Sexing Young Cockatoo Cichlids?

[Sausage]

Hi, is there a way to tell what sex a young cockatoo dwarf cichlid is? I recently purshased two from the LFS they only had two left and ideally i was after two females and 1 male. The guy in the shop didnt even have a clue if the two left were male or female.

Basically is there any clear signs to sex them? They are both small only just over an inch long at the moment with thick black bars running down them. I think they may be both females, no sign of the colourful fins that the males produce but then they do look young so may not have developed yet.

Thanks

 

[ChilliPepper]

If they are anything like the Agassizi, the males are very different to the females. Much more flamboyant colours.

Have a read here http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile74.html

Two females are fine, you can then get a male to make a harem when they have a male in stock

 

[Ashley1991]

males have red colours to them the females have yellow colour to them (but some unmature males stay yellow until the dominant male leaves then they colour up red) also males are larger than females (the 2 i have the male is very big compared to the female and also males have several extended rays on the dorsal fin


ash

 

[Fats]

Sounds like they could be to young to sex at the moment,you also get what they call sleeper males with this species which look like females the all of a sudden they start to get there coloration and elongated fins,ive had this a few times. Females body will also go bright yellow when they reach sexual maturity,females will also have black on there ventral/pelvic fins where the male is more a faded bluish colour. Where abouts are you? because i have 2 stunning males and your welcome to one of them if you want.


Ian

 

[Sausage]

Sounds like they could be to young to sex at the moment,you also get what they call sleeper males with this species which look like females the all of a sudden they start to get there coloration and elongated fins,ive had this a few times. Females body will also go bright yellow when they reach sexual maturity,females will also have black on there ventral/pelvic fins where the male is more a faded bluish colour. Where abouts are you? because i have 2 stunning males and your welcome to one of them if you want.


Ian

Thanks Ian, would love one of your stunning males im from Hastings way down south in the UK, no doubt a million miles from you. By the sounds of it I have definitely got two females, so will need to keep an eye out and find a handsome male.