# question about sexing



## phish phan (Jan 1, 2015)

from what *** been reading most male electric yellows have black stripped fins and somewhat faint black stripes on the bodies. Is this always true? im trying to keep four females to my one male. any advice would be great. thanks a bunch!


female?


male?


male on left? female on right?


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

You cannot tell by the coloration alone, but the all yellow fish, and anything you got at the same time will be hybrids.


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## PhinFan1981 (Nov 15, 2014)

Females have the black stripe too.The one with no stripe may be a metriaclima hybrid. In my experience any yellow lab I have had male or female has the black stripe. The one you have without stripe doesn't look like the right body shape to me either. I'm not an I.D. pro as some here are,but I guess you have 1 yellow lab and one hybrid.


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

All yellow labs, male and female, should have black fins.


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## phish phan (Jan 1, 2015)

is it hit or miss when trying to get the right male to female ratio? id like to try to keep everyone in the tank as happy as can be. if all yellow labs have the stripe how do you tell male from female?


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## The Cichlid Guy (Oct 18, 2014)

Venting is the only reliable way to sex many monomorphic cichlids. There are articles on this site that can teach you how to do this.

To achieve the proper ratio, you usually start out with double the amount of fish you want to keep, then rehome the extra males as they mature.


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## phish phan (Jan 1, 2015)

Im kinda bummed out to know I have a hybrid in the tank but I do think it is a cool looking fish and I love its bright yellow color, and of course im glad its very healthy and seems happy in its current home.


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## phish phan (Jan 1, 2015)

*** since got two new electric yellows one is starting to show some black, "very faintly though" and the other seems to be all yellow. the yellow lab seems to be hiding more now with the introduction of the other two yellow guys. I set up video to capture the tank for long periods of time and have not seen any type of bullying at all. is it possible the one true yellow lab is avoiding the others cause they are different from him?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Yes.


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