As others have said, males get MUCH larger than females. I’ve kept males that topped out around 14” long and 3” thick. Simply put, adult males are large, powerful, and robust fish. In my experience, males also grow considerably faster than females.
The largest females I’ve kept usually topped out around 9-10”. In addition, assuming you keep pristine water quality, females will instinctively lay eggs every 2-4 weeks (even without a male in the tank). I currently have an 8” female Midas who lays eggs every 3 weeks or so. She’s nowhere near as aggressive and territorial as the males I’ve kept, but equally personable. They are wonderful, interactive, intelligent and unique fish. Provide them with space, good water, and a good diet. The result will be a wonderful wet pet for a decade.
