# Deep water hap sexing



## cvilapla (Jun 17, 2008)

How large does a deep water hap need to be before they start showings signs if they are male?

Do the females develop the a slight blue sheen as well?


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## Dacrittergitter (Dec 28, 2008)

I can't accurately answer your first question. I have an adult pair and some 5 month old fry I'm growing out but nothing in between. Best guess they start to become sexable between the 3-4" mark. As far as the female showing blue, not much. The flash from my camera picks up a little blue sheen on the female but it's not noticeable under the tank lights.


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

As an additional data point.

I had a Pl. Electra that was close to four inches that both I and another guy with 30+ tanks and a lot of experience though was male as, _he_ was as blue as the male in your picture and very aggressive, dominant fish in the group of Electras he had grown out - though _he_ didn't have the fin development. Didn't know _he_ was a *she* until *she* was put into my all-male tank and the tank pretty much blew up until _he_/*she* was removed half an hour later.

*She* ended up holding (and ultimately spitting) via a male Taiwan Reef that was growing out in the same 40 breeder and she was still as blue as your picture, though again without the fin development.


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## Catfish Dan (Apr 12, 2011)

I agree- these guys are very tricky to sex. We had one in our "all male" tank for about 15 months. All heck broke loose one night and one of our prized boys was killed, just like that. After careful observation of this sudden aggression in the tank we pulled the deepwater, who was apparently a girl, and returned her to the LFS. Calm returned within a day.


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