finally i found a fish store that has juvenile jags, earlier i was gonna buy a pair of them but since i moved my Os to the tank which i got for jags, now i have jus 48x21x21 tank free. so im gonna buy only a male jag and he will be alone until i buy a 60x24x24 tank.

the question i have is how to pick a good looking jag, since they are juveniles its bit difficult for me to predict how would they develop their patterns, this is gonna be my first jag, so i have zero experience.

As far as picking one that will have good colour when its gets big i cant help you as i have only bought 2 (at the same time)

However when picking a healthy fish there are a few things to look for. For starters pick a good shop- i am guessing you have already done this.

Check there are no ill looking fish- if there are dont buy and go back later to make sure that the ill fish isnt diseased with something that can/has spread. Check the eyes to make sure they are not cloudy, dont buy any fish with clamped fins or skinny looking fish. Ask them to feed them- this not only lets you know they are eating but also lets you know what they are eating! Finally pick a lively fish that is swimming around. Dont be afraid to point out the fish you want, dont be fobbed off with the shop worker grumbling about catching it- any good shop will catch the fish you ask for

if your getting your jags young like under 4 inches in lenght good luck sexing out a male. and as for pattern they change rather dramatically from juvies to adults. like delboy said try to pick the largest healthiest one they have and then its up to you to give it a good diet and clean water to get it to grow.

as for your 60x24x24 tank you plan on having for the jag and tankmates be carefull not to overstock simply because jags are quite territorial and do get rather large when fully mature. a tank of that size wont look as big when you have a mature male jag in it..........

thanx for the advices guys, but have few more thins to know
what would be the best coloration, more black spots or less, i saw some of them were really dark.
i am gonna keep just a pair of jags in 60x24x24 tank when its up n running. apart form convicts none of my fish have bred so far, so im really looking forward to have a pair of these guys.
the 60x24x24 tank i checked is done with 10mm glass, would it be enough since these guys are known to be tank busters.

in regards to colouration its really hard 2 judge, for example i bought a new baby tiger oscars abotu 2 weeks ago and its jet black with an almost silver stripe thru it...i know it wont stay that way as most baby fish change colour as they grow, the best thing u can do it pick the healthiest fish and hope its colour is how u want it as he grows

yeah it is hard predict and that's what im worried of too, cuz i have no experience in keeping jags. when i bought my 7inch tiger O he had very tiny red spots like 5% of his body maybe even less, but now over 75% of his body is red. they go through a rapid color development as they mature, hope its the same with jags too

never had jags so not sure m8 but i imagine it wont be so dif to o's!