The LPS sold me these as a Male and Female, but I'm not convinced on the female... SO any of you clever lot out there be able to give me a hand on this one? It's not a problem if they're both males, they have plenty of space and places to hide and they get on fantastic. The Male is quite obviously a male, hes very showy and colourful, the female when we bought her was quite pale (although since bringing her home and settling in she's brightened up loads!). She also has a shorter body length than the male, and a bit smaller, but then again, she could just be a young male
Sorry for the pictures, I tried to get the best ones to be able to sex her from... Didn't help the male kept photo-bombing the pictures XD
And that last picture... well it just made me laugh...
I would suggest that two females is more likely, or a pair. But you can tell this better by just observing how they interact.
Two males will not be quietly swimming side by side as in some of the photos here. Females may do this.
The best way to tell a pair is to observe the fish in the store tank for some time, say 15+ minutes, without moving [your movement can distract them, depending]. The males will easily be seen as challenging each other, while the females will not. But more importantly, you need to get a male and female that have bonded, and this will be obvious if one of the males allows one of the females to remain close, and while they may not interact, the male will be keeping others away from them.
Ahh Thank you I'm pretty sure the other one is male, I was watching them for ages in the store (took forever to get served, plus I was being picky on which ones I wanted!). He was the biggest one out of all of them in the store, the most colourful, and he looked like the most dominant - he was constantly being very showy, flaring his fins at the other males. He's absolutely lovely in the tank with the other one though, so maybe they are a pair? They don't leave each-others side.
Wooooo I hope so! I always much prefer keeping them in male/female pairs, they always seem to stay much happier, and it seems a lot more, natural, like... thats how it should be Thanks for the help!
They are still youngsters and not showing full coloration yet, but I would say they are both females, even at this age if they were both males they would be squabbling and gaining a pecking order, male and females do not usually squabble but swim freely not really swimming together, two females stick together.
mature males are larger have brighter coloration and longer-bodied than mature females.
Female ram cichlids, on the other hand, do not have the extended dorsal and ventral filaments; have a shorter, more stocky body compared to that of males and often a sport a reddish-purple abdomen when in good condition, you can see in your photos the reddish/pinkish coloration beginning to show on both fish, this turns light purpley pink in adulthood.
Hope this helps
Mandy, Marine Biologist/vet
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