Female Borelli or Sub-Male?

[Paulvechkin]

im sure you guys get 100s of these questions but I can't seem to find a definitive answer for myself.

So I purchased these two apistos under the name "Borelli" and they look they part, I can't tell if my smaller one is female or a sub-male. It's way smaller than my male but still has the blue specks on its cheeks, but it's body is more yellow than the one I know is male. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Paulvechkin]

This is my sure male

 

[Gillie]

I can't see the fish in question well enough to say male or female, but you do have sp. Steel Blue not borellii.

 

[Paulvechkin]

(S)he tends to stick to the darker corners in plant cover so I can't get the best photos. Hopefully this one is better. Is steel blue not a variance of Borelli?

 

[Mike Wise]

No, these are 2 very different species.

 

[Paulvechkin]

Alright noted, any clue if I have a female? It has black lines on its pectoral fins which I've heard is a indicator of it being female? True?

My Panduro's where much easier lol

 

[gerald]

Maybe female - can't really be sure yet. Time will tell. "Steel blue" is a captive-bred strain or hybrid of A. caetei or its close relatives, so most of the info you find on that species should apply to steel blue too. They are difficult to sex, and females are not common in the pet trade. The commercial farms apparently raise them in conditions that favor males.

 

[Paulvechkin]

New pics, first two are of my possible female.
The second two show my make starting the go blue.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
The first one does look like it might be a female. Your Nerite(s) seems to be doing well, do you know how hard the water is?

cheers Darrel

 

[Paulvechkin]

Yah my two nerites are very fertile lol.
My water here in Alberta is hard, which I know isn't ideal but the breeder said both parents were tank raised and Bred in tap water here, so there's hope they may breed.

 

[gerald]

That's good you got locally-bred fish - more likely to have both sexes -- and if not, at least you know where to get more. There's several Apisto species that do pretty well in hard water, even if it's not their native water conditions.

 

[Paulvechkin]

That's good you got locally-bred fish - more likely to have both sexes -- and if not, at least you know where to get more. There's several Apisto species that do pretty well in hard water, even if it's not their native water conditions.

Yah locally bred is a must where I live.PH and hardness here are both high and without an RO system or chemical buffers it's impossible to lower. My Panduro's just bred in tap water, though the eggs didn't hatch or the Angels got the fry (55g tank)