Vent pictures, just need some opinions.
- Thread starter HighBackRTG
- Start date
Everyone so far has said that the fish looks male but after speaking to an experienced Festae keeper, I was told males usually don't keep their barring this late in. Also that females can also retain spangles before losing them later on. (It's 8+ inches and an inch thick). There's a sharp papilla on the vent but... it also looks a bit wide...
Hmm.. Looks male to me and I'm curious as to where it states males can or cannot keep their bars...? Females can retain spangles for lil longer than usual but they will eventually fade from fins. And bars can come and go reguardless of size. And I'm beggining to think that water quality has something to do with males having bars. My males hardly ever show bars but as soon as I send them to anyone else they will bar up....
I'm gonna say yours is male by vent. Post side profile pic
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
I'm gonna say yours is male by vent. Post side profile pic
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Side profile was the one I showed in a few threads back, the one that kept its Y bar. The thing is, it never puts its bars away... At least not when I'm there. They don't fade or get lighter, it's always dark and solid. As for water conditions... that might be something that is related. I keep nitrates under 15ppm at all times and change 25% twice a week. The tank is a 75 gallon and it's in there with 2 smaller juvenile festae. Is it trying to breed with someone? Is it afraid? As for my earlier statement about males not keeping their barring, let me rephrase that. Don't males usually show their bars during breeding or displaying?
I advised the the O/P to vent due to the specimen having characteristics of both sexes, i.e. continual barring like a female and spangles like a male. I've had females to 12" with spangling prior to pairing and have only seen one male with permanent barring. Based on the venting male looks to be the conclusion.
O/P didn't say they can/cannot keep bars. Bars do come and go, but that's not what this case is. These do not go away nor fade to a shadow as is customary with males which the O/P has pointed out.
In addition, it is highly improbable that barring is related to water quality. Males tend to bar up strongly during fry rearing and stress such as is bought on by a change of environment. So FWP, it makes since yours would bar up as soon as they went into a different environment and layout. The O/P's Festae is an exception to the usual rules regarding males with respect to barring.
Since 1978 I've only seen one other exception to male barring rules.
