Where is the best place online to buy an angelfish at least 3"? Bob....what do you have right now? I can't buy good quality angels in town. I also want one at least as big as the angels in my tank. Please give suggestion. Thanks
Buying a breeding size angelfish
- Thread starter Kelly5978
- Start date
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Can you help me sex mine? To make sure it's male? Well...actually, can you tell me how to minimize the amt of photos I have on here? I deleted an album, but it still tells me I've past quota and can't upload pics!
http://m.flickr.com/photos/102143989@N08/10063593214/lightbox/
http://m.flickr.com/photos/102143989@N08/10063719113/lightbox/
http://m.flickr.com/photos/102143989@N08/10063723603/lightbox/
Can you see the pics now bob? I'm trying here....
http://m.flickr.com/photos/102143989@N08/10063719113/lightbox/
http://m.flickr.com/photos/102143989@N08/10063723603/lightbox/
Can you see the pics now bob? I'm trying here....
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Looks to me more like a female than male. You may want to do the overhead test. Prior to feeding the fish their first meal of the day, look down ( from above) on the fish's abdominal area for bulging. Males will have a straight, flat appearance while a female with eggs will have a bulge. This must be done before any feeding for the day so that you are seeing eggs and not a food bulge.
Since this is a Black Fish, you may also want to put something plastic that is white on the bottom of the tank so that you can see the contrast. Black fish are a little harder to do this test with without the contrast. (unless the gravel is white
)Hope this helps
Thanks Andy. Does the angelfish have to be a certain age for this method to work? I have 2 angels showing their "parts". I assumed the black was male because he has a hump (hard to see cause he keeps his dorsal down to swim or go after food....and when I walk up with my camera, he thinks food), and because it's not horizontal versus vertical from his anal fin to tail, and his white "part" is small and seems to point backwards. But, if this test is acurate, Stan is indeed a girl (stomach bulge is evident from above before feeding). Are all females of breeding age carrying eggs? So, I could use this on all of them? Okay, bob, I still want to proceed (see message), but does anyone know where to purchase a healthy MALE breeding angelfish?
Got it bob waiting on you! Andy (or anyone): any advise on where to purchase an adult (or at least breeding age/size), healthy, male angelfish? I tried buying 5 adolescents, and true to my luck, I do believe they're all female! I looked on all the sites (angelfish USA, angelsplus, aquabid), but they seem to only sell adolescents, and it doesn't give an option to choose sex (unless I missed that part). Help me out friends!
waiting on you! Andy (or anyone): any advise on where to purchase an adult (or at least breeding age/size), healthy, male angelfish? I tried buying 5 adolescents, and true to my luck, I do believe they're all female! I looked on all the sites (angelfish USA, angelsplus, aquabid), but they seem to only sell adolescents, and it doesn't give an option to choose sex (unless I missed that part). Help me out friends!
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Got it bob
The best place to get a proven gendered fish is from a breeder....hands down. Now, if that is not an option, you then need to look to your LFS and see if you can get one from them ( assuming they are a reliable shop.)
As for the "rule", yes, all females of breeding age are carrying eggs. A trained eye can see it.
In my last purchase of fish in Miami, I believed I was buying 2 male and 3 female adolescent fish. The salesman knew me from years ago when I supplied his Dad's store with fish and was "impressed" at what I was seeing. Final total: 2 males and 3 females ( all but 1 has spawned to verify this). Just as I suspected. If you look at pictures of proven pairs, you will see there is a physical difference in the abdominal area. Head bumbs may not always be present.As for your fish's "bits and pieces",
Most all males I've dealt with have their "B & P" facing forward so the fact that yours faces backwards is not a good sign ( I believe). Size is almost not as important as shape is. Males will be pointed, females will be blunt. Hopefully Bob or someone can get you a proven male. If yours' has the bulge, and it doesn't shrink in size from day to day, it's not a male. (Or it has bloat
)Hope this helps
I believe it's "part" just wasn't all the way out...I also believe she's a female now! So much for my expertise! So...just so I'm on the right track here: looking down on a large angelfish before breakfast (healthy of course), the females have a belly, males don't. Do you give any credit to the anal fin split? Was told if it splits at the end, it's male! Also, told if their ventral fins split in 2 at the end, it's male. Just trying to get my eyes "trained!"?. Also, I bought untreated, no chemical, slate today, as the "males" are now following my female (the black one I thought was male?). She seems to be looking for a place, though I've seen no lip locking as of yet. Anyhow, I bought 1red and 1grey slate. Was told the more colors....the more minerals (I know....I'm told a lot)! Anyhow, do I need to do anything to make sure the slate won't affect ph/gh/kh, or leech minerals (that I've taken out with RO water to soften) back into my water? Any difference between red and grey?
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
WOW you really are told alot. lol
Yes, looking down from above, before breakfast,
, if the female is carrying eggs, she will have a belly bulge and the male will not. AS for the Anal fin, the only thing I use from there is the location of the first spine of the fin and the angle the fin hangs. Slit this and forked that and what not cannot possibly be reliable as these conditions can be created from injuries. I equate that with trying to sex a fully clothed new born baby human by the amount of hair on their head. "Ain't no way that's reliable" (FYI: my daughter came out with a full head of hair and my friend's daughter came out bald as a cue ball. 
) Good thing we got to see under the clothes As for the slate, you are going about this wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy to hard. Stop over thinking things. Just get flat rock. ANY Natural rock! Go to a quarry or a pet store and look at their rocks. I'm using red shale rock and slate rock that I've had sitting in a box for over 20 years. They still work cause they are natural stone. If you can't get natural stone, don't make yourself crazy!!!!! Go get a piece of 3" PVC pipe or even a 3" PVC coupling or a small terra cotta pot from Home depot or Lowes. Or better yet, get the plastic breeding slab by Penn Plax ( I believe). You just want something flat that can be easily removed if you are going to hatch out the eggs yourself. I repeat, don't make yourself crazy about this. It's not rocket science.
As for sexing expertice, did you read my last post on Wigglers? Even I got fooled by a female posing as a male. I'm just waiting for the eggs to verify this as the fish "it" buddied up to is definitely a male.
Hope this ends your confusion
Thanks Andy! I know I over-do it. I just want to succeed. Making myself crazy won't accomplish that! Ok. I'll let everyone know when/if I get babies ! As for the wigglers thread, I plan to revisit it when/if my angels pair. Maybe I should jump back in however, if I can get feedback on sexing mine, as they get bigger. I know I have the black female, pretty sure I have 2 males, but.....I'd rather a trained eye confirm ?. I put that slate in, and they showed NO interest. Plus my ph jumped (weird, as my gh/kh stayed low). So, I removed it. When/if I see them lip-locking, I will add plexi-glass, and do my best to chill and enjoy, instead of freaking out!
! As for the wigglers thread, I plan to revisit it when/if my angels pair. Maybe I should jump back in however, if I can get feedback on sexing mine, as they get bigger. I know I have the black female, pretty sure I have 2 males, but.....I'd rather a trained eye confirm ?. I put that slate in, and they showed NO interest. Plus my ph jumped (weird, as my gh/kh stayed low). So, I removed it. When/if I see them lip-locking, I will add plexi-glass, and do my best to chill and enjoy, instead of freaking out!Okay Andy....please give me your expert eye opinion! I believe the black is female (third pic shows her parts well....), I'm thinking the rest are male? My favorite fish is the smaller marble. I hope he's not too small. I would really appreciate your opinions!
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0097009/photos/102143989@N08/10164196943/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0099009/photos/102143989@N08/10164198943/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0097009/photos/102143989@N08/10164113476/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0093009/photos/102143989@N08/10164195283/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0096009/photos/102143989@N08/10164182343/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0093009/photos/102143989@N08/10163939594/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0092009/photos/102143989@N08/10163959104/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0099009/photos/102143989@N08/10164207933/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0097009/photos/102143989@N08/10164196943/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0099009/photos/102143989@N08/10164198943/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0097009/photos/102143989@N08/10164113476/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0093009/photos/102143989@N08/10164195283/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0096009/photos/102143989@N08/10164182343/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0093009/photos/102143989@N08/10163939594/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0092009/photos/102143989@N08/10163959104/
http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0099009/photos/102143989@N08/10164207933/
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok, from what I can see in these pictures( and they really aren't the pics I would use to place a bet with
) The Black is a female, (eggs gave that one away ) the Gold has a good shot at being female and the darker Marble has a possible shot at being female. From the pics, the rest look like males to me HOWEVER, the smaller marble with the white "belt" looks to be too small for sexing. At this point however, these pics don't show any of the fish holding eggs (IMO) so that may mean they are still to young to breed. Again, the best test besides a visual of the spawning would be the overhead test prior to the first meal of the day.Hope this helps
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