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Jack Dempsey doesn't seem to be colouring up

1K views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  derrick 
#1 ·
i have had my JD about 1.5 months now he is about 3.5 -4 inches and is growing well. However he doesn't seem to be colouring up very well. He has none of the normal speckle that I excpected to see. I even seen some at the LFS that where half the size but had amazing colour. My water parameters Are on point and is not showing any signs of illnes. And it is second in the pecking order. Is this normal?



 
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#2 ·
Well, it's a female, not a male. But the issue is most likely the colour of the substrate you have in the tank. IME they will darken up over a darker coloured substrate, but a lighter colour causes them to become very dull and washed out. Not always, but more often than not.
 
#3 ·
PS - she is either extremely fat, or bloated. You may want to look at cutting back at feeding times ;)
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the advise.and the sexing. Do you think when she is adult she'll show normal JD colours or should I expect that for ever? Also I noticed that she was fat a while back and she is actually a very picky eater she will NOT eat pellets but she will eat flakes, frozen blood worms and frozen brine shrimp she will also eat the occasional live or freeze dried cricket. So she'll sometimes go a whole day without eating because the pellets are my main food I only put in flakes so she'll eat lol and the others are just treats once in a while. And she is also just as active as the other fish
 
#5 ·
These colours ARE normal JD colours. They have a range just like most other species. I suspect she will keep her light colouring for as long you have a light coloured substrate in the tank.
 
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