Sexing Discus

[apisto_uk2]

Hi,

I've recently purchased a nice pair of golden discus...(put a picture in when they come out of hiding!!) and want to know how to sex them. One is about five inches and the other is four inches. I know that old males get elongated points on their dorsal fin but this seems to happen less and less these days with the fish I see. I was wondering if anybody had any tips or pointers that I should look out for.

At present they seem to get along fine and do "display" to each other but what should I look out for?

Cheers

Apisto.

 

[Cian McLiam]

The only way to tell for sure is when they are spawning, the male will have the pointy breeding tube and the female will hav the fatter rounder one. you probably know this already so the other means of telling are a bit unreliable but go like this:
The males head will sometimes be noticeably larger and rounder from the side, the females will be smaller and pointier, the males caudal and Anal fin as you say, may be longer and wider. The ventral fins may show differences in the finger like extensions, the first ray in the male is longer but doesnt protrude much out from the shape of the fin, the females first ray is shorter but sticks out from the fin a bit more. A diagram of this would make it much clearer!

I dont know how reliable any of these methods are but the breeding tubes are 100%

Ken