# How can you tell if your cichlid is a male or female?



## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

How can you tell if your cichlid is a male or female? Sorry I have no idea...


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## ashilli48 (May 14, 2006)

http://www.fishhead.com/articles/ventsex.htm


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## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

thank you for the link


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## ashilli48 (May 14, 2006)

says it better than I could.


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## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

:lol: but it is still a little confusing...


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## ashilli48 (May 14, 2006)

yeah, I heard it takes practice.... like the first time I tried to release fry from a yellow labs mouth....looked easy in the video


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## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

If I want to buy a male and female, does someone from the pet shop know it?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

In my experience, not usually. You can order sexed fish online from certain vendors if you are willing to pay extra.


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## fishman13 (Jul 27, 2009)

Males have a lump on the forhead when they are at breeding size and the females will be smaller than the males or have a straight forhead. :thumb: :dancing: :fish:


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## ashilli48 (May 14, 2006)

fishman13 said:


> Males have a lump on the forhead when they are at breeding size and the females will be smaller than the males or have a straight forhead. :thumb: :dancing: :fish:


No offense for sure but that is pretty generic and not too much help. Not all fish (cichlids) develop the nuchal hump or anything close too it.

Only a small piece to the puzzle, like species, color, fin shape and size, etc.


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## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

I just got a pair of convicts, I can't which one is the female :lol:


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

CoolCichlid said:


> I just got a pair of convicts, I can't which one is the female :lol:


With convicts, females will exhibit red coloration on their bellies and sometimes dorsal fin. Males will grow larger, develop a small nuchal hump, and will have longer fins.


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## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

BlackShark11k said:


> CoolCichlid said:
> 
> 
> > I just got a pair of convicts, I can't which one is the female :lol:
> ...


Oh thank you for that


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