# Protomelas Marginatus?



## theboothsociety (Jan 3, 2012)

I believe this is a Protomelas Marginatus? What size do they start showing color?

It was showing more color when I first got it, so I thought it was Male but now I am unsure. Maybe it was hormoned. Either way it is sub-dominate to most of the fish in the tank.

Anyone have any ways to tell if this is Male or Female? Its about 3-3.5in. It's the only fish I am unsure about in my all male tank.

What it looks like now:





This is what it looked like when I first got it:

















It had that multicolor sheen over its body, but has lost that. And as you can see got fatter. lol


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## danielratti (Feb 17, 2008)

The best way to tell is venting the fish. How long has it been since it lost its color?


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

other than trying to vent there is no magic way to tell sex.

males get color and pointed longer fins. females don't. same as most fish from Lake Malawi.


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## danielratti (Feb 17, 2008)

Looking at the fins he is a male but if you think he is hormoned that doesn't mean anything. Venting even will show it is a male... I guess give it time he might color back up.


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

It's typical for the males to color down.
Especially if there are no females present and without being the dominant fish in the tank.


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## theboothsociety (Jan 3, 2012)

*** had him for a month or two now. It lost its color when I switched up the tank and removed all the juvies. But even then it was very light color. I actually added a few juvies in this past weekend, so we'll see if he gets some color back.

I may be wrong, but I think its still too small to vent. At least without a magnify glass.



danielratti said:


> Looking at the fins he is a male but if you think he is hormoned that doesn't mean anything. Venting even will show it is a male... I guess give it time he might color back up.


I was thinking due to the shape of the bottom fin and red along the top fin, he is male. I hope so.

What are the chances he will ever fully color up in this tank, if he is not showing any already? I've seen pics of this fish around the same size with tons of color.


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## danielratti (Feb 17, 2008)

Could be a lot of things like stress, him getting use to a new tank, and could even be a big change in water type.


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## Guest (Mar 3, 2012)

i dont think thats a marginatus.. the lines are different could be red empress


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## danielratti (Feb 17, 2008)

Yeah, I was thinking red Empress too but i was just waiting to see what becomes of this


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Hard to say one way or the other I think marginatus look pretty similar when young.









That third line of dots kind of dose suggest red empress though.

Yep can take ages to get much natural none hormone induced colour. 4-5" or so, as they are relatively peacefull and intimidated by pretty much all Mbuna and more boisterous haps.


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## theboothsociety (Jan 3, 2012)

Yeah it's gotta be one or the other...

He did get some color in the dorsal fin within past week.

I am pretty sure he is a male.


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