Sexing Firemouths

[MarkM]

First one...about 3 inches long...definately a male:

Second one...smaller...only about 2 inches long and smaller...either a juvie male or a female??

I'm thinking the second is probably a juvie male...

Can anyone confirm? They are the best pics I can get with my phone camera.

Thanks

 

[juanveldez]

first off it is darn near impossible to sex firemouths unless you vent them or they breed, as from my experince they look pretty much the same espically the sub dominate fish.

 

[MarkM]

One closer inspection I would say the male is only around 2.5 inches...and the smaller 1.5 to 2 inches...

 

[juanveldez]

just going by what I have seen from my FM tank I would have to venture to guess that the second smaller FM is a female, I would watch very cloesly after doing a large water change on the tank I have noticed that my females get very excited and often their egg tubes stick out enough that I can tell that they are female. and by large I do weekly 75% water changes on that tank

 

[jb12288]

my pair laid eggs yesterday...i noticed that the male had a very vibrant bright red belly and throat and the female did not have very much red on her belly. that is how i have always told the difference of sexes.