Balton's Festae Progression Thread

[balton777]

how big is it? looks a lot like male, but it looks like it's losing its spangling in its fins which would suggest female.

About 6" or so. It looks a lot like a male. I also have another male in the same tank and a tiny female that's all beat up right now. She won't grow.

is that the same festae thats with your dovii? if so female but just dulled out right now. i have a small one as well going through the changing from male looks to female looks though she just about out of the dull look.

Yep, the same. It acts like a female but looks like a male with a dark fin.

 

[AmerCichlidmaster36]

those r bad ***!! i just got about a 4 inch festae i'll put up pics

 

[cornbread_5]

Thanks.



Actually all the Torpedo barbs eventually got eaten. The Filament barbs, though about the same length, are thicker and much faster swimmers. I would recommend them as dithers any day over the high dollar Roseline shark snacks. I really liked those fish....if only they were a little quicker. Expensive lesson learned.

wow those were some expensive snacks

 

[timeneverfreezes]

Balton, when you get the small beat up female to grow tell me your secret.

I have the same problem, out of 3 fry a male + 2 females and one just wont grow! The other is like anna nicole over here!

Anyways, awesome festae as usual! Im going to show my fish pictures of yours and say 'see this? this is what i want you to be!'

 

[balton777]

those r bad ***!! i just got about a 4 inch festae i'll put up pics

Definitely get some pics up asap.

wow those were some expensive snacks

Live and learn I guess.

 

[balton777]

Balton, when you get the small beat up female to grow tell me your secret.

I have the same problem, out of 3 fry a male + 2 females and one just wont grow! The other is like anna nicole over here!

Anyways, awesome festae as usual! Im going to show my fish pictures of yours and say 'see this? this is what i want you to be!'

lol I had to read the last sentence twice to get it but that's funny.

I saved a 3 Festae from their last batch. Here they are.

This one grew the fastest. It's 6". (The one that hangs out with the Dovii.)
First pic with flash. The blue lower edging of the tail was inheirited from mom.


Same Festae w/o flash.


This one is the second fastest grower. It's about 4.5"
It's in the same tank with the bigger one.


The runt is still about 2.5". I separated her out by herself for now.

 

[bitteraspects]

i just found out, what i thought were festae in my tank are actually myans. lol. i never even heard of myans before.
oh well.

 

[balton777]

If it's a female, why is it so hard to tell?

I raised the mom from about 1.5" and she was clearly a female by 2". By 4" she had almost full adult coloration. Why is this one so different?

This is the mother at 2". Male or female?


Here she is at 4".


I'm kind of disappointed with the coloration on the offspring. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful Festae. I guess I was looking for a replacement for a lost loved one lol.

 

[fishguts]

you should know balton. the females can show female color at a early age or older . i thought mine was a male until it hit around 4-4.5 inches. the males have black dorsal fins at young age just due to all the black vertical bars protruding into the dorsal fin then the bars fade away as does the black on the fin. if your fish ever shows the bright brilliant yellow colors then goes back to drab male colors it most likely still a female. ive seen females go back and fourth like that but not males. they just stay the drab color with vertical bars then loose the bars.

 

[fishguts]

here are my 3 younger festae. some would say all male. the only thing that gives away the female from this shot is no speckling on the fins but she had alot of them not to long ago. look at all the black on the male thats in the middle. all due to vertical bars going into the dorsal. if anyone doesnt know the female is on the left. actually the black looks grey or silver but thats all due to the flash. that male in the middle has more black coverage on its dorsal then my 9 inch female downstairs. actually the one on the bottom is the smallest and still may turn out to be another female. thats how the one on the left use to look.