down into two parts, variability and constitution. Wild diets are variable both locally and seasonally. A great deal of energy is expended just finding food. Dempseys, like most cichlids, are greedy fish reflecting an aggressive gotta-have-it attitude towards food as a survival mechanism.
During the dry spring months of February to May, the warm water temperatures are likely to encourage the reproduction of many prey invertebrates, and the low water levels concentrate them. At other times of the year, food will be less plentiful and more dispersed. But now the living is easy, and the fish can rapidly gain condition, diverting excess energy into egg and sperm production. In an aquarium, however, food is offered once, twice, or maybe more times a day, every day, day in, day out.

This species is omnivorous, with a high invertebrate intake, particularly crustaceans and insect larvae. Typical dietary values for shelled crustacea (such as shrimp) are a protein content of 10 to 20%, fat 1.0 to 4.0%, and fiber of 20 to 40% (most of which is chitin). We have to remember that crustaceans form only a part, albeit a major one, of the diet of A. octofasciatus, but it does start to give us ballpark figures for their dietary requirements. By contrast, typical commercial cichlid foods often have protein contents of 36 to 48%, fat levels of 4 to 10%, and fiber levels of around 2 to 4%.

Space
Aquaria are tiny in comparison to the native habitats of cichlids. An A. octofasciatus that decides to establish a territory will define a three-dimensional volume, basing its perimeter largely upon a number of geographic features such as rockwork, submerged branches, or even the presence of other territorial con-specifics.
To avoid competition, similar species will also segregate themselves according to habitat. For example, among the cichlids in the Midas cichlid complex present in Lake Xiloá, Amphilophus xiloaensis tends to spawn and raise its young in rocky areas, A. sagittae prefers rocky/weedy environments (often over sand), while A. amarillo is found more often in aquatic vegetation.
Obvious topographic features in an aquarium include rocks, driftwood, and even the glass sides themselves—detectable by the fishes’ lateral lines even if not visually apparent. Because most adult male cichlids in captivity are in a constant state of reproductive activity, they readily establish and attempt to maintain a territory.
For those larger cichlids that would normally dominate several square meters in the wild, the whole aquarium becomes their potential territory. Here they will await a passing female (they have no idea she might be the only one in your collection!) and attempt to drive out all other fish—particularly other cichlids (rivals for mates, real estate, and possible food resources) and catfish, which are natural predators of cichlid young.  

Cohabitants
When not breeding, Jack Dempseys, like other Central American cichlids, are only moderately territorial, so keeping one in an aquarium with a number of individuals of different species will often work, but if we attempt to establish a breeding pair of A. octofasciatus from two adults, they must both be sexually active. Remember, the male will establish a territory first and attempt to attract a female to him. If she is not receptive, she becomes just another competitor for food and space and will be attacked and driven from the territory. If the territory is the entire tank and she cannot escape, he will kill her.White Spot Ichthyophthirius multifiliis
This very common and distinctive disease is caused by a protozoan parasite that afflicts freshwater fish worldwide. It has a complicated life cycle, with stages both on the fish and in the environment. Water temperature modulates the life cycle of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis—at 24 to 26C (75 to 78F) the life cycle is completed in around four days.
Cichlids are usually able to mount a good immune response so that healthy fish will eventually shake off the infestation. However, cichlids that are stressed by poor water quality, constant aggression, or other factors may not be so fortunate.
The associated immune suppression can allow large numbers of Ichthyophthirius cysts (which are the white spots) to establish, covering the fish look with white pin-head sized dots on its skin and fins. These cysts can cause severe damage to the gills and skin, and also allow secondary infections to invade. Infections can build up rapidly, and mortalities can occur, especially if the gills are heavily parasitized. For treatment, use a proprietary white spot remedy.Rift Lake cichlids but one that is also transmissible to Central American cichlids. It has been transferred to Thorichthys meeki and Hypsophrys nicaraguensis.
The main damage caused by this parasite is that it triggers inflammatory reactions (granulomas) in the lining of the stomach, but in many cases it can spread to involve the liver, kidneys, brain, and other organs. If the liver and kidneys become involved, a buildup of fluid in the body cavity can occur, causing the bloating. However, in many cases there is no bloat; often the fish just waste away.
Triggers for disease outbreaks include poor water quality, stress, and handling. In herbivorous cichlids diet almost certainly plays a role—failure to provide sufficient vegetable material in the diet may produce an altered gut environment that allows Cryptobia to cause problems.
Infected fish separate themselves off, eventually becoming so anemic that they hang at the water surface. They show a high respiratory rate, and death usually occurs within 24 hours of this stage. In some collections, virtually all the cichlids will carry a low level of infection, with the disease showing itself as a low grade loss of fish over a period of time.
There is no effective treatment, although antibiotics such as metronidazole appear to be useful in controlling outbreaks.Biological Sciences University of Alberta.
Faisal M, Chiappeli F, Ahmed II, Cooper EL and Weiner H. 1992. [The role of endogenous opioids in modulation of immunosuppression in fish] [Article in German] Schriftenr Ver Wasser Boden Lufthyg 89: 785-99.
Liebel, Wayne S. 2004. “The Midas Cichlid Species Complex of Nicaragua” Tropical Fish Hobbyist, July 2004. T.F.H. Publications.

Extending the Example
Okay, now lets start to pull some threads together, broadening the discussion to include all Central American cichlids. The captive diet of cichlids represents the equivalent of an optimal diet both in terms of its constitution and its availability. The quality of the food is as good as, if not better than, the fish would ever encounter in the wild, and it is available all year.
The excellent water quality encourages optimal growth rates. A. octofasciatus rarely reaches 20 cm (8 inches) TL in the wild but can achieve 25 cm (10 inches) in captivity (Artigas Azas 2004). Not only do aquarium fish get bigger sooner than their wild counterparts, but just like wild fish in those warm spring months of optimal foraging, they have energy to spare that allows the gonads to ripen and trigger breeding behavior.
Therefore, most adult cichlids (especially the males) are in a constant state of sexual readiness in captivity, and most males will therefore attempt to establish territories. Other fish in the aquarium become targets and are mercilessly attacked in an attempt to drive them away. The victims are harassed such that they are unable to feed or move out from hiding, or worse still, they sustain injuries and develop potentially life-threatening secondary infections.

Empirical Evidence
Work done with tilapia (Faisal et al 1992) found that social confrontation between aggressive individuals leads to immune suppression, an effect mediated in part by naturally produced opioids that are released as part of the stress response, increasing the chance of disease and infection occurring. However not only are the other fish stressed, but so is the aggressor who, try as he might, just cannot clear his proposed territory of intruders and must expend lots of time and energy attempting to keep everyone else at bay.
It is probably this stress response that allows communities of single Central American cichlids to be maintained. Provided the aquarium is large enough, living in a community of large aggressive cichlids triggers a stress response that will dampen down the production of sex hormones.
Add a female, and the dynamics are likely to change; in fact, adding a sexually receptive female is likely to trigger full-blown reproductive territoriality. In the African mouthbrooder Astatotilapia burtoni, male testosterone levels were found to significantly increase within 60 minutes of exposure to female sexual steroids (Cole 2003).

Common Diseases of Central American Cichlids
The causative agents of the most commonly encountered maladies in these fishes are external parasites, internal parasites, and bacteria.

External Parasites …….

Ichtyobodo necator
This parasite was formerly called Costia necatrix. The first obvious signs of infection are a loss of color, with dull areas apparent on the skin because of secondary mucus production in response to the presence of the parasite. Badly affected fish lose their appetite, swim with their fins clamped, and may scrape against objects. They may wobble as they swim, even doing this on the spot. The skin becomes reddened, then hemorrhagic, and can progress to ulceration. The gills become pale and covered in thick mucus. Fungi such as Saprolegnia are common secondary invaders of lesions.
Treatment: use a proprietary ectoparasitic treatment or glacial acetic acid dips at 8 ml per gallon for 30 to 45 seconds. Raising the temperature to over 30C (86F) will help to eradicate this parasite, but this will only help with species of fish able to cope with high temperatures. Depopulating aquaria for 24 to 48 hours may be useful, as the parasite can only survive off the host for a few hours. Medicate the fish in a separate treatment aquarium.

Chilodonella
These motile protozoa graze on epithelial (lining) cells of the gills and skin. The most significant predisposing factor is temperature—Chilodonella spp. prefer lower temperatures of 18 to 22C (64 to 72F), and outbreaks are more likely to occur when fish are exposed to the low end of their temperature tolerance. Typical signs of disease include respiratory distress, depression, clamped fins, and turbidity of the skin. The skin turbidity is due to a dramatic increase in skin mucus production in response to the irritation caused by the parasites. When affected fish are removed from the water, this mucus can form into grey gobbets of mucus.

There is often an increased breathing rate—the gill covers move faster and are extended much wider in order to maximize the flow of water over the compromised gills. Infested fish may hang around at the surface or seek areas with relatively high oxygen layers, such as filter outlets.
Treatment: use a proprietary ectoparasitic treatment. Also salt at 3 grams per liter until symptoms stop.

Internal Parasites
Spironucleus vortens is usually thought of as the cause of hole-in-the-head or head-and-lateral-line erosion (HLLE) disease in discus Symphysodon spp., but it can and does cause problems in Central American cichlids as well. Spironucleus lives in the gut, and if the fish becomes immunosuppressed, the parasite numbers build up. This parasite can cross the gut wall and spread in the bloodstream to anywhere in the body. The liver has a huge blood supply, and so it is frequently targeted in these cases.

Damage to the gut wall affects the ability of the fish to digest its food, so infected fish lose weight and pass white, jelly-like feces. Less often than in discus, erosive holes can appear on the head, usually associated with the lateral line. The small pores that form the lateral line enlarge and may fuse. Often there is a whitish, stringy discharge from the pores. In some cases large areas of skin may be affected.
Treatment of choice is with the antibiotic metronidazole. Dimetridazole has been used in the past, but there appear to be problems with sterility in fish once this medication has been used.

Hexamita
Hexamita is a protozoan that is often confused with Spironucleus. It, too, is an inhabitant of the gut whose numbers can increase if the fish are stressed. Infected fish lose their appetite and become lethargic and thin. Some fish may develop a dropsy-like condition with swelling of the body cavity. Hexamita can spread via the bloodstream causing a disseminated hexamitiasis. Less severely affected adult cichlids may experience reduced fertility, egg hatchability, and fry mortality.
Treatment is with metronidazole at 50 mg per kg of body weight, added to the food daily for five days. As an alternative for fish that are not feeding, metronidazole can be administered in a bath at a concentration of 5 mg per liter every other day for a total of three treatments.

Cryptobia
Cryptobia iubilans is a protozoan parasite that is thought by many to be the main culprit behind Malawi Bloat, a poorly understood condition not only of

Capillaria
Capillaria are small roundworms that live in the cichlid’s intestines. These worms compete with the host fish for nutrition and can cause gut obstructions. In addition, it is thought that these worms damage the lining of the gut, thereby allowing protozoa such as Spironucleus and Hexamita to invade the rest of the body. Infested fish lose weight, although their guts may be so impacted with worms that the abdomen appears bloated. White, stringy feces may be passed by the fish, and if these are examined microscopically, typical capillarial eggs (almost urn-shaped) will be seen.
Treatment is with various anthelminthic drugs such as levamisole at 10 mg per liter as a single dose added to the water. This is particularly good for killing larval worms. Suspend carbon filtration. Piperazine at 2.5 mg per gram of feed, added to the food, is useful, but this may only kill adult worms. Another option is fenbendazole at 50 mg per kilogram of body weight added to feed, or by stomach tube if the fish is large enough. Fish are quick to refuse medicated food, so do not feed them for 24 to 48 hours prior to offering such feed.

Bacterial Disease
Bacterial infections are common and usually stem from wounding or from poor water quality. Large, robust specimens may heal spontaneously if separated and given optimum water conditions and food, but some may require antibiotic medication either by injection or in the food. Most Central American cichlids are very tolerant of salt water, and this can be used at a dose rate of 1 to 5 g per liter as a permanent bath, to help with osmotic balance should the cichlid have a significant skin lesion such as an ulcer.

Lymphocystis
Lymphocysitis is an iridoviral infection that establishes itself through the bite wounds and abrasions received during typical cichlid conflicts. More disfiguring than a serious health risk to the fish, it is usually self-limiting and will disappear of its own accord once the cichlid mounts an immune response. Typical signs of this virus are the large gray-white or yellowish cauliflower-like nodules on the fins and skin. Occasionally these growths can occur internally and cause problems, but this appears to be quite rare. The use of ultraviolet sterilization may help to reduce its spread.

Black Spot Disease
Anecdotally, hybrid parrot cichlids are said to occasionally succumb to “black spot disease.” This disease has not yet, to my knowledge, been either identified or even confirmed. The color pattern in these fish can be variable and inconsistent, so black markings can come and go over time. Deaths suffered while fish are showing these black spots may be due to other diseases, such as Spironucleus, with the altered coloration being incidental.
However, the tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus infected with one type of fish tuberculosis (Mycobacterium marinum) do develop areas of melanin concentration around inflamed areas of the skin (and in some internal organs) as part of their response to this infection, causing small black spots to appear. This does appears to be an uncommon effect.
Another possibility is that it could be Plistophora (the cause of neon tetra disease) triggering melanocyte accumulations, as it appears to do in angelfish (Pterophyllum spp.).
Fortunately, as I stated at the outset, most if not all of these ailments can be avoided by proper attention to the environmental, behavioral, and nutritional needs of your fish—in other words, keep them happy, and they’ll stay healthy!

References
Artigas Azas, Juan Miguel. 2004. “Watch Out, Jack’s About” Today’s Fishkeeper. September 2004. PS Magazines, Ltd.
Cole, Todd. 2003. Olfactory, behavioral and endocrine responses to putative steroidal pheromones in an African cichlid fish (Haplochromis burtoni). Thesis Seminar M.Sc. Department of

   Sidebar:

 Minimizing Stress through Diet
Fish that are stressed are immune compromised and therefore more susceptible to disease, and it is often the way that we keep them that leads to this immune suppression. In particular, look at the dietary preferences of your fish. By all means, use commercial pelleted and flake foods as a basis for your cichlid’s diet, but supplement with a wide range of other foods. Appropriate frozen foods range, depending on which species of cichlid you are feeding, from whole fish to crustaceans (various shrimps), and from insect larvae (bloodworms, black mosquito larvae) to vegetarian diets. When provided with a more natural diet, your cichlids may not grow quite so quickly or quite so big, but they will be healthier!

Technical Information – Jack Dempsey cichlid fish

Salinity Tolerance:
   This species appears to have a limited salinity tolerance. Dial and Wainright (1983) reported Jack Dempsey present in waters of up to 8 ppt, and absent from contiguous waters of higher salinity in Brevard County, Florida.

Temperature Tolerance:
   The lower lethal temperature of Jack Dempsey was estimated at 8C/46F by Shafland and Pestrak (1983), upon which they placed Jacksonville as the probable northern limit for their range expansion in Florida. Jennings (1986), observed Jack Dempsey dying from cold stress, in a small creek in Alachua county, at 10-11°C

Reproduction and Fecundity:
   Jack Dempsey are biparental substrate spawners. Females are more active early on in development, and are highly aggressive, even towards males, when guarding the egg clutch (Zvorykin, 1995). Approximately 500-800 eggs are spawned per clutch (Riehl and Baensch, 1991; Sakurai et al., 1992). Males become more active in guarding the fry as time goes on (Zvorykin, 1995). Both male and female are extremely aggressive towards other fish (Riehl and Baensch, 1991). Jennings (1986), believed the introduced population in Alachua county, Florida spawned in Spring.

Trophic Interactions:
   Jack Dempsey are omnivorous. In Florida, this species has been described both as herbivorous, feeding mainly on filamentous algae (Lee et al., 1980), and as omnivorous, opportunistically feeding on insect larvae and adults, crayfish, molluscs and fish.  ♦

To those of you who have visited MY OLD Geocities website and are confused about this new look, don’t be, you’re in the right place.  This is an entirely new look to the old “WORLD OF JACK DEMPSEYS”.  I hope to bring you more and better information regarding the Jack Dempsey cichlid fish with an interactive site for all who wish to participate in discussion.  If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to forward me an email.  This new site is under construction so please excuse the disorganized look at this point.  Thank you for browsing my new website and I hope you return many times.  – Jack

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPER CARE

OF JACK DEMPSEY CICHLID FISH 

     The Jack Dempsey fish, an aggressive and strong cichlid, is named after former heavyweight boxing champion “Jack Dempsey” who shared these same characteristics. It is a very hardy fish that is easy to care for, but due to its aggressive temperament, is not recommended for novice aquarists. In Spanish speaking regions in Central America where the Jack Dempsey is native to, it is called Mojarra Castarrica or Riquiraqui. The scientific name is Archocentrus octofasciatum. The species forms a part of the genus Cichlasoma in the Cichlidae family.

   Wild Jack Dempsey cichlids can be found in North and Central America where they inhabit a region that stretches from the Papaloapán River in southern Mexico to the Hondurian Ulua River in Central America. The Jack Dempsey cichlid is often found in muddy canals, drainage ditches and swamps since it appreciates murky and slow flowing waters. In the coastal plains of Central America you will find warm and slow moving streams that are ideal for this cichlid. Since the wild Jack Dempsey cichlid lives in waters with a muddy or sandy bottom, it is naturally a good idea to use such substrates in the aquarium.

   Today, the Jack Dempsey cichlid has been introduced to waters outside its natural region by man. You can therefore find breeding populations of Jack Dempsey cichlids in the United States, Australia and Thailand.  In Thailand, Jack Dempsey cichlids are produced in aquacultures for the aquarium trade. From these aquacultures, Jack Dempsey cichlids have frequently escaped into the wild since the first Jack Dempsey aquacultures were established in Thailand during the 1950s. In the United States and Australia, the Jack Dempsey cichlid populations most likely originate from specimens released by aquarists. The warm waters of Florida are today home to a wide range of tropical aquarium species from all over the world, including the Jack Dempsey cichlid. In Australia, the most notable Jack Dempsey populations are found in out-flow creeks in the state of Victoria and in cooling ponds used by a power plant. The Australian Jack Dempsey cichlid populations are however showing signs of decline.

   The Jack Dempsey cichlid is not included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and you can find thriving populations of Jack Dempsey cichlids in its native region. Since its minimum population doubling time is less than 15 months, it is resilient towards over fishing. In the aquarium trade, the commercially bred Jack Dempsey cichlids are common.

   As mentioned above, the Jack Dempsey cichlid is easy to care for in the aquarium but considered unsuitable for inexperienced aquarists since they might find it difficult to handle its aggressive temperment and counteract violent behaviors. Jack Dempsey cichlids are often kept in their own aquariums instead of community aquariums or habitat aquariums, but you can keep this cichlid with other species if you select tank mates carefully. Avoid standard community aquarium species, since they tend to be peaceful and will become bullied by the Jack Dempsey cichlid. Aggressive species of similar size that can fend for themselves is a much better choice. Avoid keeping more than one Jack Dempsey cichlid in the aquarium, and avoid species that look similar to the Jack Dempsey cichlid since they may be perceived as enemies by the Jack Dempsey cichlid. It is also very important that the aquarium is large enough for the Jack Dempsey cichlid, and decorated in a way that makes it possible for the cichlid to claim a limited region as territory.

   Arranging a suitable home for a Jack Dempsey cichlid will require some dedication from the aquarists, but it is well worth it since the Jack Dempsey cichlid is an energetic and extremely beautiful fish that will add action as well as color to the aquarium. It will also adapt to most water conditions, so it is really not difficult to keep once you have learned how to master its aggressive temperament. In a well kept tropical aquarium your Jack Dempsey can live for 8-10 years.

   One way of calming down a quarrelsome Jack Dempsey cichlid is to keep the water temperature down. The recommended temperature range for a Jack Dempsey cichlid is 72-86° F (22-30° C), but many aquarists make sure that the temperature never goes above 78° F (25.5 degrees C) since warm water can increase the aggressiveness in some Jack Dempsey cichlids. Regardless of temperature, the Jack Dempsey cichlid will always claim its own territory and defend this part of the aquarium. As mentioned above, the Jack Dempsey cichlid can adapt to a wide range of different water conditions. The preferred pH range is however 7.0-8.0, and the dGH should be kept between 9 and 20.

   An adult Jack Dempsey cichlid can grow up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) long and must be provided with plenty of space. Do not house it in an aquarium smaller than 45 gallons (170 liters). If you plan to keep it with other fish, the recommended aquarium size will naturally depend on these species as well.

   In the wild, the Jack Dempsey cichlid inhabits densely grown waters. Plants are however often avoided in Jack Dempsey aquariums, since the Jack Dempsey likes to eat live plants and can destroy them. You can instead use flowerpots, caves, rocks and wood to form natural borders in the aquarium and make it possible for the Jack Dempsey cichlid to claim a limited territory. Since the Jack Dempsey cichlid is fond of digging, you should avoid substrate with sharp edges. A barren bottom, or a very thin substrate layer, is also inadvisable. Heavy objects that can injure fish if they fall should be placed directly on the glass, since they might fall when the Jack Dempsey cichlid digs around.

   You can usually train a Jack Dempsey cichlid into accepting most types of food, but it might take some time before the fish realizes that a new food type is actually edible. When a Jack Dempsey cichlid has understood that what you give it is actually food, it will usually be a happy eater. The wild Jack Dempsey cichlid feed mainly on insects, worms, crustaceans and fish and will appreciate such food types in the aquarium as well. Flake food and pellets can also be used; but pellets are usually a better idea since flakes are a bit too small for large Jack Dempsey cichlids. A high-quality pellet can be a good base for the Jack Dempsey cichlid, but should ideally be combined with occasional treats of live food. Fish, earthworms, grasshoppers, shrimps, crayfish and small frogs are just a few examples of live food that your Jack Dempsey cichlid will like. When the Jack Dempsey cichlid is kept in an unplanted aquarium, it will need some vegetable matter in its diet, e.g. lettuce and plankton.

   If your Jack Dempsey cichlid suddenly changes its coloration, the alteration can have been caused by a number of factors. Sudden changes can be caused by mood swings, and stress can also make the Jack Dempsey cichlid dampen its colours. A varied and nutritious diet is also necessary if you want your Jack Dempsey cichlid to display really great colours. Age and health will also affect the coloration of a Jack Dempsey cichlid. If your Jack Dempsey cichlid becomes ill or experience a lot of stress in the aquarium, it can turn much paler than normal and look dull. The dots and bands will be less visible. A healthy, adult Jack Dempsey cichlid will typically feature a strong purple coloration with shimmering spots of blue, green and golden. You can clearly see a dark dot on each side of the body and tail, and the dorsal side features dark bands. If you closely at one scale, you will notice green or yellowish spots against the darker background. In older specimens, these spots will gradually become less visible. Really young specimens on the other hand will not have the purple coloration of the adult Jack Dempsey cichlids. Young Jack Dempsey cichlids are camouflaged by a pale grey or tan coloration, and have bleak turquoise dots. The mature male Jack Dempsey cichlid differs from the female, since the ends of his anal and dorsal fins are elongated and pointy.

   The Jack Dempsey cichlid is commercially bred in aquacultures and it is also possible to breed this cichlid in aquariums. It is considered a moderately hard species to breed in aquariums, and breeding Jack Dempsey cichlids will always be extremely aggressive. The Jack Dempsey cichlid will typically reach sexual maturity when it has grown to approximately 7-8 inches (18-20 centimeters). As mentioned above, many aquarists choose to keep the water temperature down in the aquarium to reduce hostile behaviors in the Jack Dempsey cichlid. If you want to spawn your Jack Dempsey cichlids, an increased temperature is however recommended. Breeding Jack Dempsey cichlids should always be kept in their own tank, or in an aquarium divided by glass or net, since the parents are extremely aggressive during the breeding period.

   The Jack Dempsey cichlids will appreciate a breeding site in the aquarium in the form of a flat rock. The female Jack Dempsey cichlid can however deposit the eggs directly in the bottom substrate if there isn’t a flat breeding site around. The adult couple should not be removed from the aquarium when the eggs have been deposited, because they are devoted parents that will care for the eggs. The parents will also dig a pit in the substrate in which they will place the larvae as soon as the eggs hatch. As the fry grows older, the parents will continue to protect them and care for them. The adult Jack Dempsey cichlids will even pre-chew food for their offspring as long as the young ones are too small to eat normal food.   ♦