What is the sex of my convict?

[Sussy]

I feel like its a female but im not too sure..

 

[Sussy]

I feel like its a female but im not too sure..

Also if it helps to anyone her/his fins glow blueish/greenish when under a light, doesnt show that well in the picture though

 

[Back in the fold]

Convict cichlids are easy to tell apart . The female has red coloring in her anal fin area . It isn’t much , just a little patch but the male never has that . The females are usually much smaller than the male but boy do they have a mean streak toward the males if he slacks off . Keep in mind that if you have a pair they will spawn . Convicts are very fruitful and they are very good parents . If you’ve never seen cichlids spawn Convicts are the ones that show the breeding , egg laying and fry rearing the best . Almost any male and female will pair off and go to town and it is usually the female who initiates the action . As soon as you see her digging a pit you will have fry in about a week . Now for the downside - you will find it impossible to unload all those young Convicts . Nobody seems to want them . Convict cichlids are fun fish to watch and raise . They have a personality that I like - scrappy but gregarious.

 

[Sussy]

Convict cichlids are easy to tell apart . The female has red coloring in her anal fin area . It isn’t much , just a little patch but the male never has that . The females are usually much smaller than the male but boy do they have a mean streak toward the males if he slacks off . Keep in mind that if you have a pair they will spawn . Convicts are very fruitful and they are very good parents . If you’ve never seen cichlids spawn Convicts are the ones that show the breeding , egg laying and fry rearing the best . Almost any male and female will pair off and go to town and it is usually the female who initiates the action . As soon as you see her digging a pit you will have fry in about a week . Now for the downside - you will find it impossible to unload all those young Convicts . Nobody seems to want them . Convict cichlids are fun fish to watch and raise . They have a personality that I like - scrappy but gregarious.

Yea i researched on the orange belly, but the thing is i cant really tell if her/his belly is orange or if thats just his/her gut. Another thing is there are orange/reddish areas on her/his gill area which also makes me wonder if that counts as a female or not

 

[Colin_T]

Are you sure it's a convict cichlid (Cichlasoma nigrofasciata)?

Is the water cloudy or is that the picture?

 

[Back in the fold]

Since Convict cichlids are so common go to an aquarium shop or pet shop and look at an aquarium that has a lot of them in it and you will see the difference . Then go home and look yours over closely . Since you don’t see any color in the belly I would guess you have a male . Do you only have the one ?

 

[Ichthys]

Are you sure it's a convict cichlid (Cichlasoma nigrofasciata)?

Is the water cloudy or is that the picture?

It’s a very long time since they were Cichlasoma.

I’d say it’s a bit young to sex yet.

 

[Sussy]

Are you sure it's a convict cichlid (Cichlasoma nigrofasciata)?

Is the water cloudy or is that the picture?

Yea im pretty sure its a convict, i dont know what else it could be

 

[Sussy]

Since Convict cichlids are so common go to an aquarium shop or pet shop and look at an aquarium that has a lot of them in it and you will see the difference . Then go home and look yours over closely . Since you don’t see any color in the belly I would guess you have a male . Do you only have the one ?

I only have that one cichlid, yes.

 

[Colin_T]

Yea im pretty sure its a convict, i dont know what else it could be

Cichlasoma spilurum or C. sajica or a hybrid.

 

[Ichthys]

Cichlasoma spilurum or C. sajica or a hybrid.

It’s neither of those two species. Could be a hybrid of course, although it doesn’t look it to me.