Telling the sex of baby Chiclids
4 posts
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snookfishin85 - Posts: 18
- Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 6:26 am
Telling the sex of baby Chiclids
Is it possible to tell the sex of young Chiclids they are only about 1/4" to 1/2" in length and I would like to knkow if there is a possibility of them breeding in my tank. I think it is really cool how the babies are cared for by the father and it's fun to watch but I'm not sure I will be able to house all the young after they breed.
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miami754 - Posts: 373
- Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:18 am
What kind of cichlids are they? For most cichlids, they will not breed until they are 2.5" - 3" in length. Also, it is difficult to tell the sex of many cichlid species until they reach sexual maturity (and some you can never tell the difference without venting). If you tell me what species you have, I will have more to work with.
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snookfishin85 - Posts: 18
- Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 6:26 am
I know for sure one is an electric yellow chclid the other blue and black striped ones I am stuck between 2 because they are still very small and the ones i've seen are mature we also have one with strips that looks just like the electric yellow in a way and the final two are bright orange but they are all very small so its hard for me to tell what species they are yet
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miami754 - Posts: 373
- Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:18 am
Well, you aren't going to be able to tell the sex of the electric yellow fry. They only develop their distinct markings and size difference when they reach sexual maturity. They will not breed until they are around 2.5-3". The blue and black striped ones may be demasoni. Even as adults you cannot tell these guys apart as the males and females look identical. The only way to tell is if you see a male shaking to entice a female or through a process called venting. If they are demasoni then they will reach sexual maturity when they are a little shorter than the yellow labs (2" or so) as they do not reach the same adult size as the yellow labs. Your bright orange ones sound like red zebras. Again, you are going to have a hard time sexing them as the males and females are identical until they reach sexual maturity. They should start to breed around 2.5-3".