Another Bolivian Ram Sex Thread

[Essjay]

I have had two bolivian rams since January and I still can't decide what sex they are. I chose the two that looked the most different and behaved differently. The first two pics are of one fish, the second two are of the other. Appologies for the pics - the white patches on fish 1 are reflections, and fish 2 wouldn't pose nicley Sorry they are a bit blurry, you can tell I'm not very good at taking photos.

Fish 1

Fish 2

Fish 2 is more colourful than fish 1, and fish 1 has taken to nibbling fish 2 if that helps.
Any ideas? To me they both show signs of being both male and female

 

[ian]

they both look like males to me.

 

[minxfishy]

Both look male to me too.

 

[Curiosity101]

Agree with the above. I'd put my money on 2 males.

 

[Essjay]

So what's the best thing to do? They are in a 125 litre tank, is there any chance they'll live there nicely together or is it just a matter of time before things turn nasty?
The bigger, less colourful one has started 'nibbling' the smaller more colourful one. So far there is no sign of any damage. The small one has a visible 'breeding tube' but the large one doesn't. Is it just a question of time before they start fighting?

 

[Curiosity101]

I had two boys in my 125, the eldest was clearly dominant and really persued the younger one for quite some time. (months). I left them together because no real damage was being done and eventually it stopped. They is barely any bickering now and they sometimes swim with each other.

 

[Essjay]

That's good to know. These two swim together a lot too, it's only every now and then the one nibbles the other. They both seem to prefer the same corner of the tank, which is why I was worried. But there's no sign of damage, not even the tiniest chunk out of a fin.
Obviously I'll keep an eye on them, but unless they do start to fight, I'll leave them alone.