Thoughts on Macmasteri sex

[Judgeman]

Hi,

What are your thoughts on the sex of this fish, first 2 photos I took today, 3rd is when I first got it, I was after a male and female (4th pic is a male that i have for sure) however the male is super aggressive and just chases the first constantly.

They do tail slap each other but the bright male is so dominant to the point that I have now separated them using a tank divider - making me lean towards the first being another male rather than female?

There's no other fish in the tank, it's 100l and all water parameters are normal other than a high 7.8ph level which I'm trying to bring down slowly with peat pellets. There's tons of hiding spots, caves, plants and leaves.

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[MacZ]

No doubt, you have m and f, but there are dozens of reasons why she might be chased. The belly is not very pronounced, I would assume she's simply not ready to spawn. A full picture of the tank would be helpful. Descriptions have proven unreliable over time.

Questions:
How much peat are you using? You need a minimum amount to see any changes. The pH points towards a high KH. Without a KH-reading it's impossible to tell whether the peat does do anything.
Do you aim for breeding? If not I'd consider permanently separating them.

 

[Mike Wise]

It's either a female or a young male. I know this doesn't help, but without knowing its size, it's hard to guess. Even if it is a female, it is not ready to spawn. Note that it is the female, not the male in most apisto species, that initiates courtship and breeding. If the female is not receptive, males will often try to drive the female out of his territory in hopes that a receptive female will appear.