Sexing Buttikoferi

[mattybecks]

Hi Guys,

Recently picked up two Buttikoferi (I only wanted one, but the guy I bought it from gave me two. He was moving and his power was cut off so the tank had been left sitting with no AC, no oxygen and no filter. The smaller one wouldn't have lasted long.)

I have been looking online for more info regarding sexing them but there really isn't too much about them. Just the usual stuff about aggression and what not.

Apparently they are about 10 months old, bought as tiny little guys by the previous owner who thought they were frontosa. They came from a 3 foot tank, with 3 Oscars, 4 parrots, 2 green terrors and 2 severums. You could almost see the relief when I released them into a bigger, cleaner tank haha.

- How do you usually tell male and female apart?
- The smaller ones markings look quite different, would this just be a mutation or are there different sub types of Buttikoferi. Im thinking most liking a mutation as they were bought together, so I assume come from the same batch of fry. Unless they were collected from the wild.

 

[Wildcat157]

From what I understand its almost impossible to tell male from female until you have a mated pair that start producing fry. I have heard males get bigger, develop a slight nuchal hump, and there fins are more pointed at the tips.

I have a 5.5" Butti and have no idea what the sex is. Either way a wonderfully intelligent fish that reacts to your presence after it settles in. I do believe that most will thrive in a species only tank due to there aggressive and powerful nature. Unless your two pair up I would eventually separates them.

Also, the mutation I see looks very cool to me. I hope it keeps those marking as it ages.

Good luck

 

[BichirKing]

that top one is very cool! mine looks like the bottom one and is in a 150g by itself due to its aggressiveness. not sure how to sex them but I to have heard this too

males get bigger, develop a slight nuchal hump, and there fins are more pointed at the tips.

 

[mattybecks]

Thanks for info wildcat and bichirking.
I had the opportunity to get one many years ago, but I didn't have the space for it and so passed it up.
But I have wanted one since then. They werent all that common in South Africa, and not always easy to find here in Dubai. So I am glad the opportunity came again now at the right time. I find them really beautiful, and looking forward to experience some of the personality I hear about. I can already see it coming out in the way they look and follow you.
I'm expecting I will land up with only one, but it would be great if I had a male and female. Then I would be keep my 180g just for them.
If I have to keep only one butti, I'm hoping that the dither fish will last, hopefully there is too many of them for any one to be focused on. I had a Jardini with these Geo's and SDs and they were pretty much ignored.

 

[mattybecks]

May I ask what you typically feed your buttikoferi?

 

[mattybecks]

 

[BichirKing]

May I ask what you typically feed your buttikoferi?

mine eat hikari cichlid pellets, tilapia chunks, earthworms, nls algae pellets , food sticks, peas, zucchini

 

[mattybecks]

Ive been feeding mine the green sinking Hikari cichlid excel, hikari carni-sticks and shrimp
The little one eats like a beast, my larger one just seems to pick at a few pellets. he ate half a shrimp for the first time last night, but his appetite isn't as good as the smaller one.