An electric pink Jack Dempsey is an off-white fish with orange to pink blotches and blue flecking on the head, fins and flanks. The eye is dark with a yellow ring. Shops and breeders also sell the same fish as a platinum Jack Dempsey. It is scarce, bred by a few hobbyists rather than farms, and priced above the gold. Keepers report it as sensitive as an electric blue, so keep the water clean and the tank mates gentle.
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, and an AquaBid listing asked 100 dollars for 1 in (2.5 cm) fish. No originating breeder is named anywhere. A handful of breeders have raised it since by crossing electric blue and gold stock.
Good to know
An electric pink carries two copies of the gold trait and two copies of the electric blue trait at once. The gold strips the dark base and the blue lays its metallic overlay on top. That is why the fish shows more blue than a gold. A gold pair that both carry the blue gene throws about one electric pink in eight fry, along with golds and electric blues. Breeders sort the electric pink fry by their deeper gold color and faint gray bars. Whether two electric pinks breed true is untested, and breeders expect the same frail fry that blue to blue spawns give.
Did you know
A hobby breeder who worked the line in 2018 started from two gold parents that carried the blue gene. He sorted the spawn by hand into golds, electric blues and electric pinks. The electric pink fry came out deeper gold with faint bars, and their blue showed only weeks later.
Common questions
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.
How big does an Electric pink Jack Dempsey get?
An adult Electric pink Jack Dempsey reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
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)