Surprise, surprise, surprise

[sskruzr]

A couple months ago Denny brought over supposedly a pair(?) of Jack Dempseys with hopefully the electtric blue recessive genes. Well after a month, this pair was looking more and more like 2 males. Needless to say, no matter how many worms, pellets, and mysis I fed them, they wouldn't lay eggs. So last week, I seperated them as the smaller was beginning to look a bit intimidated. Well Denny brought over 2 smaller JDs Sunday and I placed them with the smaller male. Today I went down and one was beaten up. A few ripped fins but definitely being harassed. Well I had one of those large root decorations I've seen at Petsmart in there and knocked it over getting the odd man out netted. Well I just went down to feed everyone supper and low and behold the remaining 2 are now spawning on the side of the phoney driftwood. Pics to soon follow. Surprise Denny!!!!!

See the eggs through the algae on the glass?

[dennysfishroom]

That is a surprise. Now we'll see if the people I got my BG's from are informed/ethical. If they are both BG's (carry the EBJD gene heterozygous), then we should end up with 25% EBJD's (or a little less since they are a little more fragile). Are "we" going to pull the eggs or let the parents raise them? Good going Corey. Denny

[sskruzr]

I'm gonna treat them like I treat my angels. I give them a chance and if they don't comply, then the next time they're mine. I've always heard JDs are excellant parents so we'll wait and see.

[dennysfishroom]

Can you tell which is the female? The one you had or the one I just brought over? Any sexual differences your can see? Denny

[sskruzr]

The smaller one is definitely the female. I caught them in the act and her breeding was like 3 times the size of his. I'm if the other one isn't a female. I may get brave and put her in with the other one. There's quite a size difference so I'll have to keep a close eye on them.

[Jackielee]

Great News I have been patiently waiting to hear about this happening. Very exciting. Congratulations to you both. My dempseys have always been good parents but the EBJD have always been infertile so will be exciting to see if these are fertile and if some blue babies appear in the mix. way to go!

jack

[sskruzr]

Well so far so good. I didn't see any fungused eggs this morning and she was still diligently guarding them.

[dennysfishroom]

Did you mean you were going to try to set up another pair? Or were you going to try the one proven female with the bigger male? Wasn't clear on that. Denny

[dennysfishroom]

I'm assuming we'll have a good idea by Saturday whether the eggs are going to hatch. If they do, I wonder how long it will be before we can expect to see a difference between the regular and EBJD's? That will tell us if the parents are in fact BG's. It's like a kid waiting for Christmas. Denny

[sskruzr]

Well just checked on the JDs, no fungused eggs and both are guarding intensely. I wouldn't put my hand in there. Should be interesting when it comes times to remove the babies.

[pinkrblu]

Congratulations! Can't wait for the baby pictures.

[sskruzr]

Well still no wigglers. Jackd sez that's normal for larger cichlids. More eggs have fungused but there's still a lot of "fertile" eggs. Jack informed me that unfertized eggs take as long to fungus as they do to hatch. Cross everything you got we get babies.

[dennysfishroom]

What has it been now? Maybe 60-65 hours. Let's see what happens by this evening or tomorrow morning.

[sskruzr]

Tuesday evening was the laying time

[Jackielee]

You posted the start of this thread on Wednesday evening so if that is when they spawned then tomorrow should very well be the day. My big SA cichlids usually take 4 days to get to wriggler stage. Anxious to hear they made it. I am waiting on a spawn that happened about the same time of another species so maybe we will both have a good Sunday in the fish room.

[sskruzr]

Well bad news, evidently one of the pair isn't fertile. The eggs literally exploded, just like Jack described to me. Jack, any idea which it would be?

[Jackielee]

Usually it is the male shooting blanks. Some say they may get fertile when a couple years old. I don't know if it is true. Sorry I know you are disappointed because I am.

Jack

[dennysfishroom]

We could try it again, or try it with the other male. Is it just Jack Dempseys or all big fish? Or just EBJD's? We've got the other male, and the other BG to work with. Denny

[Jackielee]

This is the reason I assume EBJD's are a hybrid. Lots of infertility and that just is not common in fish that come from nature. Very similar to the flowerhorns and the reason I quit the EBJD quest a few years ago after many failed attempts of spawning them. I hoped the BG were more fertile. Some may be so it is definitely no time to stop trying since there are other fish in the tanks.

[sskruzr]

Well I probably try again with the bigger male and see what happens but will wait a week or 2.

[sskruzr]

Whoa!!!! Hold everything. I found a wiggler!!!!! Yes A wiggler. That means we have fertile parents! Hopefully they moved others. Maybe he was a bad shot. After all who gets it right the first time????????????

[pinkrblu]

Great news! Now.... to anxiously await the color...

[sskruzr]

Well they are protecting an area behind the root decor and there's so much muck I can't anything. Hopefully Tuesday we'll see some swimmers.

[dennysfishroom]

What an emotional roller coaster. I'm almost distraught. Denny

[dennysfishroom]

Was what you saw as "exploded" eggs the shells from when the fry worked their way out or the parents chewed them out? Denny

[sskruzr]

Could be? Hope so.

[Jackielee]

Great I hoped you got my email this morning telling you to look for wrigglers or a stash. Glad you found it. It is a weird porcess these larger SA cichlids go through and disappoiint can ture to glee on a glance and vice versa.

[sskruzr]

No swimmers yet

[sskruzr]

well no babies. So I cleaned the tank up and put in one of those flower pot plates. we'll see what happens next

[dennysfishroom]

None at all, or none that you can see? Wasn't sure if you meant we were starting all over again, or if we were still waiting. Are you going to try the other fish with the big male? Denny