Sexing my black nasty cichlids

[Mistah Collins]

Outside of one or two post (from 4-5 years ago) on MFK I can’t find an updated opinion on my black nasty. Question: at 1.5” does black marking on the dorsal fin a “tell tell” sign that my Nadopsis hatiensis is a female?

 

[tlindsey]

Outside of one or two post (from 4-5 years ago) on MFK I can’t find an updated opinion on my black nasty. Question: at 1.5” does black marking on the dorsal fin a “tell tell” sign that my Nadopsis hatiensis is a female?

View attachment 1475435

duanes

 

[duanes]

About 3" is when gender differences appear, but.....
in your photo the one on the left, might be female.

 

[Mistah Collins]

About 3" is when gender differences appear, but.....
in your photo the one on the left, might be female.

Ok, appreciate it. Outside of other cichlids I keep, these are my first set of black nasty juveniles. Is it the striping that made you think the one may be female?

 

[duanes]

Females have generally all round darker colors, males remain light.
One of my pair first spawned at about 4" (not successfully though)
Successful spawns started happening about 5 or 7".

Female above (8-10"), male below about 15"

 

[Chockful O Phail]

duanes dont these like hot water also? Something about shallow unshaded waters they come from.

 

[duanes]

duanes dont these like hot water also? Something about shallow unshaded waters they come from.

Yes.....All info I found about collection points said they prefer water temps in the 80s F.