# WHO AM I?



## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

i am new here and new to cichlids. i bought this guy or girl in indiana, they said it is an electric blue jack dempsy. and i got him for $20.00. he is about 5-6 inches long. and has gorgeous blue/black and green coloring. his name is 1 eyed jack and they also said he was a good breeding fish. they were unsure of sex. i hope i got the picture downloaded right. be i shall give it a try.
thank you,
renee

http://myworld.ebay.com/rj1jigsaw

i cant figure out how to download the picture so i left a url. his picture is in the top lefthand corner.
thanks again,
renee


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## gage

that would be an Electric Blue Jack Dempsey, a color vairant of a JD, can be fairly delicate though.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

thank you, can you tell if it is a boy or a girl by looking? or do i need him sexed. is he a good specimen. 1 person said yes, another said no. would like a few more opinions.
thanks,
renee


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## gage

its almost impossible to sex EBJD, especially from that pic, but i would say it is a niec specimen.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

i cannot seem to figure out how to upload any kind of picture. i tried just about everything as you can probably tell. i cannot understand the directions from the help page. any clues!


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

this is a different picture of same fish. i am trying to get a good side view but he keeps moving just as the picture flashes.

thank you all for your kindness in confirming the fish for me. and any and all your input.


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## gbleeker

You almost had the picture posted... what you need to do is










Do that, but without the spaces on the left and right of the link..

I couldn't get your original link to work either, must be something with angelfire. I would use photobucket instead.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

thank you so much. my husband had a recent heart attack and he had to find a relaxing hobby. he chose fish - cichlids. he comes home with these new fish he picked because he liked the way they look. i ask him what kind is it he always says i dont know. then i gotta hunt around for it. i dont like having things i know nothing about , since i am the one that has to feed them, clean out the tank, tank set up and the whole 9 yards. i know how to take care tanks and fish in generl cause i had fish for many many years just never cichlids. so i most likely will be back with lots more of who am i? so i can adjust tanks accordingly.

i also now know how to download pictures properly thanks to gbleeker - you are awsome thank you.

so here he/she is.

his name is one eyed jack!


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## MalawiLover

That is an EBJD, but he looks to be in horrible shape (or really old) and his mouth looks either deformed or injured. My advice would be to pass on this fish. If you already have it, then good luck.

With fins that are that damaged he(or she) has either been the victim of lots of beating, or a victime of really crummy water. Both can severely affect health and longevity.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

yeah i bought him for $20.00. his name is one eyed jack for a reason:

as the owner stated to me, he was abused by other tank mates got in a very bad fight and lost one of his eyes.

i had asked if he was a ebjd because he did look a little funky to me, but i guess it was just more than his eye that was damaged.

i felt so sorry for the big guy, i bought him because they were going to dispose of him, i couldnt let that happen.


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## cichlidaholic

He's just 5-6 inches? Looks bigger than that.

It is an EBJD, and he does look rough. But with frequent water changes (pristine water) and a little TLC, he should be fine. Be very careful what you feed him and don't overfeed.

You should be warned, though...These guys have a myriad of health problems, and after being subjected to questionable care earlier in his life, you might have your hands full with him.

I hope he does well, and I hope to see some more pics once you get him back in shape.

What are you housing him with? They are a bit milder tempered than the regular JD's, but one of these can easily claim an entire 75G tank as their own.

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

it is a zoomed picture. but he is very short and very fat.
currently he is not eating that well just very little bit and does not move around much.
but he is currently in a 20g tank. by himself.

so he doesnt get freaked out by other fish.

but i do hope to get him into a bigger tank.
and i will post new pics of him as he gets better and bigger.!!


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## cichlidaholic

If this guy isn't eating well, I would start trying to feed him some medicated (antiparasitic) food right away...I just can stress enough how easy it is to lose these guys overnight. They are one of the most "delicate" fish I've ever kept.

Was the 20G properly cycled before you added him?

He is going to need a much larger tank if he starts feeling better, and the small tank may be adding to his stress at this point.

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

where can i get this food at?
would say petsmart carry it?
and what is the best kind i could get? brand.

yes i do plan on getting him a bigger tank hopefully in the next 2 weeks. but the biggest tank that would fit in that spot is about a 30g. maybe a 40g. i would have to measure. to know for sure.

the tank he is in now had fish in it before i just rearrange so he could be in there by himself.

so this tank was set up for quite some time.

about 8 months.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

o.k. when i went in there this morning he has developed white spots ( ick)
so i have to begin treating him for ick.
he has a few spots pictured and circled in red below.



















and here is some newer pictures...

facing left ...










and facing right ...


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## cichlidaholic

You should be able to get the antiparasitic food anywhere that sells Jungle products. (WalMart here has it, as do most of the LFS.)

It's hard to determine what would be the best treatment method for the ich in his condition. The heat and salt could be just as stressful as using meds.

I think I would go with something like Quick Cure, and do daily water changes on the tank before administering the med. Formalin and malachite green seem to clear it up quicker than salt and heat, IME, and I'm not sure this guy can take the stress of raising the temp. There is an article on ich below my signature that will explain alot to you.

If you go with Quick Cure, ignore the package directions, treat with 1 drop per gallon daily and continue to do so for 3-4 days after seeing the last spot fall off.

Good luck!

(I would definitely go the food route to treat the fish for internal parasites if you have to use ich meds...I don't think he could handle the stress of treating the tank with two meds at once.)

Kim


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## dielikemoviestars

Doesn't look like ich... Ich is usually much more widespread on the fish, and looks like grains of salt. Also, it's usually on the body, first.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

i have not seen any on the body at all just on tail and the middle of the top fin.

it was just a little bump which was same color as the fins.

but this morning it was white.

what else could it be?

infection? from prior abuse?

maybe i will repost this in the disease section!


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## cichlidaholic

If it's bumps rather than salt like spots, it may be from poor water quality in the past. The pics are hard to see, but if it's ich, he should be flashing against objects in the tank in an effort to "scratch" himself.

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

i have not noticed him scratching. but i shall observe him for a while and see.

i will report back with my findings later...


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

o.k. i watched him for a while and no, he did not flash just sort of staying in 1 spot , then after about 10 min. he moves to another spot and so on. just slowly swimming around from spot to spot and then seems like he is resting.

but i am going to the lfs to get some of that antiparasitic food. is there anything else i should get for him?

should i still do the ich meds just in case or ? :-?

and as far as the frequent water changes how often for this poor little guy.

also i remeasured and he is 6.25 inches.

thanks in advance!


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## mick74

thats a nice fish mate hope everything go,s well


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

thanks, me too!


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## cichlidaholic

No, if he's not flashing, don't use the ich meds. I've never seen a fish with ich not flash...

Keeping the water pristine may be all you need to do to help this guy out, but I would go ahead and pick up the medicated food, just as a preventative measure. They also have an antibacterial food (made by Jungle) that you might want to pick up and use AFTER a couple of weeks of feeding the antiparasitic food.

This guy looks like he's been through alot, and might need a lot of TLC to come back around. If he's been kept in really bad water conditions, treating him with the antibacterial food might be a smart move, and will be much easier on him physically than treating the water column.

Good luck!

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

great! i really hope i can get this guy back in good condition again.
i printed out everything you said so i do not forget anything.
thank you so much for your help! he and i appreciate it!
cross your fingers and wish me luck!


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## cichlidaholic

If you can keep get this guy healthy and happy and keep him that way, you will have truly accomplished something.

IMO, they are one of the most beautiful freshwater fish you can keep, but also probably the most difficult to keep in good health.

Good luck!

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

o.k., i got the antiparasitic food and the antibacterial food yesterday. fed the antiparasitic food to him last night. he took a mouthfull, then spit it out!  did that twice and stopped, i do not think he likes it.  but this morning when i woke up, it was all gone.  so i assume he ate it anyway. :-?

he will just have to learn to like it!! 

thanks for all your great advice. :thumb:

i will be dancing up a storm if all this works!! :dancing: and i will keep yall up to date!!

smiles to all!

may all tanks be happy tanks!!


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## cichlidaholic

Did you try soaking the food in tank water for 20-30 minutes before feeding him? Then you can even mush it up with your fingers a bit and see if that helps.

Good luck!

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

O.K. , it has been a small while, i have fed him the anti parasitic food for for a week. and now i am going to switch the food to the anti bacterial. if you do not think this has been long enough for the anti parasitic, let me know. :? 
the white bumps are now just bumps, same color as he is. and smaller in size. so whatever it was it is going away. 

also on another note he is swimming around more than before. mostly when it is dark.  
but if he sees me he runs and hides. 

so it appears he is getting better. 

i will keep yall posted!!!


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## cichlidaholic

That's good news.

Improving his water quality alone might have made the difference, but the medicated foods aren't going to hurt anything, and might prevent secondary problems.

I would go with the antibacterial for a week and then call it a day if he's still doing as well!

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

cool! 8) 
when i am finished with the meds... and get him in a bigger tank, which is soon, i shall post a few new pics of him...

:thumb:


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## thetim6

That fish probably doesn't even need medicated food. I would try feeding it some frozen cyclop eeze or fresh mysis shrimp to stimulate his appetite. He doesn't even look bad IMO and is probably stressed out from being in a small tank.

And I have to disagree with Kim's statement about medication and stress. In my opinion, it is much more stressful for fish to be treated with medication than it is to simply provide them with pristine water, good food, and a peaceful environment. Especially medicine like quick cure... Formalin is formaldehyde and is a carcinogen. Don't get me wrong, it is very useful. I'm just trying to point out that often times people kill their fish trying to medicate them.

I don't see ich on that fish. Fish can get bumps on their fins like that when they are healing from attacks.

He doesn't appear to be starving to me, so let him not eat for a few days until he gets an appetite and then try to feed him something appetizing but also nutritional (for example, cyclopeeze).


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## cichlidaholic

thetim6, have you ever kept electric blue Jack Dempseys?

It's not quite the same as keeping other cichlids. You can't be _too_ careful and cautious.

Kim


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## thetim6

No I haven't, that's just my experience with bony fish in general, not just cichlids.

That fish doesn't appear sick so I don't understand why she needs to medicate.

I was under the impression once EBJD made it to that size they were no longer as vulnerable to disease. Is that not always the case?

I'm not trying to discredit you or anything like that, but I do believe medication kills more fish than it saves.


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## cichlidaholic

Unfortunately, I learned what I know about EBJD's the hard and expensive way. 

If you read through the thread in it's entirety, the OP stated that the fish had been abused. There are also pics of the fish with the ich spots circled. (I'm not sure the fish had ich, but the OP thought it was, and treated accordingly. Ich can be quite hard to see in pics, and after the stress the fish had been through, it wouldn't be surprising if it had ich.)

The OP also stated that the fish wasn't eating well. A healthy EBJD has an equally healthy appetite. If they aren't eating well, something isn't right. We don't have a full history on this fish, only that it was likely housed improperly and had suffered alot of injury. This is why the OP was treating with medicated food, as a preventative measure.

Believe me when I tell you from experience, you don't want them to stop eating altogether and then try to do something. If you do that, you will lose them most of the time.

If it hadn't been an EBJD, I would have probably suggested Melafix and daily water changes. :roll:

They do seem to be a bit more hardy once they pass about 4-5 inches, but I didn't want to see the OP rescue this fish just to lose it.

And, the fish is doing better, so I'm pretty sure that more or less speaks for itself!

HTH

Kim


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## thetim6

cichlidaholic said:


> Unfortunately, I learned what I know about EBJD's the hard and expensive way.
> 
> If you read through the thread in it's entirety, the OP stated that the fish had been abused. There are also pics of the fish with the ich spots circled. (I'm not sure the fish had ich, but the OP thought it was, and treated accordingly. Ich can be quite hard to see in pics, and after the stress the fish had been through, it wouldn't be surprising if it had ich.)
> 
> The OP also stated that the fish wasn't eating well. A healthy EBJD has an equally healthy appetite. If they aren't eating well, something isn't right. We don't have a full history on this fish, only that it was likely housed improperly and had suffered alot of injury. This is why the OP was treating with medicated food, as a preventative measure.
> 
> Believe me when I tell you from experience, you don't want them to stop eating altogether and then try to do something. If you do that, you will lose them most of the time.
> 
> If it hadn't been an EBJD, I would have probably suggested Melafix and daily water changes. :roll:
> 
> They do seem to be a bit more hardy once they pass about 4-5 inches, but I didn't want to see the OP rescue this fish just to lose it.
> 
> And, the fish is doing better, so I'm pretty sure that more or less speaks for itself!
> 
> HTH
> 
> Kim


I can see the white spots circled which are definitely not ich! The pictures are good quality and I am able to make them out quite well.

I am aware it was abused and my only recommendation would have been melafix and clean water.

And you can't say that it speaks for itself medicating the fish, because how do you know that fish would not have pulled through just fine without being medicated? 

As for EBJD being sensitive, I have never kept them but there is a general consensus regarding their lack of overall health. So I'll take your word on that.


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## cichlidaholic

thetim6 said:


> As for EBJD being sensitive, I have never kept them but there is a general consensus regarding their lack of overall health. So I'll take your word on that.


Remind me what the problem is here, thetim6...That's a direct quote from you.

EBJD aren't the same as other fish healthwise. Pick one up and see for yourself.

And, I didn't diagnose the fish with ich. The OP did.

Basically, all that matters is that the fish is doing better. There is no need to discuss this any further.

You don't agree that the fish should have been medicated. You made your point. It was medicated, and it's doing better. Without a veterinarian, it's impossible to say whether the fish would have improved on it's own.

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

well, i just bought him a 40g tank. it is set up, will be putting him in later. adding old water to new tank with more newer water. as soon as the temp, ph and all that are good i will be moving him in.

still cross your fingers though we are not completely out of the woods.

and 


> And, I didn't diagnose the fish with ich. The OP did.


cichlidaholic did not diagnose, actually another person also said not ich because he wasn't flashing. so i did not treat for ich i just did what she had stated before. with the anti- whatever meds.

it does not really matter if either, or both of you are right. but i am actually taking both opinions. after the anti bacterial food is done i am going to stop feeding for a day or two. and start feeding him some nutritious food such as cyclopeeze or something really good like that.

i do really appreciate both your opinions and both give me good aspects to abide by. ( hope i said that right)

so thank you both. i still will keep posted up on him.

keep fingers crossed.

( i couldnt just the lfs kill him!) (just because someone mistreated him)

smiles to all!


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## cichlidaholic

Can you move some established filter media into the 40G with him? If so, this will be an "instant cycle".

You might also try offering him some frozen blood worms. Just be careful...These guys have a tendency to get "spoiled" really easily and will sometimes find foods they like and refuse other foods. And, don't feed the bloodworms to any of your other fish without making sure it's okay - they can be deadly for mbuna.

Good luck with the move!

Keep us posted on how he's doing.

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

yes, i am going to use the existing filter with media, on 1 side of the tank. which is for a 20g tank, then i also added to the opposite side of the tank, another filter for a 40g tank. and as i also said i am transferring all of the water from the 20g tank he is now to the new 40g tank. along with all existing plants and rocks n such.

and thanks!


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

update!

i have moved one eyed jack to his new tank last night!

wow! he loves it!

he just wont stop swimming. as to before he didnt do alot of. and keeps playing in the bubble stream, also likes swimming through the middle of the plants.
plus once i moved him and put food in there he was eating anything and everything in site!!

also he did start to flash, but i noticed a loose scale, probably from the net or something during the move..

also his colors perked up a bit after the move as well.

but the poor guy does have a hard time finding food on account of having only 1 eye. so it does take him longer to position himself where he can see the food to pick it up and eat it.

he tends to swim slightly sideways as if he is trying to use the good eye to scan the floor for food.

as soon as i get a new pic i shall post it below.


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## cichlidaholic

I have a trewavasae with one eye, and he does the same thing.

Glad he's doing so much better. Do you plan to leave him alone in this tank?

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

i am not sure on that. on 1 hand it is a big tank to only have 1 fish, would like to give him company but on the other hand, i do not want to stress him out specially if he was attacked by other fish before , more fish may make him more nervous!

what do you think?


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## ia246

Small easy going dithers for now, later you could try some young grow out cichlids that he could bully


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## cichlidaholic

In a 40G, once he feels like his normal self, you won't be able to put anything else in with a JD that size. In all reality, he would need a larger tank if it weren't for the missing eye, IMO. (I think you can get away with keeping him in a smaller area because of his need to be able to find food easily, etc.)

It's going to be hard to anticipate what his personality will be like once he feels safe and at home. Normally, EBJD are a bit milder tempered than the regular JD, but he's still a cichlid, and once he settles into that tank and makes it his own, he's not going to take too well to you adding anything to it! It will be all his!

Should you ever move him to a larger tank, you can try giving him a friend!

This will be your spoiled brat fish for now! :lol:

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

alone it is then!! wich is what i was thinking anyway. since he does have a hard time finding food, any other fish may get it before him and he will be sol. and thats not good!


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## cichlidaholic

You'll have to post updates for me on this guy!

I'm jealous...I miss mine... :lol:

Kim


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS

one eyed jack is my electric blue jack dempsy that i had rescued from the lfs.

he was pretty bad shape not eating, not swimming and looking horrible.

i am happy to say he is doing well.
but today i have noticed he has punctured his side on the aquarium decor currently asking for help under the disease section. but here are some updated photos of:
one eyed jack.
































































he looks so spooky in the dark!!!



















i also found out now that he has healed he actually has both eyes, the bad is is about 1/2 the size of normal and still does not look right. i guess before it was infected and just appeared to be missing. he can see out of it but not very well. he usually uses the sides of the tank to "feel" his way around the glass.

he always sizes up his food before he eats attacks it. i am gonna try to get a video of him eating its so cool he'll like line himself head facing towards top of tank tail towards rock, slowly stalk the pellet before he attacks it and gobbles it up!!

i am so glad i got him, i fall asleep every night watching his antics!!

i hope his hole heals o.k.!


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