Electric Blue Jack Dempsey's (Rocio octofasciata)

[wllm33]

although documented to be less aggressive than the JD, think in a confine space, their genetic trait will overcome them and they will fight, usually the big or alpha male will be terretorial, which is what i am experiencing now.
I just put in the dividers and suddenly the smaller ones colour brightened up and they become more hungry for food and comes out with their display of fins and colour.
basically ciclid behaviour also.

[Verminator]

You were naive if you thought that wouldnt happen, naturally being cichlids this is to be expected.

I've come to accept the fact my female JD is now blind in her left eye. Its inside the eye still the white mark, and she tends to stick to the side of the tank with her 'blind' eye closest to the glass. Moving very little and fish/movement coming across from her left side startles her. Thus giving me firm reason to believe she is, unfortunately, blind in that eye. Oh a sad day for my dempseys.

[unsung]

I've come to accept the fact my female JD is now blind in her left eye. Its inside the eye still the white mark, and she tends to stick to the side of the tank with her 'blind' eye closest to the glass. Moving very little and fish/movement coming across from her left side startles her. Thus giving me firm reason to believe she is, unfortunately, blind in that eye. Oh a sad day for my dempseys.

Hi,

Take it easy..Is the blindness due to injury or from birth? Since they have gene abnormality, they also have higher chances of getting all these.
Hope to see pics of yours soon.

[Verminator]

Its been there now for nearly 2 weeks i believe, and shows no sign of getting better. The fish really does appear to be sight impaired in the left eye, giving me reason to believe its blind.

I shall try and get a decent picture of both her eyes, to show the norm and the ill side as soon as possible. Hopefully either friday/saturday evening, if not sunday.

[tonicwater]

I got a couple of these blue jack dempsey along with the normal ones. In term of aggression, the normal ones are much more aggressive (basically attack anything that is smaller then it and other dempsey) while the blue ones are pretty docile (pencil fishes, tetras, barbs no problem at all).

[wllm33]

initially i also thought that the blue ones are less aggressive as what is normally described in most articles.
but when you own them, you will observe that they are same as any ciclid, fighting , fighting and more fighting, unless of course you reach their breeding stage. It is not uncommon to find either maim tankmates or worse death of one.

This is assuming that your com is made up of only the blue ones and not with the more aggressive JD, which will probably claim all territory in the tank.

[Verminator]

Update: The situation with my females "blindness" i think might be rectified in the next week. I can't believe how i've missed this untill today. I would say 100% that my fish's eye is "cloudy", and a further update would inform you all that now both her eyes are "cloudy". So i did some searching, mainly googled 'cloudy fish eye' - and hey presto! I find information on symtoms (cloudy eyes funnily enough) and a recommendation to cure. I'm using a product called Waterlife Myxazin. Basically treats fin/body rot, ulcers, cloudy/pop eye & other bacterial infections. 1 dose per day for 5 days. Hopefully cured. Shall update this matter in 5 days. Hopefully i'll have a happy healthy female Jack Dempsey who doesnt skulk away on her own

[Verminator]

Short & saddening news. She appears to be giving up the ghost for some reason. I can't imagine treatment has backfired so i don't understand whats up with her. She's currently in a small mollie breeding trap and is head diving into the bottom of it spiralling around. Outlook looks grim I'm rather disheartened currently.

[Verminator]

After capturing her and placing her in the mollie trap earlier today (approximately 15 hours ago) something quite remarkable has happened. She's back amongst the living. She's upright, swimming about the trap as if nothing happened. Her colours returned, although i'm yet to try feeding her yet. I think i'll wait untill tommorow or the day after before i try this.

One thing to note would be i added a puffer into the tank Saturday, and i guess whilst its lights off he's been nipping her. So much so she gave up the fight and surrendered. Shock, amongst other things clearly took its toll on her and her health plummeted. Her fins are ripped and split, he once beautiful tail is split into a mess of several torn segments. I'm amazed at how much of a recovery she seems to have made in so little time. Truely astonishing. I won't hold my breath, i shall be monitoring her closely for the next week or so. Hoping and praying she makes it that long and can be released back into the tank. The puffer has since been sanctioned and is currently back in my 3ft where he shall await the rest of my fish to be introduced once the tank has cycled properly.

Slightly irresonpisble of me to add a new fish to a tank thats been completely emptied and restarted 3 days ago i know. But some of the water (approx 20-30&#37, is mature, and the filter was rinsed rather thoroughly i must admit, but none-the-less is mature too. 2 Plecs have happily gone about their business in there untill now, so i asummed it was safe for an evicted (under investigation for attemped murder >_<) puffer. Naive? Possibly, we shall see.

Thank-god the Dempsey is ok though aye