Another FH Gender question

Victoria Love · Mar 30, 2019

Hey all

Im kinda new here, but not really new to SAC....

so HELLO. Name is Victoria . I know there have been many posts on this subject and I apologize but Im confused and perplexed. My red devil I think is female. Now I have seen some kind of an appendage protruding from her vent and it was somewhat clear white and it had a rounded end and it kinda curved forward a little. It has since retracted but remains a small whitish/orange bump. Now my flowerhorn who is approx 2 months younger but a bit bigger has never had anything protrude at all. I see she has the dorsal dot which did just develop, my RD has one too, also just developed but its white. I know also that, that isnt an exact science either. I think I probably have 2 females.. I have seen both fish dig and drag their bottoms across the large flat rock in the tank. Ive also vented the FH when she was much smaller, like maybe 3 months old. Looked like a U but it was transparent and I havd never vented a fish. They sometimes act as if they are bonded and or doing some kind of mating dance. Unless that is, they wanna kill each other shrugs....My flowerhorn has a much darker vent area now and there is just a sharper tip just about visible, looks like if it were to actually drop, it would have the shape of a turkey baster and curve lol
During the day, my RD, whos name is Phoenix, torments Kale, my FH, as soon as the lights go out Kale tortures Phoenix. Can a fellow Monster lover help me out? I have many pictures but to me they just arent good enough lol

jwitty · Mar 31, 2019

I can’t answer to your red devil. But think I can help a little with the flowerhorn. How big is it? From head to tip of tail fin. Also as they get bigger they will get more aggressive. I know especially the flowerhorn. My little 2ish inch baby eats so aggressive that I would be afraid to put him with anything else. The picture isn’t going to help cause we would need a close up, that is if the fish is even large enough to be able to tell the difference in its vent. Some more pictures would be cool to see them both too.

Victoria Love · Apr 1, 2019

Hey thanks for the response. The FH is approx 6 inches. She was maybe 1.5 inches when I got her. But Im including more pictures I hope they help. Thanx!!

jwitty · Apr 1, 2019

Looks more like a he than a she. Have to look at vent though.

Man-made Monsters · Apr 1, 2019

From what you are describing with your Red Devil it sounds like a female. As for your flowerhorn it too could be a female. Some might say because your flowerhorn has a dark spot on its dorsal fin that it makes it a female. BUT thats not necessarily true with your flowerhorn due to the fact that your fish has a double flowerline. Flowerhorns that have double flowerlines, like yours, will often end up having a piece of that line end up on their dorsal fins. A dark vent will often mean male in flowerhorns, BUT I have had female Kamfas that when their egg tube starts to drop its very dark in color and its not until the tube has fully dropped that it takes on that cloudy white color that is typical of an egg tube. Now if fins or bodies are getting torn up during these "mating dances" then you need to keep a close eye on them so that neither one of your fish ends up seriously injured or worse. When in doubt separate them with a clear divider. That way if your red devil does drop eggs the flowerhorn can see it happening, and if it is in fact a male, you could pull the divider to see if the red devil will let the flowerhorn by the eggs.