Fake or male? - rams

[mixmixi]

Hi

I'm new to this forum so sorry for any mistake in advance. Could anyone tell me if my rams are male or female? There are 4 of them, three golds and a German. The pictures are not a repeat but of them all.

 

[mixmixi]

Sorry my autocorrection changed the word "female" to "fake", lol

 

[MickeM]

Hi mixmixi + all !

The fish in the last pic is a female... notice her pink-redish/thicker belly (eggs)!! + she is probably a little bit smaller than the males..
All the others looks like males... (more elongated dorsal +anal fins + the first 1-3 dorsal spines(?) are extended )


You will probably find that all the males will "flash" in front of her + swim around her with sudden body movements..??
They are called "Butterfly-cichlid" in swedish...
I think I`m being correct when I say that the original Ram was described with the old scientific greek/"latin" name Papiliochromis ramirezi. "New" name is Microgeophagus ramirezi..(??)
(I think Papilion means Butterfly in french ??)

They most often breed and lay the eggs on a flat surface.. !! (Big-leafed-plant/root/stone/ on the sand )
Both male and female guards the eggs/fry... in small pits they dig in the sand.. But it might be difficult to get surviving eggs/fry if you have got predatory catfishes or tetras in the same tank!!! ( Catfishes are strong fishes and might have a "shielding harnesk-body" and often search for food at night, not easy to stop )
If you are lucky, you`ve got freeswimming fry in approx. 8-10 days after breeding..!!



/MickeM