Help sexing my Apisto's

[j.thomson]

Hey there, Looking for some help sexing the apistos i got. The one with spots is the more aggressive and chases the brighter orange one. The orange will often do what its doing the picture shows its belly and then hides. I love these guys already. They are currently in a 29 gal cube heavily planted. Going to be going into a 40 gallon breeder soon

 

[Mike Wise]

I always have problems sexing domestic strains of A. cacatuoides from just photos. That being said, my guess is that you have a young (smaller) male and an older (larger) females.

 

[j.thomson]

Thanks mike do you think that the more orange one being submissive is the female ?

 

[Mike Wise]

The larger fish with more orange in the fins is possibly a female. Like I wrote before, I always have problems sexing domestic strains of A. cacatuoides from just photos.

 

[j.thomson]

The one that is less dominant is getting a little more yellow.

 

[MickeM]

Hey there, Looking for some help sexing the apistos i got. The one with spots is the more aggressive and chases the brighter orange one. The orange will often do what its doing the picture shows its belly and then hides. I love these guys already. They are currently in a 29 gal cube heavily planted. Going to be going into a 40 gallon breeder soon

Like Mike W. says... it is hard to tell.. what size are they??
From the first 2 pics I would guess it is 2 females..(at least if they are 2,5cm/ 6inches or bigger)..
Due to the short 1-5 spines in the beginning of the dorsal-fin + relatively short length and broad black markings in the pelvic-fins ...+ not so elongated tips of the dorsal+ caudal fins ) ..

The orange one "must" be a female (after watching your latest 2 pics..) !! She is so yellow in color..
I still think the 2nd one is a female also.. since a small male often would "take over/charge" when put in a new tank with no other/competetive males in it!!
.. and when so.. the male fish body itself+fins may grow/develope remarkably fast ..in just a few weeks or a month...if water conditions+ food is OK!! (Probably since no other and more dominant male can oppress his natural physical developement!..which often is the case in a breeding tank with many larger/stronger siblings around!!??)

But on the other hand.. a small male may stay small.. if a large female keep on dominating(oppressing) him !!
And..2 females may lay eggs together even if no male is present, but then only one of them will guard the unfertilised eggs (The most dominant one!!).. until fungus shows on the eggs!!
Actually.. In my childhood I had a large A. macmasteri female laying eggs with a pink male of Archocentrus(?) nigrofasciatus (Convict Cichlid)..
This started off my Apisto-"period"/interest....(never ending..??)..