The electric pink Jack Dempsey is an off-white fish with orange to pink blotches. It is priced above the gold and is an intermediate fish to keep.
Did you know
Electric pink Jack Dempsey fry come out deeper gold than their siblings, with faint gray bars. Their blue shows only weeks later. One breeder in 2018 sorted his spawn by hand into golds, electric blues and electric pinks.
Caring for the electric pink Jack Dempsey
Keep an electric pink Jack Dempsey singly or as a bonded pair in a tank of at least 55 gal (208 L). Give it a soft sand or fine gravel bed to dig, with caves and rockwork to claim. Skip loose plants, because it uproots anything not anchored well, and expect the decor to be rearranged.
Run the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Keepers report that it is as sensitive as an electric blue, so keep the water clean and the tank mates gentle. A big cichlid eats a lot and fouls the water, so make weekly water changes. Feed quality pellets with frozen and live foods, such as bloodworms, earthworms and the odd shrimp.
The electric pink is aggressive and holds the middle of the water column. Anything small gets hunted, so choose its tank mates with caution.
Electric pink Jack Dempseys are substrate spawners that lay their eggs on a cleaned flat surface. Both parents guard the eggs and fry hard, and breeding takes a little experience. A gold pair that both carry the blue gene throws about one electric pink in eight fry, along with golds and electric blues. Whether two electric pinks breed true is untested, and breeders expect the same frail fry that blue to blue spawns give.
Good to know
In an electric pink Jack Dempsey, gold strips out the dark base and blue lays a metallic overlay across it. Its eye is dark, with a yellow ring.
In the wild
The electric pink is a hobby-bred line with no wild counterpart. It first appeared in US forum sale threads in 2012 and 2013 under the platinum name. A Portland, Oregon seller offered fry at 15 dollars. No originating breeder is named anywhere. A handful of breeders have raised it since by crossing electric blue and gold stock.
From published sources
Tank mates
Each fish here is named as a tank mate for the electric pink Jack Dempsey by at least two published care guides. Aquarium Source recommends keeping it on its own instead. These pairings assume a tank of 130 gallons (500 liters) or more, with caves and broken sight lines.
Is an electric pink Jack Dempsey a different species from the Jack Dempsey?
No. An electric pink Jack Dempsey is a variety of the Jack Dempsey, Rocio octofasciata, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.
What makes an electric pink Jack Dempsey different from a gold?
The blue. An electric pink carries two copies of the electric blue trait on top of the gold, so it shows more blue on the head, fins and flanks over a paler, off-white base. A gold keeps a warmer gold base with a few flecks. The same fish is sold as platinum.
Why is an electric pink Jack Dempsey so expensive?
Scarcity. A pair of golds that both carry the blue gene throws about one electric pink in eight fry, only a few hobby breeders raise the line, and no farm produces it. Early AquaBid listings asked 100 dollars for a 1 in (2.5 cm) fish sold as platinum.
What size tank does an electric pink Jack Dempsey need?
An electric pink Jack Dempsey needs at least 55 gal (208 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What does an electric pink Jack Dempsey eat?
An electric pink Jack Dempsey eats quality pellets with frozen and live foods, such as bloodworms, earthworms and the odd shrimp.
How big does an electric pink Jack Dempsey get?
An adult electric pink Jack Dempsey reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
How does an electric pink Jack Dempsey breed?
An electric pink Jack Dempsey lays its eggs on a cleaned flat surface, and both parents guard the eggs and fry. Whether two electric pinks breed true is untested, and breeders expect frail fry from such a pairing.
What fish can live with the electric pink Jack Dempsey?
9.8 in (25 cm)159 gal (600 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
9.8 in (25 cm)75 gal (285 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
9.8 in (25 cm)74 gal (280 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
9.8 in (25 cm)79 gal (300 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
10.2 in (26 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)