Convict Sexing
- Thread starter benzjamin13
- Start date
yeah, even at a smaller size you'd probably have problems keeping more than 1 pair. they get extremely territorial once they start spawning. 
Jason_S said:imo it looks like all of them could have orange scales on the belly region but it's kind of hard to tell in the pics. the orange on the belly is how you tell male from female.
also, I think those cons are hybrids. they look like they've been crossed with Honduran red points. HRP's look similar but the body color is a very nice light blue instead of grey like a normal convict. they also have the blue on the chin area that yours appear to have. there are regular convicts that have a lot of color but unless the lfs you got them from orders from Jeff Rapps then I doubt that's what they are. cons are crossed with HRP's at several fish farms and sold off as "blue convicts".
If they're hybrids, do you think that they're infertile?
nah, even if they're hybrids they should still be fertile. convicts and HRP's are very closely related (there are even those that think they could be the same species but I disagree) and hybrid fry of the 2 species should be able to reproduce. now, if you keep hybridizing and hybridizing then you may start getting into fry that are infertile, but first or second generation hybrid fry, especially from such closely related species, should be fertile.
I think your fish are all the same sex. If there was a male in there, your females would have glowing orange/red bellies. And you would see definate courtship going on.
skinless said:
Jason_s said:
Best way for you to find A male is to ask some one near your area that is talking about having these.. If they would donate one to your cause.. Several people around you probaly have a couple males.. The other best way is to hunt one down. WHen they are so small you are going to have a harder time telling the males from the females... Here are some pictures of my Blues seperated right now for space reasons.... I don't want to see all my africans in 2 inshes of space in my 40 LOL so the male is in with the rest of my American Cichlids.. and the females are with my africans for the next few weeks....
I will post a couple more pics I'm working on better ones right now My females are Fidgety right now....
Top = Male 5" Bottom = Female 2.25" My females in my experience will not get past 3" my males always get big....
Plus the females colors are more brilliant and defined. MOP I'd bbrrow you my male for a month but I'm in UTAH LOL
Here no doubt! Female! And she will not grow much larger... ORange belly, Brilliant color.. You will not see this definition in a male.
Personal opinion..
Personal opinion..
Ok guys...I got some more Convicts just to because I wanted to make absolutely sure I can bag me a pair. I have 5 Convicts right now in the 27g. I'll remove the ones that don't have a partner. The original one that I wasn't sure was a male is the most aggressive one out of all of the Convicts. The new one that is hopefully a male is also at it's mercy. So just to make sure if you guys can identify male or female one more time. I have pics of the new male in with the other one in question. The questionable one has less strips than the new one.
