Please Help Me Resex My Ram

[bagu]

Heya,

The story is as follows... I went to my LFS a month back now (probably longer) and brought me 2 German Blue Rams (GBR's), i got told they were a Male and a Female. After having them for a few days, one used to chase the other, bullying it; the bully then turned ill and sadly passed away

So there i was, wondering if i actually did have a male and female, so i posted some pics a week ago and got told i had 2 females

So i went out at the weekend to my LFS and picked up a nice big hefty male; he looked stunning in the tank! so i brought him; he did have minor fin damage; but i hoped it would heal. I came home, and after an hour, i let him in...

All seemed fine and dandy, at first i thought they were eying each other up, and hour later there was minor aggression. I asked for help on here, and after an 1.5-2 hours i rescaped and let the new MALE ram in, then the supposed "FEMALE". Still they fought, i woke up today to see the Male has had his poor fin bitten and bitten =( its very very upsetting

My dad asked me to PROVE i had a Male and female, but now im questioning my skills, and want your opinions. Just the supposed female to be sexed, the other is a male 100%.

Someone sexed this one as a female before, and said pink bellies can happen with the presence of another male; but still nothing, and looking in the LFS, all of there rams ALOT smaller than this one, had pink bellies screaming out =/

PLEASE HELP!

please help, if it is a male this is stupid

bagu

sorry for spam! i hate this poor fish being bullied

 

[TigerIssey]

Bagu, all of the finnage is still female traits. The only way this can be male is if it is bred from hormone enhanced stock. The hormones can mess with the sexing characteristics, I have sexed another couple of rams on another forum that had the same problem. Apparently the hormones interfere with the offsprings characteristics.

The other persons rams both had pink bellies and one was showing male finnage and other male characteristics. I am finding this more often lately.

 

[bagu]

Bagu, all of the finnage is still female traits. The only way this can be male is if it is bred from hormone enhanced stock. The hormones can mess with the sexing characteristics, I have sexed another couple of rams on another forum that had the same problem. Apparently the hormones interfere with the offsprings characteristics.

The other persons rams both had pink bellies and one was showing male finnage and other male characteristics. I am finding this more often lately.

Hey

so you are saying i have a female, but some characteristics are male, as in the belly?

 

[azzaknight]

to me they both look male but only 65% sure. i would move this to the new world cichilids sextion as i think you will get more responses there.

 

[blue acara]

The fish pictured here is male 100%. Females have some pink on their belly and have a more rounded body than the males.

more detail in link
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34986

 

[bagu]

eeeeek =/

Im not sure anymore =(

the dorsal fin on mine is rounded at the end, the photos show the female has that, and the male has it pointed.

But the anal fin looks male, and so does its colors =/

arghhhh not good =(

 

[TigerIssey]

Thats why I say the finnage is female. The posterior dorsal and anal fins are rounded, this is female trait, the anal fin does not go past the junction between the body and the tail, again female trait. There are no extended dorsal rays anteriorly which is also a female trait, the pink belly does not always appear yet, this is missing (only bit).

If there has been aggression on introduction, you can try to rearrange the decorations in the tank, rams are always aggressive to newcomers.

 

[bagu]

Thats why I say the finnage is female. The posterior dorsal and anal fins are rounded, this is female trait, the anal fin does not go past the junction between the body and the tail, again female trait. There are no extended dorsal rays anteriorly which is also a female trait, the pink belly does not always appear yet, this is missing (only bit).

If there has been aggression on introduction, you can try to rearrange the decorations in the tank, rams are always aggressive to newcomers.

heya!

Its very comfusing

But i have now rearranged twice, the other ram scours the tank looking for the male =/

 

[minxfishy]

Looks male to me.

 

[DJ ArKaDaRkA]

ive got the same problem i think males are just hard to come across

 

[minxfishy]

ive got the same problem i think males are just hard to come across

Its usually females I found hard to find. One of my LFS said the breeders hold back the females.

BTW to whichever Mod moved this from Tropical discussion, you moved it to the wrong place, Rams are New World Cichlids, not African

 

[bagu]

HEYA!

so i have a male yes? this isn't good at all =(

my LFS has plently of females, so and least something will be going right !

thanks for help, anyone want to add anything? also this shud be in new world lol!

 

[bagu]

right, i have hinted to a bloke alot older than me about my ram issue, im waiting for an email, he might take the victim of bullying off my hands. I feel really bad.

 

[MalawiHero]

I love rams to death and I would positively ID this fish as a male german blue ram. My reasoning being bluespots inside of the black blotch in its side and absolutely no pink on its belly. He also looks kind of hungry from that slightly sunken belly.


IMO,
Hero

 

[Mikaila31]

I say male as well.