Need help sexing Apistogramma cacatuoides

[Captain holt]

About a month ago I purchased two Apistos on a whim and now I’m worried that I might have two males that will stress out everyone in the tank whilst fighting.

I would really really appreciate some help in determining their sex, so I know if I need to return one

So far they like to chill together so I’m hoping that the second one is a female

Third photo is for size comparison
Thank you in advance!!

 

[itiwhetu]

At a guess I would say you have a male and female. But the fish in photo two looks like a female in photo three, actually could be a juvenile male when it is in photo two. So time will tell.

 

[Colin_T]

First picture is definitely a male.
Middle pic could be a really young male if it was on its own but the two fish hanging out together is a pair (1 male and 1 female).

Two males would not hang out together and if they were both the same size when you got them, then 2 males would be the same size now. The fact one is double the size of the other indicates the smaller one is 99.9% female (assuming it is the same age as the male).

 

[Captain holt]

Thank you for the advice! If by chance you have any ideas, can you identify what kind of cacatuoides the big male is by his markings?

 

[Captain holt]

Two males would not hang out together and if they were both the same size when you got them, then 2 males would be the same size now. The fact one is double the size of the other indicates the smaller one is 99.9% female (assuming it is the same age as the male).

I’m not too sure if they’re both the same age... I did however buy them at the same time from the same aquarium. The bigger one follows the small one around the aquarium and occasionally ‘charges’ at it but they also sleep in the same cave so I’m not too sure if that helps at all

 

[Colin_T]

If they sleep in the same cave they are a pair.

The male is just a normal domestic captive bred yellow fish.
Red fish had red in the fins, orange fish have orange in the fins, yellow have yellow in the fins.

The female looks more orange fin

 

[Captain holt]

Thank you! Much appreciated!