Archivarium 2004

Oscar916 · Members Joined: 15 Mar 2005

Hi guys.. I told you guys that I bought 2 1" babies from petsmart. They had green terrors and jack dempsey frys in the same tank. I told them to give me one of each. At first I figured that the dark one was the jack demsey and the greyish one was the green terror but these guy can change their color with their mood and sometimes they look exactly alike!! how do I tell the fry apart or how do I know which species they are? do you guys have any fry pics? Question

Ken · Members Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Location: Union City, CA

With experiance, these two fish will look as different to you as night and day, but a couple of easy to see differences are: the Jack dempsey will have a red (not orange) edge along his dorsal fin, possibly a couple of broad vertical dark lines along his sides and blue "spangling" on at least his face, if not his whole body.

The Green Terror will have orange (or rarely white) along the top of his dorsal fin AND at the edge of his dorsal (tail) fin. The Terror will have green/blue lines (not spangling) on his face, and when healthy and happy, a single black spot on his sides.

Be prepared for both of these fish to grow fairly large and for one of them to probably kill the other when they get to be about three or four inches long.

My money is on the Green Terror.
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@-McP · Regulars Joined: 24 Jul 2004

Ken I agree that they will kill each other. Although not before the shelldweller that is in with them. That is assuming the oscar doesn't get them first. If its left to the 2 of them I don't know...I've heard a JD got easily tear up a Green Terror. I think it will depend on the individual fish. Keep us posted on how long these fish will co habitate before killing each other...you sure proved everyone wrong.. Rolling Eyes

Oscar916 · Members Joined: 15 Mar 2005

Ken · Members Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Location: Union City, CA

I would have to guess then, that you don't have any green terrors at all then, and they are probably both Jack Dempsey's. Jack Dempsey's can look wildly different from one another, while Green Terrors generally share the same basic look.

Take a look at the Green Terrors in the Gallery and pay close attention to the facial markings, these markings generally look the same from the time the baby is half an inch long until it is fully grown. Once again... Lines, not spots.

Ken
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Leave "acting stupid" to those people who can't help it.

Oscar916 · Members Joined: 15 Mar 2005

thanks. I'm almost pretty sure they're both JD. I guess I'll be sure when they grow a lil bigger though Very Happy

Oscar916 · Members Joined: 15 Mar 2005

Hi guys, the fry are a little bigger now and now one of them has permanently tuned dark grey with black bands. and the other one is still always a light silverish, it doesn't turn dark. After my research I have come to a conclusion that both of these little guys are JD fry. But why are they both different colors, is that the diff between the males and females? Because during feeding time when I turn on the tank light, I notice that the darker one usually swims around the lighter one, and the behavior seems like its trying to attract the lighter one. But they're both still 1".. isn't that too young to be mating? Confused

elTwitcho · Members Joined: 15 Feb 2005

Color can be strange in some cichlids. My green terror for instance (pic attached) is a much lighter skin tone than a lot of other terrors who have a dark bluish skin tone, and the same seems to happen with a lot of Jack Dempseys. Some have dark blueish skin tone, and others have light beige coloration, and it has nothing to do with male or female, it's just different color morphs.

There's my terror, you can see that his skin coloration is much lighter

than the green terror in the profile here (http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_terror.php) yet both are males. Mine also has different tail banding (white saum) which is another variation in color among the same sex and species.

Oscar916 · Members Joined: 15 Mar 2005

^ wow thats really pretty. I thought all green terrors were silver. But I love this shade...
See the only reason I thought mine are a pair is because of how one seems to perform this "dance" infront of the other and follows it everywhere.. I've had tiger barbs that used to display same sort of behavior and I had found out they were a pair later on. So I was thinking this is the same case here.

Psyfalcon · Regulars Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Location: New Jersey

1 inch is probably too small for mating, but may not be too small for pairing. They may pair, and then beat the snot out of each other until they are ready to breed.

If you can get any pictures, it will be a breeze to ID them for you. Smile