Electric Blue Jack Dempsey (Rocio octofasciata cf)

An Electric Blue Jack Dempsey, Rocio octofasciata cf, is a naturally-occurring colour morph of the Jack Dempsey Central American Cichlid. Among freshwater aquarium fish, this Cichlid is considered one of the most beautiful.

In comparison to the natural standard Jack Dempsey colour morph, the Electric Blue Jack Dempsey reaches a relatively small size. If possible, keep the Electric Blue Jack Dempsey in an aquarium of at least 190 litres, although a larger aquarium would be better. In case you plan on keeping live plants in your aquarium with Jack Dempseys, choose plants that are naturally well rooted into rocks or driftwood, or choose thick-leaved plants to prevent them from rearranging their habitat.

A well-designed aquarium with plenty of space and good decor will make them excellent community fish. These Cichlids prefer large aquariums with similar-sized and peaceful tankmates. Generally, these Cichlids are shyer than many other Cichlid species and do not exhibit aggressive behaviour like many other Cichlid species. Therefore, keeping these Cichlids individually or in a small group with only a few other tankmates would be the best solution.

When breeding, they become far more aggressive, and they will undoubtedly hold their own against more aggressive tankmates. The best thing you can do for these Cichlids is to provide them with a cave or something similar that they can call home.

There is a compact and stocky body shape to the Electric Blue Jack Dempsey Cichlid. They are among the bluest freshwater fish in the hobby because of their brilliant blue colouration. Iridescent and metallic blue dots and broken lines contrast with the dark brown background of these Cichlids.

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Feeding

In the home aquarium, the Electric Blue Jack Dempsey will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.

Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.

It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.

This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.