difference between male and female firemouth

[Jaybird]

Does anyone know a very reliable way to differentiate between male and female firemouth cichlids?

I’ve read that the males have more red while the females are orange, but have seen pictures to refute that. I have also read that the males have long, pointed, dorsal and anal fins, but I have read that both sexes have long, pointed, dorsal and anal fins.

I have three of them in my tank with the hopes that at least one is female and that they will pair off, but I can’t be sure if I have any if I can’t tell the difference between them.

Any hints?

 

[zephyr]

i only know those two ways that you have already mentioned.
males having a more intense red area around their stomach and gills, and having slightly more elongated ends to their fins.. sorry
from my experience, however, i've found males to be slightly more aggressive and 'flare' out their gills at rivals, were females generally dont as much, but then again, all fish have differnet personalities at times, lol

 

[sir_dudeguy]

i think that is the only way to sex them...males have more intese red and longer pointier fins. And they do tend to be more agressive as zephyr said

 

[Jaybird]

Ahhh, maybe that is what they meant by both sexes having pointy dorsal and anal fins. I have three, and the red colour on all three is more or less the same. But on two the point on the dorsal fin almost reaches the end of the tail fin, while on one it is nowhere near a long, but still has a bit of a point.

As for the aggression, none of them seem at all aggressive. They only really flared their gills when they were first put into the tank. I made sure to add them last. They have a fight here and there with my dominant bolivian ram, but the firemouths get chased away more than they chase the bolivian.

I'll watch the one firemouth to see if his/her fin ends elongate more or remain much shorter than the others. I'm hoping that I have a female and that I get a pairing.

I bought four keyhole cichlids with the hope of getting a pairing but I think I had bad luck picking them as they all seem to be males.

 

[zephyr]

well you seem to have it sussed out with the firemouths, they are a beautiful fish (as are bolivians)