Is my male flowerhorn actually a female?

CretaceousCreatures101

Exodon
MFK Member
Jan 27, 2015
202
2
23
Oakland County, Michigan
I recently bought what I assume is an adolescent or nearly adult Flowerhorn cichlid (he is about 12 inches long). When I bought him, the worker at the store said that he thinks that it's a male, but he's not 100% sure. I paid $90 for him. He is now by himself in a 60 gallon tank, other than a 7 inch Pleco. After a few days he began digging a hole in the pebbles until half the tank was bare-bottom and there was a huge pile of pebbles on the other side I tried looking at his sex organs and they look like a male Flowerhorn's in pictures I've found. But he doesn't have the bump on his head. What does this mean? The worker at the store said that he might grow a horn if I put him with a female. I would like to try breeding it, but I want to make sure I know the sex of mine before I buy another one. So is my flowerhorn not fully grown? Is he infertile? Is it actually a female? Will he grow a horn when I put him with a female? I have owned large cichlids before but not Flowerhorns so any advice is helpful.
 

fwprawn

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2011
3,441
7
38
New England
We can't really help you without a picture - but sounds like a male, from what you told us from the breeding tube.
Both sexes dig holes.
Not all of them form the nuchal hump.
 

waleed333

Feeder Fish
Mar 2, 2015
1
0
0
afdfdf
When we remove the females (xcept one) hell get down to business. Not really a problem since they are still breeding but i would like to maximize production if possible. Any suggestions or similar experiences. Just seems backwards from what ive read on the interweb.
 
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