# Sexing Firemouths



## dwool36

Is there a sure way to sex a firemouth? I have 2 juveniles and have read that two males will not get along (usually ending in a death). :chair:


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## Cichlid Man

Firemouths are hard to sex. Best way is to buy a group of juvis and keep the pair/pairs that form. Never rely on fin length or coloation. This will only result in disapointment. Funny enough I've been after a breeding pair of firemouths for quite some time. I found a few adults in our stocklist so ordered them, but they all looked the same. I chanced it and brought home two individuals that looked completely different from each other. At the time I wasn't convinced and there were some aggression issues. Now however they have formed a stronge bond and I'm hoping for some eggs shortly.
They may still be a bit young, but only time will tell.
I am thinking of keeping them in a tank full of oceon/tufa rock with a pair of N. brichardis. Hopefully they can both raise their fry in the same tank.


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## dwool36

Is it true that if you get two males that they will attempt to kill one another?


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## Cichlid Man

dwool36 said:


> Is it true that if you get two males that they will attempt to kill one another?


Beleive me, if I had to stay in a room wish someone else for an unlimited amount of time they'll get on my nerves too.
Most fish don't get on with their own sex. Espicially if only kept in twos.


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## ron v

dwool36 said:


> two males will not get along (usually ending in a death). :chair:


Depends on tank size. 10 gal. - problems.
55 gal.- possibly no problem.
150 gal.- probably no problem.


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## aquarium geek12

When firemouths are in breeding season the males belly gets redder.But I don't think that they would be like this in the fish shop.Hope i've been of some help


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## FortWayneFish

*My old pair of firemouths*

I don't know My Firemouths where easy to sex because of size,color and finnage. The male was colorful and very red breasted while the female was Dull and not very colorful at all even while guarding fry..

Pic #1 male Firemouth in color guarding a bunch of fry
Pic #2 female chasing away tankmate from batch of fry behind the rock

Notice the Anal fin on the male, its more pointy and elongated while the female is rounded off and shorter.. Thats not 100% way to sex them but works a lot of the time with Central American fish...


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## rajeshkhilari

I have a female black convict cichlid who would lay eggs any day now. I couldn't identify a male Con. at my pet shop. Can I get a male firemouth, with longer and pointed anal fin and reddish breast to fertilise female convicts eggs ?

Rajesh
Mumbai


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## joe kool

rajeshkhilari said:


> I have a female black convict cichlid who would lay eggs any day now. I couldn't identify a male Con. at my pet shop. Can I get a male firemouth, with longer and pointed anal fin and reddish breast to fertilise female convicts eggs ?
> 
> Rajesh
> Mumbai


no no no PLEASE NO ... male convicts are EASY to identify even as small as 1/2" they get little "dots" on their top and anal fin first some will get it on the tail fin as well. Most males will have no orange coloration on the side of their belly area like the females will. 

here is a pic of a male and female having a spat notice the small black dots in the tail and anal fins of the male the dorsal isn't viewable in that pic but it will have a few of the same little black dots. http://www.aqua-fish.net/imgs/fish/convict-cichlid-5.jpg 

now that you know go find your girl the man of her dreams


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## Gourami Swami

If a convict has no coloring on its stomache or fins, its 90% a male. IMO- Get a convict, not a FM.


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## joe kool

mostly a good call too ... most females will have atleast a few colored scales and most males will not have any but ALL males will have the dots if only a few. and NO females will have any dots ... that I have ever seen.


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