The Pink Jack Dempsey is a pale pink to white fish with a dark, gold-ringed eye. Its fins carry a soft blue sheen. It is a fish for a keeper past the beginner stage.
Did you know
Photographs of Pink Jack Dempseys have a history of being touched up. Keepers on the cichlid forums warn that most fish sold as pink are electric pinks with a slight pink hue. A strongly pink adult in a listing photo deserves a second look.
Caring for the Pink Jack Dempsey
Buy a Pink Jack Dempsey from a photo of the actual fish, since shops use the name loosely. Keep it 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. A big cichlid eats a lot and fouls the water, so weekly water changes matter. Feed quality pellets with frozen and live foods, such as bloodworms, earthworms and the odd shrimp.
It is aggressive and holds the middle of the water column, patrolling its patch hard. Tank mates need to be robust and close to its own size, because anything small gets hunted.
Pink Jack Dempseys are substrate spawners that lay their eggs on a cleaned flat surface. Both parents guard the eggs and fry hard and drive off anything that comes near. Breeding them takes a little experience. The gold and blue traits are both recessive, so a pink fish crossed to a standard Jack Dempsey gives normal-looking carriers.
Good to know
Pink is not a gene of its own, and the name is a shop label rather than a breeder's. The pale body comes from the gold trait, which strips most of the dark melanin and leaves a gold or pink base. The eye keeps its dark pupil, so the fish is not an albino.
In the wild
The Pink Jack Dempsey was produced by selective breeding and does not occur in the wild. No breeder or year is on record. Wholesalers list the fish as Jack Dempsey pink, so it reaches shops through the regular supply chain rather than from one breeder.
From published sources
Tank mates
Each fish here is named as a tank mate for the 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 a Pink Jack Dempsey a different species from the Jack Dempsey?
No. A Pink Jack Dempsey is a variety of the Jack Dempsey, Rocio octofasciata, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.
Is a pink Jack Dempsey the same fish as an electric pink?
Often, yes. Breeders use electric pink and platinum for the fish that carries both the gold and the blue traits, and LiveAquaria describes its pink as running from pink to platinum. Some shops use pink for a plain gold fish instead, so ask for a photo of the actual animal.
Does a pink Jack Dempsey need different care?
No. It wants the 55 gallon (208 liter) tank, 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) water and meaty diet of the standard fish, and it digs and defends a spawn the same way. The one shop that calls it milder uses the same sentence on its electric blue page, and no breeder reports a difference.
What size tank does a Pink Jack Dempsey need?
A Pink Jack Dempsey needs at least 55 gal (208 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What does a Pink Jack Dempsey eat?
A Pink Jack Dempsey eats quality pellets, plus frozen and live foods such as bloodworms, earthworms and the odd shrimp.
How big does a Pink Jack Dempsey get?
An adult Pink Jack Dempsey reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
How does a Pink Jack Dempsey breed?
A Pink Jack Dempsey is a substrate spawner that lays its eggs on a cleaned flat surface. Both parents guard the eggs and fry, and breeding takes a little experience.
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)