Venting diagram
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I know there was a link posted on here on how to vent tropheus. You can tell by the vent or the slope of their head and their lips.
Edit:
I found the link and here it is. Not the best but it gives you something to work with.
Edit:
I found the link and here it is. Not the best but it gives you something to work with.
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not exactly tropheus but helpful!
http://www.malawimayhem.com/articles_venting.shtml
http://www.malawimayhem.com/articles_venting.shtml
Yes I am going by the lips at the moment, but I just want to make good and sure when I separate my colony is all. (I think venting is the only sure fire way to sex them)
The reason I am thinking about separating my colony is to get some of the older dominance out.
My colony is a mixture of wild and f1 fish. Some of them are getting old and I have a good group of young guys coming up... I have 40 fish in a 125g. :wink:
The reason I am thinking about separating my colony is to get some of the older dominance out.
My colony is a mixture of wild and f1 fish. Some of them are getting old and I have a good group of young guys coming up... I have 40 fish in a 125g. :wink:
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Ah, I have females who jawlock. I would never rely on lips alone.
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Gerry had a female that dominated his tank. He thought it was a male until it spawned and released eggs.Xenomorph said:
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Actually, the two dominant fish were female. :lol: They both held territories and they both jawlocked with males who were challenging for dominance.
Probably some juiced female that had trouble understanding her place :lol: . My males are 6"+ and there's no female challenging their position. I had no such problems with the Moliros either, but I don't rule out what you're saying. I am merely saying it's less likely to be females than males. Venting would make it certain, but the initial jawlocking marks might serve to ID males within the colony.
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I tend to agree with both sides on this. Most males can be spotted by behavior and body size and mouth shape but you can get a suprise. I had a "male" Sp red 5" when perchased with its mate that held a territory was pretty dominant in the tank (about 2 foot cubed) territory that 2 years later turned up carrying eggs. 
. I then knew all the "females" young must have been hybrids. :? :-?
Change my mind on the sex of a few individuals in the Kasanga group for a number of individuals over the 5 years I had em.
Never vented them.
Had a dub 6" + that if you did not see the male or it looking after its young, you would be convinced was male.
Vent them to be sure. :thumb:
. I then knew all the "females" young must have been hybrids. :? :-?Change my mind on the sex of a few individuals in the Kasanga group for a number of individuals over the 5 years I had em.
Never vented them.
Had a dub 6" + that if you did not see the male or it looking after its young, you would be convinced was male.
Vent them to be sure. :thumb:
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Even venting is not a "surefire way". The sad fact of the matter is that there is no surefire way. Its more of a proponderance of the evidence. To be mostly sure one should note color and size, watch behaviour, check lips, and vent. Then one can be about 90 percent sure; but to be 99.99 percent sure, the fish must be proven. However, even proven fish have been doumented to actually change their sex if they are in a group of all the same sex, much like an amphibian. So there really is no "surefire way".
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In the fish over 3.5" you can vent and just about get 99% accuracy as long as you have some experience with doing so.
Here are some guidelines that will help.
The vent is the hole closest to the caudal. (the tail)
The anus is the hole closest to the head.
If the vent is the same size or smaller, or long and narrow than the anus this is almost certain to be male.
If the vent is larger or more wide or more cuped shaped it will be female.
Fish under 3.5" almost impossible.
About the only way to make mistakes are with unspawned females. That sometimes can be classified as males.
Behavoir, and physical traits that everyone has listed is good ballpark for most. If you want certainity..venting is only way in my opinion.
Here are some guidelines that will help.
The vent is the hole closest to the caudal. (the tail)
The anus is the hole closest to the head.
If the vent is the same size or smaller, or long and narrow than the anus this is almost certain to be male.
If the vent is larger or more wide or more cuped shaped it will be female.
Fish under 3.5" almost impossible.
About the only way to make mistakes are with unspawned females. That sometimes can be classified as males.
Behavoir, and physical traits that everyone has listed is good ballpark for most. If you want certainity..venting is only way in my opinion.
I always start by looking for females in the tank, they usually have what looks like a dent just above the eyes when looking at their profile. Thats the first indication, then i net them and vent them to be sure.
Here 's a pic of my Bemba's. Female on the right
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The male has no "dent"above the eyes, has steeper "forehead" and of course the white lips.
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opcorn: I've spent way too many hours of my life staring at these guys LOL
Here 's a pic of my Bemba's. Female on the right
The male has no "dent"above the eyes, has steeper "forehead" and of course the white lips.
opcorn: I've spent way too many hours of my life staring at these guys LOL
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Sexual plasisity in cichlids (males breeding as males and then changing to females or vise versa (as in many marine fish)) is a bit of an interest of mine.tropical_tails said:
Please can you give some links on the evidence for this?
I would love some of the stuff I wrote on this subject to be proved wrong. :wink:
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While it's not directly related to fish switching sex midstream, I did recently hear a very famous diver/photographer speak to his belief that there are many species in lake tang, including tropheus, that are not necessarily one sex or the other after brooding. And that in fact it could be as long as 9-10 months before a fishes' sexuality is determined. He spoke of featherfins in particular, of which I have personal experience (non-scientific, mind you) of seemingly young females emerging as males a year down the road.
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