Is my bumblebee cichlid a male or female? (Photos)

[JustinCase]

Bought a new cichlid and I was curious...

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[JustinCase]

The picture is here... my fish has what looks to be about 6 egg spots

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[Steli89]

How big is it?


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[JustinCase]

2 1/2-3 inches

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[Steli89]

Venting is the only way to tell. It's still small so it may change its color to black as it grows.


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[JustinCase]

Thanks for your help... my first AC... at what age could I be able to tell?

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[Steli89]

Bumblebees get a lot bigger than your average african cichlid so they mature at a larger size. Even if it does change color that won't be a definitive way of telling its gender. Some females will turn black if they feel dominant enough and some males will stay yellow if they feel subdominant.


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[JustinCase]

It is possible to tell by its top and anal fin or by its tail? I used to successfully do that with convicts

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[Steli89]

No venting is the only definitive way. Looking at things like that can give you an idea but it wouldn't be a certainty


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[Steli89]

Do you have other mbuna in the tank too? You might not want a male. I used to have one and he massacred my tank.


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[JustinCase]

The bumblebee I have is really aggressive and fights with everything in the tank... which is why I believe he might be a male but I'm not sure

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