Typically at what size can you sex Dicrossus maculatus

[anewbie]

I picked up a group of these and they are in that 1.5 inch range with one smaller one closer to 1.2 inches (group of 6):

This is the smallest one; at what point will they be sexable typically - if you have kept them; a google search suggest they aren't really sexable other than males being a bit more colourful and larger but it isn't like - for example rams where the females have a distinctly different pattern by the time they are 1/2 grown (3/4 inch)

 

[MacZ]

As D. filamentosus and D. maculatus are almost identical in that regard: 50% sure sexing is possible at about 3-3.5cm, 100% at just short of 4cm. So a good chunk smaller than most Apistospecies.

 

[anewbie]

As D. filamentosus and D. maculatus are almost identical in that regard: 50% sure sexing is possible at about 3-3.5cm, 100% at just short of 4cm. So a good chunk smaller than most Apistospecies.

So that picture is around 1.5 inch can you sex it which is around 3.7cm ?

 

[MacZ]

So that picture is around 1.5 inch can you sex it which is around 3.7cm ?

that fish is at best 1.5 centimeters the way it looks. 1.5 inch? Really? No way of sexing that one.

 

[anewbie]

I'll try to get better picture but i'm sure it is over 3.5 cm. They are longer than the young rams who are breeding.

 

[anewbie]

Ok i measured them the best i could - the smallest (which is smaller than the rest by a bit) is 1 1/4 inch the others range from 1 1/2 to 2 inches. The one that is 2 inches has a bit of colour in his tail but not a huge amount. The one photo was probably around 1 1/2 inch.

Can you tell me what to look for to sex them beyond colour in the tail (i presume females have colour in tail just not as much).

 

[MacZ]

Can you tell me what to look for to sex them beyond colour in the tail (i presume females have colour in tail just not as much).

It's pretty much as with D. filamentosus, it's even impossible to distinguish the females of both species sometimes. The orange/red pelvic fin colour only developes after the first spawn they say, but in fact it starts earlier.

Males first develop colour sheen in caudal, dorsal and anal fin, also the pelvic fins start to grow longer. In D. filamentosus the caudal developes the typical filaments after that.

in that phase when it is not absolutely sure yet your best bet is: Females NEVER develop blue/green reflecting scales in the face and on the body.

 

[anewbie]

It's pretty much as with D. filamentosus, it's even impossible to distinguish the females of both species sometimes. The orange/red pelvic fin colour only developes after the first spawn they say, but in fact it starts earlier.

Males first develop colour sheen in caudal, dorsal and anal fin, also the pelvic fins start to grow longer. In D. filamentosus the caudal developes the typical filaments after that.

in that phase when it is not absolutely sure yet your best bet is: Females NEVER develop blue/green reflecting scales in the face and on the body.

So i have one likely male and probably 3 femaels and 2 unknown. Right now in their non-sexual mature all 6 hang together and are pretty people friendly esp given the size of the aquarium and being wild caught. I still have problems with the discus bumping into each other while feeding and going into a panic state but these and the gbr seem to consider an opportunity to eat more.

Completely off topic but is freeze dried blackworms bad for the gbr and d. maculatus ? I feed them to the discus but they are sloppy eaters....

 

[MacZ]

Don't overdo it with the blackworms. Instead drop in some artemia nauplii from time to time.

As long as the Dicrossus move together and don't go at each other's throats nothing is settled.

 

[anewbie]

Don't overdo it with the blackworms. Instead drop in some artemia nauplii from time to time.

As long as the Dicrossus move together and don't go at each other's throats nothing is settled.

Well i'm not feeding worms to the dwarf cichild; i'm feeding it to the discus and it is something they get fed every day. I do put in other food for the dwarf cichild and htey do it but then they go after the worms

As for the discus no it is kind of weird after they get frightened of their own shadow they all collect together in the very back so the issue isn't fighting it is just bumping into each other scares them

I do feed the worms to the discus every day as it seem the only food they reliably eat. I do put in some pellets for them and some of the larger ones will graze on them during the day. The problem is when i feed them worms they are sloppy eaters so some gets into the water column.

 

[illumnae]

My LFS is getting a shipment of D maculatus from Brazil in a couple of weeks and they're marked as 4-6cm. Would they be 100% sexable at this size, and the way to sex them would be the length of the pelvic fins and colour sheen on the unpaired fins?

 

[anewbie]

Others can give you a better answer - when i had a group i really couldn't tell diddly till they reached sexual maturity and the males really shined. That was around 3 inches and a bit which is near 8 cm but others might be a lot more clever than myself after all i'm only a newbie.

 

[illumnae]

Others can give you a better answer - when i had a group i really couldn't tell diddly till they reached sexual maturity and the males really shined. That was around 3 inches and a bit which is near 8 cm but others might be a lot more clever than myself after all i'm only a newbie.

I thought they needed to be larger to sex, but I saw @MacZ 's reply earlier in the thread that they're 100% sexable at 4cm, so I wanted to confirm I wasn't misunderstanding

 

[Mike Wise]

I've seen wildcaught fish with red ventral fins that were only 3.5 cm/1.5". Obviously a sign that it was a female and had spawned in the past. Others? I just waited for the caudal to develop upper and lower extensions indicative of males. My philosophy is when in doubt buy 6.

 

[illumnae]

I've seen wildcaught fish with red ventral fins that were only 3.5 cm/1.5". Obviously a sign that it was a female and had spawned in the past. Others? I just waited for the caudal to develop upper and lower extensions indicative of males. My philosophy is when in doubt buy 6.

I assume this is for Dicrossus filamentosus? I was asking about Dicrossus maculatus

 

[Mike Wise]

Mia culpa, yes I was referring to D. filamentosus.

 

[illumnae]

Mia culpa, yes I was referring to D. filamentosus.

Do you have any tips for 4-6cm Dicrossus maculatus?

 

[KenL]

Are you able to choose them? Have a long good look at colours and behaviours.
Pick out the most likely to be male and female.
Buy 6 if they are not too expensive.
Good luck.

 

[MacZ]

About pricing: In the EU typically a juvenile under 2cm goes for 5€, a medium sized one for 10-15 and a fully grown fish for 25-30. As the usual sale size is somewhere between 1.5 and 3cm a group of juveniles is always the less pricey choice.

Buy 6 if they are not too expensive.

 

[illumnae]

I'm in Singapore and will be able to choose when they arrive. Pricing isn't an issue, but these fish are for my office tank and not home rack, so I'm trying to avoid having to catch out extras when they grow up