# Does cichlid vendors purposely sell only males?



## jeff12 (Oct 21, 2011)

Its seems like there are only males on the market.

When you select fish, how do you pick females?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you are talking haps and peacocks, and you are talking LFS (as opposed to hatcheries or online vendors) then you are right. Colorful fish sell.

Some online vendors sell both males and females as sexed adult fish. I will buy from them.

Or I will buy 2X the number of unsexed juveniles I want and grow them out, hoping for 50% females.


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## veedubbman (Nov 20, 2012)

I have found that to be true as well. I have found that several of the sites in the sponsor listing, will sale male and females. At the local fish stores, I do what DJRansome mentioned and just buy more than origianlly planned. It may not be the best way, but it does work...sometimes. LOL.


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## Fish on Fire (Dec 13, 2012)

LFS like to sale males because they tend to be more colorful and thus people would want them more. Always better to get females from breeders when it comes to Africans.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

I have a hard time finding true males in my area as many of the Fish stores and Chain stores order peacock and haps from large wholesalers who hormone their fish. Many turn out to be female but were colored as males. Unless ordering from a reputable dealer I would never look at a colored peacock/hap and assume it was a male.

So it is not necessarily the case that all the stores are selling is males but I found it is a tank full of hormoned fish that all appear to be males. There is no way they can sex 1-2" peacocks and haps and then ship only males. First off they are too small to sex and second of all it would cost a fortune to vent every little fish and separate them according to sex.

If you go to a LFS who just received in a order of small peacocks and haps and they are all showing adult or even strong colors if any color at all and all of them are displaying this color then chances are they have been hormoned. I have over the last year or so been at my LFS's when they receive their orders and find this is happening more and more. Most of the time it is from the same wholesaler in Florida.


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## sickwithcichlids (Jun 10, 2011)

I talked to a Importer/wholesaler that told me he only sells males of some rarer Peacocks and haps so that he can keep the fish harder to find and the price up. The less people that have females the less competition in sales.


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## BarbieBubbles (Dec 29, 2012)

Sorry to butt in but what to you mean by horomoned? I just brought home 3 Electric Blue Haps, sold to me from an "all male tank" They all looked the same grayish colour at the store, and now only 3 days later 2 of the larger ones 3" are still the same grayish blue and the smaller one is a beautiful vibriant blue. What's up do you think?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Well you would not want three of the same males anyway. But hormoned means they were fed hormones to color up prematurely. It's not good for the health of the fish. Maybe yours are fine and the smaller one is dominant. The other two may never color up with him in the tank.


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## BarbieBubbles (Dec 29, 2012)

I'm thinking the other two dull ones could be females, how much bigger before I can really tell?


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

BarbieBubbles said:


> I'm thinking the other two dull ones could be females, how much bigger before I can really tell?


If you have 3 and one is a male and more dominant they can certainly start coloring at that size. Juts curious can you post pics?


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## BarbieBubbles (Dec 29, 2012)

Luv to post some pics but it's New Years Eve and the fishies are all partying I just can't focus a camera on them, maybe tomorrow? Thanks


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

BarbieBubbles said:


> Luv to post some pics but it's New Years Eve and the fishies are all partying I just can't focus a camera on them, maybe tomorrow? Thanks


Yeah, they drink like fish huh...


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