honglsoi sexing

[Odile]

Hi,
I bought this this little fish for a honglsoi female, but once in my tank it appeared to have red on it's belly and on its dorsal and caudal fins... I can't find any photo of a female honglsoi with this red pattern. Is it a female or a male?

The photo is rather bad quality, I can try to make another one if it is not good enough for identifing it.
Thanks !
Odile

 

[Mike Wise]

Sorry, no photo to see. If it is a domestic color-enhanced strain it is possible for females to have some male color characteristics. Try to send the photo again, together with its size.

 

[Odile]

Hi,
I am sorry I did a mistake when uploadinig the photo... Now it should appear :

He or she is very small, maybe two or two and a half centimeters

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I can't help with sex (or species) of your cichlid, but I like the look of the Aponogeton.

cheers Darrel

 

[Odile]

Two other photos, the first one with the male

For some reason the red pattern is less visible tonigth

 

[Odile]

After checking I think it is a bit larger than what I sayed, closer to three / three and a half

 

[Mike Wise]

The 'female' is still too young/small for me to sex reliably. Still, it behavioral interaction with the male (S curved body display) is a normal female trait.

 

[Odile]

Thank you for your answers. I will wait for her to grow up a bit then

 

[Odile]

Here it is, a mounth latter

The male is showing of a lot, not sure whether it tries to seduce her or whether it is aggressivity. Is there a way to tell ? Like the way the of the other fish respond to it ?

And here is the tank they are sharing with about ten Corydora pygmaeus and a few red cherry shrimps

 

[Fikret Celik]

Hello.

A very nice tank. My idea is a tank suitable for Apistos.

How long have the females and males had come together? What is your water value?

Duration of coexistence and water values can delay mating and ovulation.

Good luck...

 

[Odile]

Thank you. I got them from a shop a bit more than a month ago. My pH is 6.8, and the water is almost fully revers osmosis water, I have a GH of 4 and KH under 1. The temperature is 26C (79 F)

 

[Fikret Celik]

Hello,

Everything's normal. Can the fish, which is regarded as female, be a male Hongsloi under the pressure of the dominant Hongsloi male?

 

[Odile]

Hello, I don't know, is there any way to know about that ?

 

[Mike Wise]

Hello,

Everything's normal. Can the fish, which is regarded as female, be a male Hongsloi under the pressure of the dominant Hongsloi male?

In a single word, yes. Subdominant males often show more female-like markings to avoid excessive aggression and, as a 'sneaker male' enter a dominant male's territory to breed with real females.

 

[Odile]

Does this mean it is not possible to know whether it is a female or a sneaker male as long as they stay together unless they breed ?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Does this mean it is not possible to know whether it is a female or a sneaker male as long as they stay together unless they breed ?

Yes, pretty much.

cheers Darrel

 

[Mike Wise]

Well, once they are 18 months old or 2½"/6.5 cm they should be able to sex.

 

[Odile]

Would a female ever reach this size? I thought it could not be more than 5cm?
The large male is often going towards the smaller fish with its fin deployed and its body bended like on the picture I posted, then fans its tail at it, is it aggressive behaviour or courtship?
Thanks

 

[Odile]

A short video of this behaviour :

 

[Mike Wise]

Looking at the video and the behavior of the fish, I would say you have a pair but the female isn't interested in breeding at the moment. Changes in food and tank conditions might encourage spawning.