Apistogramma Macmasteri Sexing

[Curiosity101]

I think the black lines you are seeing are just the normal faint lines of males. Females are much more defined (as in my blurry pics).

See http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/349363-my-macmasteri-have-spawed/

It's the thread I'm going to put together from my macmasteri that have spawned (in the 35l)
There is a picture of the small female who spawned if thats any help.

 

[neo83]

I think the black lines you are seeing are just the normal faint lines of males. Females are much more defined (as in my blurry pics).

Think i have to agree

See http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/349363-my-macmasteri-have-spawed/

It's the thread I'm going to put together from my macmasteri that have spawned (in the 35l)
There is a picture of the small female who spawned if thats any help.

Thanks for the pic. Btw, can we exchange fish

 

[Curiosity101]

Lol, afraid not. Although I am having to sell them all in the near future due to an imminent house move (to the US lol).

I've got someone coming around tomorrow who might want to buy all my tanks and stock cause he's setting up a fish house.

 

[neo83]

Lol, afraid not. Although I am having to sell them all in the near future due to an imminent house move (to the US lol).

I've got someone coming around tomorrow who might want to buy all my tanks and stock cause he's setting up a fish house.

oh well! good luck moving to US. Sad to hear you have to give up all your tanks and stock. I'm sure you are going to have new one's once you get to US. Wish i was the one setting up that fish house

 

[neo83]

Curiosity101 and others, please i have added a new video in the first post. I understand everything is pointing for it to be male, but could you please check the video, if you don't mind?

Thanks

 

[Curiosity101]

They're not really showing off to each other imo. One male is being dominating, and the other one is being as un agressive/under the radar as possible.

Put it this way, when my male and female display to one another there is ALOT of shimmying and 'vibrating', they do a little bit of the tail flicking your male is doing... but much much more intensive. Also the female flips over onto her side below the male.

Plus judging by their size comparative to the ram... the second fish is pretty well grown. By now it'd definitely be yellow seeing as it's in with a mature male. I reckon the drabness and slower growth you're seeing (which makes you think it might be female) is due to it having completely adopted the sub dominant role. And you'd also be seeing the females ventral stripes and such.

I'll spend the next 10 mins trying to get you pictures of my smallest female so you can see how clearly she is female even at such a young age. And I'll take a couple of my 'sub dominant' male, who is only just starting to colour up now I've taken the large male out. He's actually sub dominant to the point that my female is chasing him around the tank trying to breed. lol. It's rather funny to watch.

 

[Curiosity101]

My little female

Her posing (in the darkest part of the tank may I add... I had to edit the photo to brighten it)

The arrow is pointing to the big black spot where the ventral stripes meet. Then there is a black line down her underside/tummy. I tried to get a full under body shot but without sitting here all day it's unlikely unless I try bribery with bloodworm... sorta hold it above her and make her 'beg' for it then take a picture when she's showing her tummy... don't think I'm that ambidextrous though lol.

Oh and hopefully in the first picture you can see her 'female' shape. Distended stomach etc cause she's getting ready to spawn properly. I tried my large male in with her earlier as I figured he'd be more able to deal with her advances. Which was true, he jiggled and vibrated right back at her... but now my sub dominant male decided the beat the hell out of him... so I'm assuming the two smaller ones have actually sorta pair bonded. And will give the smaller male a chance to just mature, as I figure he will breed when he's ready. And it's not an 'if' so much as a 'when'.

 

[Curiosity101]

Here you go, a quick video cause I couldn't get a decent picture of her tummy stripe. I was actually trying to get a picture of them 'flirting' but the male just isn't interested at the mo. As you can see at the beginning he goes to hide behind the filter.

 

[neo83]

Curiousity, i honestly can't thank you enough. Thanks again for the quick detailed replies and for the pics and the video. Do appreciate it. Oh well, i tried enough to make it a female, but i give up now

 

[Curiosity101]

I am sorry my replies completely went against what you wanted. But at least you know now, and I'm completely certain of my opinion of it being male. And at least you have some more tips for trying to pick your own female if they have one.

 

[neo83]

I am sorry my replies completely went against what you wanted. But at least you know now, and I'm completely certain of my opinion of it being male. And at least you have some more tips for trying to pick your own female if they have one.

No no, please dont be sorry. You have been a great help. Now i understand more because of the pics/videos/explanation given by you. As a newbie, you always look for pics to understand better and i'm hoping this thread will help and lot of beginners like me. It's not over yet Need to sex the new Macmasteri female and Bolivian female i'll be hopefully getting soon Hope you are up for it

 

[Curiosity101]

With bolivian females it's a nightmare. When I went to get my four I have ended up with what I 'think' is 2 males and 2 females. I'm about 90% sure about one female and 80% about the other. I had picked them as 1 male and hopefully 3 females (based on physical characteristics at the store) and from behaviour + physical changes I've come to the conclusion of 2male and 2females. But I can only really be sure of the females being females if/when they spawn. Although my big male spent alot of yesterday being a fishy plow (so funny to watch, mouth open pushing gravel) and making himself a nice big 'pit' next to his rock. So hopefully one of the females will give in.

Only tips I can give for when you're looking is to look for a round stomach. And not just at the front (that's the actual stomach), but sorta broad at the front but still chunky towards the middle. Side on my females are a bit rounder rather than long in comparison to my males, not much of a nuchal lump (google it lol), and if you can ask for them to be fed that could help. Cause with full stomachs they tend to put their breeding tubes down. With males it's a little wedge on their underside. With females it's a thick tube. It wont neccessarily point straight down (although it is more down than backwards), but the point is it's wide and blunt. As upposed to small, pointy and wedge shaped in the males.

 

[moochy13]

im sorry i cant help, but ive got to say those are some nice fish.

however, im more impressed with how your ram appeared from the undergrowth, flared a bit, then swam off just as a perfect piece if music started playing on the video.....most amusing.

 

[neo83]

im sorry i cant help, but ive got to say those are some nice fish.

however, im more impressed with how your ram appeared from the undergrowth, flared a bit, then swam off just as a perfect piece if music started playing on the video.....most amusing.

I'm telling you moochy13, i don't think i would ever love any other fish more than my bolivian ram (probably a bit extreme). I was supposed to be taking a lot more pics/videos of the smaller Apisto, but took lot more pics of the bolivian ram instead. At the end when i was taking the video, i just couldn't resist including him when he swam into the frame, you would see i kind of zoomed out a bit then Glad you noticed it. And he was looking much more beautiful last night

 

[neo83]

With bolivian females it's a nightmare. When I went to get my four I have ended up with what I 'think' is 2 males and 2 females. I'm about 90% sure about one female and 80% about the other. I had picked them as 1 male and hopefully 3 females (based on physical characteristics at the store) and from behaviour + physical changes I've come to the conclusion of 2male and 2females. But I can only really be sure of the females being females if/when they spawn. Although my big male spent alot of yesterday being a fishy plow (so funny to watch, mouth open pushing gravel) and making himself a nice big 'pit' next to his rock. So hopefully one of the females will give in.

Only tips I can give for when you're looking is to look for a round stomach. And not just at the front (that's the actual stomach), but sorta broad at the front but still chunky towards the middle. Side on my females are a bit rounder rather than long in comparison to my males, not much of a nuchal lump (google it lol), and if you can ask for them to be fed that could help. Cause with full stomachs they tend to put their breeding tubes down. With males it's a little wedge on their underside. With females it's a thick tube. It wont neccessarily point straight down (although it is more down than backwards), but the point is it's wide and blunt. As upposed to small, pointy and wedge shaped in the males.

Thanks again. 'making himself a nice big pit next to the rock' - don't you just love them. I just sit near the tank and drool at that sometimes and my wife thinks i'm sweet sometimes and mad most of the time . I'll try and see how much i can identify the features. I probably wouldn't get a very small fish (agree?), but more to the size of the bolivian i have. Think he is around 2 inches or just over. All the bolivians i have seen in LFSs' near me have very young bolivians. Hopefully i'll find something at this size. BTW, is it possible to say the age based on the size of the bolivian?

Also, if you don't mind Would you mind posting pics of your bolivians and also the rocks being used for them

Thanks