• Hello guest! Are you an Apistogramma enthusiast? If so we invite you to join our community and see what it has to offer. Our site is specifically designed for you and it's a great place for Apisto enthusiasts to meet online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your fish and tanks and have a great time with other Apisto enthusiasts. Sign up today!

xHelp sexing young German Blue Rams and Electric Blue Ram

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,201
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
As Darrel wrote, check humeral spot:
more oval w/blue spangles mostly along the edges = male
more round w/blue spangles also in the interior = female
 

Chromedome

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
98
From what I see in the photos, I'd say you have two females, one dominant and colored up, the other submissive, with the dorsal folded down most of the time. I did not see any Electric Blue Ram.

Spangles present/absent in the humeral spot is not a dependable characteristic. I've had breeder males with the humeral spot almost obscured by blue spangles, and I've seen numerous females with the spot completely black. I think that characteristic varies by population, but that's just a guess. I do know for certain that it varies.

Females will get a round, red abdomen when in good health, and have shorter ventral and anal fins. I've found that on normal finned varieties the anal of the male will usually extend beyond the beginning of the caudal fin, where it does not in females. Males also have a longer point on the ventrals. Body shape in general tends to be more elongate in males and "stubbier" looking in females, probably because of the extended abdomen.

The front dorsal extensions, which used to be considered a dependable characteristic, are only obvious in very mature fish. Older males have very long extensions when compared to the females.
 

Ade205

Active Member
Messages
172
Location
Swadlincote, England
I agree with Chromedome. The more colourful fish is female, the less colourful fish I'm not so sure, but my guess would be female.... how big are the fish? I've literally bred thousands of gbr's and they are usually sexable and spawning but 1'' long, females often even smaller!
Here's a pic from a group of 100 plus I'm growing out currently... a young male, 5 months old at 1'' max in size, maybe a tad smaller, guarding his infertile eggs!
Screenshot_20190207-045722.jpg

Have to say I love rearing large groups of Rams. Their antics and little scuffles between rival pairs over their chosen spawning sites, and singles trying to get in on the dating scene action, are very entertaining!!! There's a lot going on all the time in a tank full of teenage gbr's!

Ade.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
17,915
Messages
116,199
Members
13,027
Latest member
tonc61

Latest profile posts

Josh wrote on anewbie's profile.
Testing
EDO
Longtime fish enthusiast for over 70years......keen on Apistos now. How do I post videos?
Looking for some help with fighting electric blue rams :(
Partial updated Peruvian list have more than this. Please PM FOR ANY QUESTIONS so hard to post with all the ads poping up every 2 seconds….
Top