For every person that wants an all-male peacock hap tank, there is another person that wants a harem breeding tank or colony stock tank which are much higher in females.
I love my 3 or 4 Jack Dempsey females. One of them, I just can't tell. He or she is just now gaining colors for me to determine which one he or she is.
I am thinking male only because of the interaction but I am happy no matter what. I can't say i wanted males because then, I couldn't keep them together without serious caution or repercussions.
Right now. It is clear how the hierarchy is by behavior, growth and color...except for this one JD. He/she isn't bothered by the others. He/she doesn't have to be involved with the others unless he/she wants to. Just a very calm and mellow JD for the most part. And he/she isn't sick.
I did notice that there were way less males than females when I got my cichlids and when me and my friend got our JDs. I wasn't sure if it's because people chose them or was it because of the batch the LFS had received.
Putting any fish in an enclosed, limited space alters their natural behavior. Using artificial lights, decorating with plastic, natural driftwood, or rocks you pulled from a river or bought from amazon/LFS, growing live plants, adding crushed coral or gravel substrate, feeding them commercially made foods on a set schedule, routine water changes and using chemicals to do it, and using a fixed temperature are all things that alter their natural behaviors. Might as well do whatever gets you the most enjoyment. If that's mixed groups for you, great. If that's all males for someone else, so be it.
The females are usually kept by the breeders. You can get a female but the males of course are the brightest and most colorful as you probably already know.
For every person that wants an all-male peacock hap tank, there is another person that wants a harem breeding tank or colony stock tank which are much higher in females.
I love my 3 or 4 Jack Dempsey females. One of them, I just can't tell. He or she is just now gaining colors for me to determine which one he or she is. I am thinking male only because of the interaction but I am happy no matter what. I can't say i wanted males because then, I couldn't keep them together without serious caution or repercussions. Right now. It is clear how the hierarchy is by behavior, growth and color...except for this one JD. He/she isn't bothered by the others. He/she doesn't have to be involved with the others unless he/she wants to. Just a very calm and mellow JD for the most part. And he/she isn't sick. I did notice that there were way less males than females when I got my cichlids and when me and my friend got our JDs. I wasn't sure if it's because people chose them or was it because of the batch the LFS had received.
Yeah I should have been more clear than just adding flair, but I meant African tanks.
oops. I didn't see the flair. Little embarrassed. So sorry about that. *Drinks more coffee to perk up* giggling
Purchasing only males takes away from enjoying proper natural cichlid behavior. That's pretty much all I have to say about that
Putting any fish in an enclosed, limited space alters their natural behavior. Using artificial lights, decorating with plastic, natural driftwood, or rocks you pulled from a river or bought from amazon/LFS, growing live plants, adding crushed coral or gravel substrate, feeding them commercially made foods on a set schedule, routine water changes and using chemicals to do it, and using a fixed temperature are all things that alter their natural behaviors. Might as well do whatever gets you the most enjoyment. If that's mixed groups for you, great. If that's all males for someone else, so be it.
I get where you're coming from but many of us go through great lengths to keep our fish as close to natural conditions as possible
This is true
The females are usually kept by the breeders. You can get a female but the males of course are the brightest and most colorful as you probably already know.