# need their sex for my steel blue please



## warming (Jul 17, 2011)

I have a "pair" apisto steel blue from fish store guy told me.
after two week one is breed, after 3 days
all yellow white eggs are gone, then i realized they all infertile. after 2 days pass all the egg dispear. I think the female ate them.now i starting worry my two steel blue are female. coz the bigger one turn out lit bit yellowish.
but the small size yellow one is guarding the egg tho.
here is the pic. please ID their size if anyone can. Thank you!
this is the small one guarding the egg all day

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https://flic.kr/p/6017101296
bigger one, not sure sex

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https://flic.kr/p/6016551843
Thank you all


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

It look's like 2 female's to me. So sorry for ya.


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

It's a pair, the male is a definite male, he's just young. Females are not going to have the iridescent blue on the sides. I would say have a bit of patience, he may still be shooting blanks. Quite often females mature faster than males, but they'll still go through the motions. You may see two or three infertile spawns before he is capable. Don't give up on them just yet!

Steel Blues are still uncertain as a valid species, they've long been suspected of being a hybrid. However, there's nothing to suggest what species might have been crossed, and it may simply be that we haven't found out where they come from in the wild. The fact that you have a definite female is pretty amazing, as females are extremely uncommon (one of the reasons people suspect hybridization).


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

*Chromedome52,* look at the black lines on the ventral fin's. There are so many more thing's that say's it a female IMHO. Look at this image of a FEMALE.

*FEMALE*









I recently read that they now think that it isn't a hybrid and should be called Apistogramma Ã¢â‚¬Å"Blue SteelÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

His photo of a MALE has much more blue on the flanks, and longer ventrals than your photo of a FEMALE. Black on the ventrals is not limited to females, but usually is much darker on them. His MALE also has noticeably longer dorsal and anal fins.

It's a young male, IMNSHO. I repeat, give him time to mature.


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## warming (Jul 17, 2011)

Here is a better pic.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

As sorry as I am to say but IMHO its a female.


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

Dorsal, anal, and ventral lengths say male, as do the blue banding on the back edge of the anal. Females NEVER show banding in the anal fin, not on any species of Apistogramma that I've seen.

I would suggest taking the pictures over to apistogramma.com and let Mike Wise give an opinion. Not a tie breaker, but an independent opinion from the current Master of Apistos.


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

In the least it's a sneaker male, if it is a male.


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## warming (Jul 17, 2011)

here is the post i posted on apistogramma.com
http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/showt ... #post63417


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

In case anyone is following this thread and didn't notice this post today in the SA Forum: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=232540

Turns out warming's eggs disappearing was hatching, not eating. He has fry. Congrats! :thumb:


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Awesome man!


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## warming (Jul 17, 2011)

Thank you for you guys opinions and help. If I able to raise these little suckers, what should I do with them? I don't have these many tank to separate them, (a pair need 20 gallons tank.)


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Sell them!


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