Jack Dempsey Cichlid Sex

[mamabearnhm]

We got this jack Dempsey a year ago. He's around 6-7 inches. I'm believe he is male and I have gotten mixed messages tryna do research because he has more pointed fins, but has bright blue spots all over his face

He is very aggressive and territorial. He's killed every fish we have put in the tank (all fish that were recommended for tank mates for a jack Dempsey).. so now he gets to be alone. His tank is 30 gallons. He eats strictly Cichlid Gold. He also likes to swim sideways when he's under his rock, play dead and randomly will start swimming erratically all over his tank.. not sure what's wrong with him or if he's just being dramatic. Water levels are all fine. He doesn't seem sick either...

So is it a male?? Anyone else have a dramatic fish?

 

[mamabearnhm]

Here's another picture of underneath his chin

 

[Deadeye]

Welcome to the forum!
I’m thinking male, on a female the blue connects more. You’ll also notice a sharper snout than a female would have. Most likely all the blue you see is it trying to blend into its blue environment.
My male’s head to compare:

Do you know the exact levels of the params? “Fine” for one person could be considered toxic by someone else.
As for killing tankmates, the answer to that problem is that the fish is in a 30 gallon tank. Cichlids are territorial, and that problem only gets worse when kept in far smaller than they should be. I’ve had to separate mine form a blood parrot because he was running it back and forth across the tank. The only thing keeping mine from being the dominant boss of the tank is the banded leporinus (who hates the Jack). Mine was first in a 55 gallon before being upgraded to a 125 and the difference in behavior was night and day - he immediately became more active and uses every inch of the tank. Honestly I couldn’t imagine one in less than a 6 foot tank anymore.

 

[duanes]

JDs are territorial cichlids, and in nature a pair, or dominant male, will defend an area of about 250 gallons against any other cichlid,
so if any one recommends another cichlid as a tank mate for a JD in a tank as tiny as 30 gallons, they are highly misguided.
But your JD has already told you that
Yours also looks male, (as Deadeye said) but because of your un-natural blue substrate, it's really impossible to make any kind of accurate determination.
Females normally have a blue sheen on their lower jaw, and gill plate (often referred to as a blue beard)

I have spent a lot of time with JDs in nature, so just for reference,
below is a video of the kind of space they prefer to live in, the substrate they would feel comfortable living over, and what other fishes they will naturally share habitat with.

In the above video, JDs live successfully, but note, that they are the only cichlid (or cichlid like fish).
In the video below (where they are not as successful) they share habitat with another species of cichlid.
As you can see, even in an area of thousands of gallons, their population is much smaller (compared to the video above) and they are quite torn up.

 

[mamabearnhm]

JDs are territorial cichlids, and in nature a pair, or dominant male, will defend an area of about 250 gallons against any other cichlid,
so if any one recommends another cichlid as a tank mate for a JD in a tank as tiny as 30 gallons, they are highly misguided.
But your JD has already told you that
Yours also looks male, (as Deadeye said) but because of your un-natural blue substrate, it's really impossible to make any kind of accurate determination.
Females normally have a blue sheen on their lower jaw, and gill plate (often referred to as a blue beard)

I have spent a lot of time with JDs in nature, so just for reference,
below is a video of the kind of space they prefer to live in, the substrate they would feel comfortable living over, and what other fishes they will naturally share habitat with.

In the above video, JDs live successfully, but note, that they are the only cichlid (or cichlid like fish).
In the video below (where they are not as successful) they share habitat with another species of cichlid.
As you can see, even in an area of thousands of gallons, their population is much smaller (compared to the video above) and they are quite torn up.

So I should change his substrate?? I also don't have room for a bigger tank unfortunately. My husband purchased this on a whim . I'm just tryna give him the best life I can.

I do not plan on getting anymore fish. We had 2 other cichlids when he was like 3 inches (not JDs that he ate up and then we had a plecostamous (I can't spell) and they didn't mind each other for a long time and then one day I cleaned the tank like normal, put them back and Jack just chased him around and ate his fins the next day. So now a year later is a big lonely boy who is dramatic

 

[mamabearnhm]

Welcome to the forum!
I’m thinking male, on a female the blue connects more. You’ll also notice a sharper snout than a female would have. Most likely all the blue you see is it trying to blend into its blue environment.
My male’s head to compare:
View attachment 1542376
Do you know the exact levels of the params? “Fine” for one person could be considered toxic by someone else.
As for killing tankmates, the answer to that problem is that the fish is in a 30 gallon tank. Cichlids are territorial, and that problem only gets worse when kept in far smaller than they should be. I’ve had to separate mine form a blood parrot because he was running it back and forth across the tank. The only thing keeping mine from being the dominant boss of the tank is the banded leporinus (who hates the Jack). Mine was first in a 55 gallon before being upgraded to a 125 and the difference in behavior was night and day - he immediately became more active and uses every inch of the tank. Honestly I couldn’t imagine one in less than a 6 foot tank anymore.

I would love to give him a bigger tank but right now there is no room. Unfortunately my husband purchased all this on a whim and I am just tryna keep him alive . Our son loves him

 

[Jexnell]

Here is an example of the "blue beard" we talk about in females

As you can see it's the "skin" itself that is blue, not the amount of dots etc.
So I would say yours is a male as well.
And yes cichlids can be very dramatic when they want to. Any time my Oscar was upset I got this from her... lol

 

[tlindsey]

We got this jack Dempsey a year ago. He's around 6-7 inches. I'm believe he is male and I have gotten mixed messages tryna do research because he has more pointed fins, but has bright blue spots all over his face

He is very aggressive and territorial. He's killed every fish we have put in the tank (all fish that were recommended for tank mates for a jack Dempsey).. so now he gets to be alone. His tank is 30 gallons. He eats strictly Cichlid Gold. He also likes to swim sideways when he's under his rock, play dead and randomly will start swimming erratically all over his tank.. not sure what's wrong with him or if he's just being dramatic. Water levels are all fine. He doesn't seem sick either...

So is it a male?? Anyone else have a dramatic fish?

View attachment 1542374

View attachment 1542375

Welcome aboard
That is a beautiful jack dempsey.

 

[troublesum]

JDs are territorial cichlids, and in nature a pair, or dominant male, will defend an area of about 250 gallons against any other cichlid,
so if any one recommends another cichlid as a tank mate for a JD in a tank as tiny as 30 gallons, they are highly misguided.
But your JD has already told you that
Yours also looks male, (as Deadeye said) but because of your un-natural blue substrate, it's really impossible to make any kind of accurate determination.
Females normally have a blue sheen on their lower jaw, and gill plate (often referred to as a blue beard)

I have spent a lot of time with JDs in nature, so just for reference,
below is a video of the kind of space they prefer to live in, the substrate they would feel comfortable living over, and what other fishes they will naturally share habitat with.

In the above video, JDs live successfully, but note, that they are the only cichlid (or cichlid like fish).
In the video below (where they are not as successful) they share habitat with another species of cichlid.
As you can see, even in an area of thousands of gallons, their population is much smaller (compared to the video above) and they are quite torn up.

Duanes How big are those JDs in those 2 videos?

 

[duanes]

Duanes How big are those JDs in those 2 videos?

The adults are about 10".