# Male or Female OB?



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

This one has got me stumped. This is the most aggressive fish in my tank, but not sure on the sex.


----------



## Jaffy (Jul 10, 2010)

Looks like it might have a slight blue on the face suggesting it may be an upcomming male. In my experience with these guys, they get mean right before they color up. I had one that was solid orange like yours then turned a nice marbled blue shortly after deciding he was big enough to be a pest.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Looks like a male with the shape of anal/dorsal fins.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

It's become a mean mother... lol. I dont see the blue that you see though. It's always chasing that poor dragon blood you see in both pictures. At what size do they start to get blue? I have another one that is about 2 1/2 inches and has much more blue. This one is about 3 1/2 inches or so?


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Was it more colourful when you bought it? Quite often these OB's are hormoned at an early age, so even females would take on male characteristics, such as elongate fins. The only way to tell is to vent it, or wait until it breeds.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

It's color has not changed at all since buying about 5 months ago. I have an all male tank, so hoping it does not breed! ;-)


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> It's color has not changed at all since buying about 5 months ago. I have an all male tank, so hoping it does not breed! ;-)


How is it getting along with your sunburst?


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Funny you ask, chases him around all the time, acts aggressive toward him much more then the ohers. I bought him as a Dragon Blood.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> Funny you ask, chases him around all the time, acts aggressive toward him much more then the ohers. I bought him as a Dragon Blood.


Dragons blood, sunburst, etc...are basically the same I have found out except for some are more red, more orange, more pink, etc...Yours looks like mine. Very pretty fish.

They chase each other because they look similar. Since I started by new tank I have had a dominant male albino eureka red peacock. Well....a couple weeks ago or so I bought a sunburst and as soon as he entered the tank the albino went CRAZY. I added a few other fish at the same time. The albino was chasing only the sunburst because they look so similar. They are the same size...the sunburst maybe a bit bigger. The other fish I added the same day were a lot smaller but looked nothing like the albino so he didn't mess with them. I removed the albino to my 30g and going to keep him there till about christmas and then move him back. I think he mainly went ballistic because I had a couple females in the tank that I didn't know were females. A female fryeri just started to lay eggs that very same day...bad luck. I hope when I reintroduce my albino all will be well for the most part because all the females have been removed. I am sure there will be a little dominance play by both of them but expect them to sort it out fairly quick...I hope.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

I still wonder how fish know they look alike. It's not like they have a mirror to look into. :-? I'm just hoping the OB turns out to be a boy. I hate to have to rehome fish. When I bought the dragon blood/sunshine, he was a bright pink, great color, but faded to the orange after a day or 2. Would love to find one that would stay pink.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> I still wonder how fish know they look alike. It's not like they have a mirror to look into. :-? I'm just hoping the OB turns out to be a boy. I hate to have to rehome fish. When I bought the dragon blood/sunshine, he was a bright pink, great color, but faded to the orange after a day or 2. Would love to find one that would stay pink.


LOL...you and I are quite alike. I have been having the same issues...we have a lot of the same fish and wondered as you how they know what fish looks like them. I know that african cichlids are among if not the most intelligent fish on earth. I saw a documentary on them the other day and was quite amazed. They are pretty intelligent for a fish.

I have seen some at live fish direct, a sponsor of this site, and they have videos of their dragons blood that you can buy. Theirs are very nice. Very pink and purple.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

I think I need to make a new stock list, as I just added 6 more today. I have been VERY lucky :::knock on wood::: to have not lost any fish from fighting, so took a little more risk with my recent purchases. Will check out live fish direct for sure. I'm having the hardest time finding a Phenochilus Tanzania, I know of a local breeder, but he sales them so small (1 1/2 inches) and the few I bought became very expensive fish food.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> I think I need to make a new stock list, as I just added 6 more today. I have been VERY lucky :::knock on wood::: to have not lost any fish from fighting, so took a little more risk with my recent purchases. Will check out live fish direct for sure. I'm having the hardest time finding a Phenochilus Tanzania, I know of a local breeder, but he sales them so small (1 1/2 inches) and the few I bought became very expensive fish food.


This is why I set up a 30g grow out tank. I currently have 2 small peacocks, a small red fin I am hoping is a male, a sulfur head or red empress(not quite sure yet) and my old tank boss...albino eureka red peacock(3.5"). Funny though...he doesn't mind the smaller fish.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

So this fish turned out to be a female? I agree with fogelhund that it is possible this fish was hormoned. That could explain the fin shape and the aggressiveness.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Yep that's her. Have had her for 5 months or so?


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

It is just really hard to say with man made hybrids. They are very unpredictable. Are you going for all male tank?


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Yes, was positive this was male. Look at all those egg spots!  But at least I know I don't have a sick fish. I'm curious as to what could have happen if I just let her stay in the tank.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> Yes, was positive this was male. Look at all those egg spots!  But at least I know I don't have a sick fish. I'm curious as to what could have happen if I just let her stay in the tank.


Hard to say. I know when I had a few hormoned fish in my display tank and they got ready to spawn it was WW3. There was a lot of chasing. The male who wanted to spawn with the female would chase all the other males to the top and side of the tank.

How big is your display tank? If it is around 4' then hard to mix them with more males than females.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

It's 6' long 125.

Here is a picture before I added plants and a 2nd light. She is actually in the right lower corner in this picture.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> It's 6' long 125.


You say she was the dominant fish in the tank before you took her out? How did the tank behave after you took her out? Did they pretty much get a long before or was there a lot of chasing and fighting?

If you don't want to raise fry I would go for an all male tank and take her back. I know it is hard to take a fish back once you have had it for a while but you may be better off in the long run. It just depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you have 1 female in a tank with all males it is going to cause problems down the road especially as they all start to mature.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Everything is the same. Only change is my dragon blood no longer hides, she always chased him into hiding. Looks like my front is also coming out more. It has always been a relatively piecful tank. Maybe I could sell her some where local. I bought her from a place that was 3 hours from home, I was having a hard time finding ob's at the time.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> Everything is the same. Only change is my dragon blood no longer hides, she always chased him into hiding. Looks like my front is also coming out more. It has always been a relatively piecful tank. Maybe I could sell her some where local. I bought her from a place that was 3 hours from home, I was having a hard time finding ob's at the time.


Yep....I would take her to another LFS and trade for something else if you don't want to drive 3hrs again.


----------

