dempsey questions

Q&A About Central American Cichlids

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zuesana
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:07 pm

dempsey questions

Post by zuesana »

Dear Pam,

attached are some pictures of my jack dempsey, "Jack" (sorry for the size/blurriness). I got him from Petsmart about 7 months ago. From the attached pictures can you tell if jack is male or female? My best guess is male but i dont have the best eye at telling male and female apart...

Also, up until earlier this week, he has been living in a 29 gal tank with a pleco. Now he is living in a 55 gal, still just him and socrates (the pleco). When he was in the 29gal, i never saw him rub on rocks or shake though he did dig and move the rocks around. Since he's been in the 55gal, though, i watched him start rubbing his side on the substrate (river rocks), shake, flick his fins (both pelvic and anal), and quickly change back and forth between dark and very metallicky to lighter with stripes. I have been searching for articles on dempsey behavior but have been hard pressed to find any. Is this normal for a dempsey or is there something i should be worried about?

One last thing is that ive noticed a lot of very very small holes on his head, they basically outline from the lateral line, up over his eyes, a "U" between his eyes and nostrils and then down around the lower jaw. All the holes are about 1/2 to 1/3 the size of his nostrils. Are these a normal part of his lateral "Hole-in-the-head" disease? If it might be hole in the head, what should i do to reverse the progression?

I think that is all, hope to hear back soon.

Thank you!!
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Pam Chin
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Re: dempsey questions

Post by Pam Chin »

Hi Zuesana,

It can be difficult to sex some cichlids, but using the typical cichlid clues, and the process of elemination you can have an accurate guess. So based on finnage, males typically have longer and the tips are pointed, espeically the dorsal and anal fins. This would lead us to believe that it is probably a male. I can't see any of the holes on the head?? so I can't offer you much there, but I will say that Hole In The Head is not curable, and it is from poor water conditions.

I am not a fish doctor and it is very hard to diaganose problems with out be able to see the fish and know the fish.

Regarding the scratching, it can be from Ich and the fish are trying to get it off, or it could just have a real itch, or it could be something in your water, ie copper. Just keep an eye on it, and if you do see white spots you may want to treat for ich.

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Pam
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