285 replies to this topic

[Peckoltia]

Finally took some average pics of my Mangrove Jack. One thing that has suprised me about this guy is how variable his colour can be over the course of a day. Usually kicks around in a pretty silvery/white colour with red in the fins, when he is feeding or a little pissed off he will go a deep red metallic colour, although I didn't really manage to capture this colour.

Probably about 20cm or so. An animal when it comes to feeding time, but doesn't hassel tank mates at all. Lives with mixed malawis.





Alex

[ice]

Nice one mate! Looks like he still hasn't filled out quite yet Hopefully he stays nice and peaceful for you, would be awesome to keep one in a community tank. Looks nice and healthy! No substrate??

[Peckoltia]

Yeah no substrate in the tank its in. I don't usually run substrate in my tanks. Bare bottom on the way!

[ice]

Fair enough man, why don't you run substrates? You're missing out on lots of cool behaviour, my jack digs and moves gravel and rocks and whatever the hell else is around to where he likes it. If you move stuff around he gets all shirty and moves it back. He even used to pick up odd shaped or coloured rocks and put them in a pile outside his log in the old tank. Not many odd ones in the new tank, its all black haha.

[Peckoltia]

Unless you are running and undergravel filter it is just a good place to build up waste in. My tanks aren't really centred around pretty decor. I prefer to have the centre pieces of my tanks to be the fish. It's just my way of fish keeping, mostly started keeping pretty bare tanks with tankbusters that are very messy and inevitably hurt themselves on rocks/wood. There is another little MJ down at malaga I was considering grabbing that one too and trying my luck with two in the tank.

[ice]

It would sure as hell be an interesting experiment, cant help but think one of them would end up getting smashed though...

[Peckoltia]

Any updates for us Ice?

Alex

[ice]

Will try to get some new pics up soon dude! He's getting rather large though. The two remaining scats are still alive and kicking somehow haha.

[Peckoltia]

Nice one man, look forward to seeing the pics. Does yours change colour a lot over the course of the day? Mine is like a chameleon. Sometimes turns a white colour with different shades of gray and other times it is deep red/burgundy. Usually looks the best (red) while eating and straight after a water change, when excited.

[ice]

Sure does mate always changing colors, mines the same when feeding or excited but he gets white bars also. How big is yours now?

[Peckoltia]

Hasn't really gotten much longer. 20 - 22cm ish has gotten a lot taller /thicker lately.

Alex

[SIXFOOTLONG]

how is he going with the tank mates? do you think that its because you have a bare tank and there is not really a territory that he has nothing to protect ?

or do you think he is just well natured ?

[Peckoltia]

Still fine with the tank mates. Could just be because he is still pretty young or could be good natured... Time will tell though.

[ice]

Well, here's the update for you guys.

Jack has now well and truly nudged over the 30cm mark and is healthier and more insane than ever, incredibly i've still got two scats doing quite well in the tank although he is bashing one of them around the tank as I type this. Unfortunately the smaller scat just didn't grow fast enough and it was only a matter of time before it became a play thing. Kind of like a kitten to a greyhound, didn't last a day once he figured it out. He proceeded to carry it around the tank for the entire day before devouring most of it in his driftwood fish lair.

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Jack gets a diet of Massivore pellets, NLS Thera A (steals it from the scats even though they are tiny pellets), Aqwotix chilli red pellets and fresh seafood. Gets a 50% water change and a gravel vacuum every weekend. Tank as you can see is chockers with wood and 100% fresh water so not what some people would call ideal conditions for a jack but it's what i've had the most success with. Not sure if its because mine is from north Queensland and maybe they like different water parameters? Who knows!

Either way its the most intelligent and inquisitive fish i've ever come across and I still get surprised by some of the random stuff that he does. Here's a few photos of the big guy in all his glory. Enjoy.

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Big beautiful lips.
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Teeth just keep getting more and more nasty.



-Dave

Edited by ice, 23 November 2011 - 11:23 PM.

[changy]

wow magnificent fish, look at the size of those chompers!

[Peckoltia]

Great update man, that Jack is looking 'red' hot! Some serious teeth on that guy.

You obviously take great care of him, cheers for the update.

Alex

[ice]

Awesome stuff mate, I've seen how big they get first hand diving and fishing off barrow island in the north west of WA, I caught one up there around the 80cm mark. It was an absolute horse, thought I had a shark on the line haha. God knows what ill do if mine ever gets that big, indoor pond or something I suppose.... Skip the malawis mate, get yourself a jack Or do what Alex has done and get both at the same time!

I think they school with other fish to try and get an easy meal and maybe even for safety, I used to see them quite often schooling with spanish flag and fingermark. I suppose they are all in the same family of fish though so maybe they are more comfortable with each other. Who knows!

[Peckoltia]

Great pics mate. Not upsetting anyone with the pic of the dead jack. I do a lot of fishing too. Gotta eat!

Took some more pics this morning, Jack is doing well. Still fairly placid in nature.

[ice]

Looking good mate! He must think he's a Malawi haha