Yellow Labs

[_]im]

Now I know their hard to sex. I have 2 currentely, when I bought them one looked like a female and one a male. Now it seems the male has lost its dark anal fin color and a lot of its more prominent black striping, could this be a girl then? I figure they're large enough to sex, but I'm unsure of how I might go about it now!

Thanks for any help!!

 

[keane]

Hi,

I am in the same position .

I have four Labs and just can't figure out what sexes I have.

Hopefully someone will help us both out quite soon .

steve

 

[freddyk]

There really isn't a sure way to sex them except for venting. Males may grow faster though isn't always the case, and males tend to have darker finnage though this is far from always the case.

You can tell by their behavior if you're used to keeping them, but otherwise you're pretty much waiting for the females to hold to be sure.

 

[_]im]

I have two of them in a 10 gallon until midweek, which is larger than the tank I bought them out of! Still is this okay for a while if I leave them there, I have plenty of rocks/caves and there is only two of them about 1.5 inches.

Thanks, I hope I can sex them fairly soon, although I'm sure its a male and female!!

 

[vantgE]

Depending on the size it might work for a month or two, I had some in a 10 gallon for three months after I bought them

 

[_]im]

Thats what I may do.

The only concern I have is that the fish will think they have too much territory for when i get my other 5 labs, since I have the same amoutn of rock I'm putting into the 33 gallon. I may have to just buy more lava rock so there's more places to claim. haha

Thanks!

 

[vantgE]

I don't know If i'd keep seven toghether in a ten Mine were pulled before they reached three inches and I kept four mbuna in it, not something I eould recomend but if you have to it'll work

But get the 33 setup asap

 

[_]im]

No no, I just mean house the 2 labs in a 10 gallon for a while. When I get the 33 gallon is when I get the other 5. That sound good?

 

[pinkpufferfish]

I have successfully identified male and female labs, and they have breeded believe it or not! What happened was my male is extremely aggressive, and there was only one female..so after the breeding was complete, he wanted more, and he chased the female around until she swallowed her eggs and died. I plan on trying again now that I have more knowledge and put in 3 females to keep him busy. Then I will remove my females and have them mouthbrood their eggs until they hatch. Females are more smaller, and the shape of their head identifies them from males for me. Some people can't tell. The males have a sort of dark mustache over their mouth and of course more robust..so it's how I know.

 

[_]im]

ever hear of a female being more aggressive? I seem to have one, mind you they are only a bit over an inch long but the male seems to sit in the corner with no caves and the female has total run of my 10 gallon right now, haha does this sound right?

Thanks

 

[Angry_Platy]

Simple. Males have an egg spot and females don't. Even very young labs will have this.

My males also have a LOT of black on their dorsal and ventral fins. They are larger and also do the "epileptic fit" thing a lot.

 

[_]im]

What does this egg spot look like???

and I had what I thought was a male with the black anal fin, now it doesnt have black on it anymore, haha explain that one...if you can, i swore it WAS there now its not!

Thanks

 

[freddyk]

These markings come and go depending on the cichlids age and mood. This is why it's not very reliable. I've seen males without egg spots.

 

[Angry_Platy]

The egg spot os a pale yellow ""spot" on their ventral fin. It is really obvious. It is used to stimualte the female into breeding with the male/collecting the eggs with her mouth etc.

 

[petey Z]

dont females have fake eggs spots sometimes?