# Red Empress gender? Pics included!



## leuge121 (Aug 3, 2012)

Hi everyone,

I have this red empress here about 2 inches, starting to get light blue around the eyes. From the pictures, do you think its a male!?!

This is my first tank and i'm new with fish, I heard about looking at their back and dorsal fins (pointed = male and rounded = female)...it looks pointed to me but im really not sure!

Please tell me what you think,

Leuge


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

I can barely see the dorsal fin from the picture. Can you get a closer shot?


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Just hard to say right now. I have two and one didn't start to really color until about 3" and the other is about 4" and just barely showing color. A closer pic as Floridagirl suggests will give us a better idea. Also...try to get the shot in profile so we can see the entire side of the fish and fins while in the up position.


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## verbal (Aug 16, 2011)

I think it will probably need to be a couple inches bigger to get a good idea of the gender.


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## leuge121 (Aug 3, 2012)

Hi guys,

I posted some pictures last time of my red empress, and was told pictures were not clear enough, hopefully these are!

Any advise on its gender is MUCH appreciated! I can see light blue around the eyes and the fins look pointed. Please tell me what you think, and yes i know its a bit early to tell but its fins

look pointed and i would be OVER THE MOON if it was a male!!

Thanks alot,

Leuge


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Based on appearance, I would guess female, but it a young fish and i'm not absolutely sure.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

I still think it is too small to tell. Give it a few more months. Sometimes it is best to either order a sexed fish or buy several at once and hope one is the sex you want.


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## ratherbfishnjp (Dec 21, 2011)

Correct me if I am wrong but doesnt that lateral line help with the species also? I have had a male and two females for some time now since they were 2 inches and the females didnt have the dark lateral line on them like the male does and he can control it to darken up or tone down.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

ratherbfishnjp said:


> Correct me if I am wrong but doesnt that lateral line help with the species also? I have had a male and two females for some time now since they were 2 inches and the females didnt have the dark lateral line on them like the male does and he can control it to darken up or tone down.


When they are that small they look identical.


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## kat12510 (Apr 28, 2012)

I have 4 red empress, 1"-1.5" in length, all their fins look identical and all 4 have blue in-between and around their eyes... and since I've got 4, I'd guess there's a pretty good chance one is a male. They all look the same still and they look identical to yours. I'm guessing were in the same boat, just gotta wait it out and see!! I've been doing more water changes lately as I've heard it gives them a boost in the growth department!


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

IME he could color up as small as 2-1/2", if he's the biggest, meanest fish in the tank. I had two color up in my grow out that small, but others in my display tank were 4". They all get a little blue around the eyes, and the dorsal on yours isn't any different than any of my juvies.

Hope he's a male! They're pretty awesome when they're showing off. Here's a vid of mine


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## leuge121 (Aug 3, 2012)

brinkles said:


> IME he could color up as small as 2-1/2", if he's the biggest, meanest fish in the tank. I had two color up in my grow out that small, but others in my display tank were 4". They all get a little blue around the eyes, and the dorsal on yours isn't any different than any of my juvies.
> 
> Hope he's a male! They're pretty awesome when they're showing off. Here's a vid of mine


WOW!!! Spectacular Red Emp!!
My largest Red Emp is about 2.5 inches but still not showing signs of colour changes, most likely due to other agressive fish. 
Finding it difficult to tell if male as their fins don't point as distinctly as peacocks. Did you see any egg spots as a juvenile?
and again wow nice red emp


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

Thanks!
Mine are easily intimidated by other fish, and I don't see any difference between them as juveniles. I see a faint red in the fins and the pointing right before they color up.


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## leuge121 (Aug 3, 2012)

Hey guys! 

Fantastic news!

We have a male red empress!

This is an updated photo of our lil guy, about 1 year later.

I will post more pictures as he starts to colour up =)

Enjoy!


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## Michael_M (May 31, 2012)

Good that after all that it turned out male. In my experience red empress grow incredibly fast, I'm very surprised yours is only that size after almost a year. It doesn't look underfed, any idea what the ppm of nitrate in your tank typically sits at?


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

Growth rate does seem slow to me as well, I've had my red empress for 1.5 years and he's almost 7", came in as a juvenile about 2".


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## k7gixxerguy (Jan 12, 2012)

Mine has grown easily an inch in about two months. It was maybe 3" when I got it and coloring up more and more every week.


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