# Sexing Australoheros Oblongum



## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

I have seven and am waiting for a pair to form so I can remove the rest. I assume the large Alpha in the tank is a male. He is coloring up nicely and is almost 4".

Some of the other smaller one are getting picked on a bit. It's only a three foot 46g tank. No crazy aggression but a bit of chasing and ragged fins.

Any way to sex these guys and gals?

The larger ones are growing very fast. I love the species.










Thanks....Bill


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## CHK (Jan 12, 2007)

That is one pretty fish. :thumb: I think you use good food. When I use NLS, they show very nice colors, so I am sure you are using something similar or better.

The males will show trailing edge extensions on the dorsal fin and will grow larger than the females, so that is how you can tell. Sometimes, for those on the line, make your best judgement


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Thanks CHK. I feed them Hikari Cichlid gold and flake and krill.

Its just that the male is showing no interest in chosing a mate and aggression is getting me a little concerned in this small a tank. Should be fine for a pair but not seven.

Water temp in this tank this time of year is 80* (no heater) Will be mid 60's in winter in this room. Do you think this is why no interest in spawning? Willm adding a little cooler water when doing a water change help?

I not neccesarily in a hurry for a spawn but need to thin the herd.

Thanks for the great fish and all your help.

...Bill


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

LOL. Looks like I spoke too soon. The big male looks to have chosen a pretty little female. They are side by side and shaking fins at each other. He also does this whith his head up standing on his tail. They both are very dark. Gueass we will see.

I could not get a great pic.









...Bill


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## CHK (Jan 12, 2007)

Congrats! I see a pair is forming :thumb:

The trialing edge of the male in the pic is representative of a male. The female will pick an open spot and start cleaning it. When they start defending that place, look for eggs. Post more pics!!


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## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

Mine have bred several times in the back corner of the tank (on the glass/silicon). The female remains over them just about the whole time.

When they hatch, the female "hangs" them on the algae on the side of the tank and in the (plastic) plants.

The last few spawns my pair ate their eggs after a couple of days of free-swimming fry. I've since removed the other fish from their tank so hopefully they'll have better luck.

The male is quite a bit larger than the female and with longer fins.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Yes. The male was flirting with a female in the back left corner for a day, and then he piced another female who he is still with in the back right corner. They have cleared the sand down to the glass and silicone as you said. No other cichlids are allowe in the area although dither are tolerated for now.

I am cycling a 26 gallon to move the other Oblongums to untill I can get rid of them. I think I have 2 males and 3 females left. That tank will then be used for a fry tank.

Thanks for all the help...Bill


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

We have eggs. I am surprised they let the Barb dithers get so close, but no other cichlids in the area.

I will leave this spawn and fry alone and see what happens. I am cycling a fry tank for future spawns. I still have to remove the other five and sell them off.










....Bill


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## CHK (Jan 12, 2007)

Good Job  I assume that pic is the female then. The female tends to hover right above the eggs while the male patrols the region.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Yes. That is exactly what they are doing.

Thanks...Bill


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Looks like I have some Wrigglers. Not too many that I can see. But it is their first try at it. I will leave this spawn in the tank. I will try to grow some out next time when the fry tank is ready.

Now that I have a pair, I have 5 others I need to sell if anyonre in the US is interested. I think 3 male and 2 female.

Hard to get a good pic. More there than I originally thought









....Bill


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Well the wrigglers were free swimming in a few days. The parents did a good job of keeping them wrangled up. They took them for a swim around the front of the tank. They took straglers in their mouth and spit them back in the group. The barbs eventually got bolder and began attacking the fry. The parents tried their best to get them back to the safe pit, working together as a team. But the feeding frenzy got too intense and soon enough all the fry were gone.

For a couple weeks, the male chased the female and kept her away. I was surprised at this since they are such a bonded pair. They eventually made up and now spawned for the second time in the same spot on the log.

This time, I removed the barbs and have a fry tank ready to try and grow out some babies.

...Bill


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

The second spawn I was able to remove 40 or so free swimming fry from the parents. They seem to be doing very well in the fry tank.

Thanks to TheFishGuy for all the help and advice.










....Bill


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## serp (Sep 3, 2009)

Very cool MonteSS, thansk for clueing me into these fish on my thread on MFK. I am excited to get my tank up and running, decorated, and cycled for these guys. Cant wait! they are gorgeus fish.

What else do you keep with them, other than the barb dither.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

I have three small Keyholes added recently. Also 8 Columbian Tetras, 4 cories, and a BN Pleco.

They just spawned again yesterday and there are more eggs in the same spot as last time. All other fish are ignored and allowed to swim very close to the eggs with very little aggression.










....Bill


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## serp (Sep 3, 2009)

can you post more pics of the male and female? curious what they look like with their different shades of color


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

serp said:


> can you post more pics of the male and female? curious what they look like with their different shades of color


LOL. People are getting sick of me and all my pics 

This tank is kinda dark and I dont use a flash to get more natural colors.

Female wont leave the eggs much. She is always darker with more defined lines









Male. Beautful fins and lots of blue.









...Bill


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## serp (Sep 3, 2009)

Can NEVER have too many pictures!!! Mind showing some Full tank shots?


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

I like the look of the paver's sand.


















....Bill


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## serp (Sep 3, 2009)

Wasn't sure about the pavers sand when it was first suggested to me, but i like the look a lot.


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## serp (Sep 3, 2009)

*** decided not to use the pavers sand, but to go with 3M Color Quartz. I can buy it locally and it wont be too expensive, plus i like how heavy it is, so it wont kick up a huge dust storm if it gets stirred up.

I noticed your pavers sand is kind of orange, how do you think this affects the color of your fish?

Have you ever kept them on black substrate? If so, did you like/dislike.


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## swamptrout (Jul 2, 2007)

Can these fish go in a 180Gal with a colony of geos ?


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

swamptrout said:


> Can these fish go in a 180Gal with a colony of geos ?


Hey *swamptrout*,

There wouldn't happen to be some available over Brackenridge way, would there now?

I would not have thought any Australoheros species would be available in Australia. They are found throughout Uruguay and Argentina in the same areas that many Gymnogeophagus species are found. And gymnos would be vary popular here, as our climate would be perfect for keeping them in tanks without heaters. As they are a sub-tropical cichlid, they require a winter period, and our mild winters would suite them perfectly. Becuase of the need for a winter period, I do not think they could be kept with regular geos year round.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

The Australoheros Oblongom CAN withstand cooler temps, but dont REQUIRE it.

...Bill


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

swamptrout said:


> Can these fish go in a 180Gal with a colony of geos ?


They would be perfect in that setup. That would be my ultmate setup one day.

....Bill


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## swamptrout (Jul 2, 2007)

Na DFF none hiding in brackenridge haha. should of checked their availability first not compatability


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