Sexing my Angelfish

[vintagetankgirl]

Hi all,

I am finally going to ask for help sexing my angelfish, Sunshine. He/she is nearly a year old, and just over 3 inches across not including fins. I have noticed a bump on his forehead recently but am still unsure. Sunshine is kept with Bolivian Rams and no other Angelfish. I recently purchased another Angelfish, Morse, who I hope to add to Sunshine's tank once they are near the same size. I would like to know their sex before trying to introduce them. I think Morse is still too small to sex, but I believe Sunshine is at a good age/size to guess.

This is sunshine.

[emc7]

I'd be inclined to say male, but it would only be a guess. There isn't a tube down yet. Males tend to have larger head bumps, darker color on head, a thinner look when seen head on and a slightly different shape to the bottom of the fish as well. But its much easier to sort siblings than to compare unrelated fish. What is a big forehead in one line, is a small one in another.

[shanka7572]

It would be my guess that, until you actually view the tube, that this is a female. Typically an adult Angel Fish that is male will have long flowing and beautiful fins. Whereas the female fins are more blunted looking. However, both genders can look exactly like yours, so until you see the tube you will not know for sure. A male tube will be more pointed and a female tube will be more rounded, thus enabling the eggs to flow through. Cylindrical in shape like a grain elavator or a straight pice of PVC pipe. The male's tube is pointed for ease in fertilizing the eggs. I like to ask if that is your one and only Angel? If so, it is easier to sex, breed, and pair them, if you by 3 or 5 at a time, of similar age, so that you are more likely that you will get a pair, but most importantly they will be ready to be parents at the same time.

[charking]

you wont know until they show papilla.. the males tube is thin and pointy where as the females is thicker and more blunt.. hope this might help?

[G-NOME]

what is a tube? the things that hang down?

[snyderguy]

Very beautiful angel. I'm going to say female. If you look at the ventral fins, males tend to be more rugged in the back side of the fins while females are more rounded.

[Username in use]

from comparing to my male n female Id say you have a female. and also I heard that females will get a knot on there side or is it a male and thats how you sex them.

[charking]

when they are ready to breed they drop done some tubes at the bottom of their body

[<3JackDempsey<3]

I would say Male. Males usually are very rugged at the bottom towards their tail. and if you look closely at the second picture, it's a little rugged Then again, there is no tube yet but it might be too soon to tell. Overall, I'd say Sunshine is a boy goodluck with you fish!

[vintagetankgirl]

Thanks to all who gave their opinions. Sunshine is officially a girl as she has now laid eggs three times in the last few months! Makes me wish I could find a male to bread her with. My second angelfish Morse is also a girl as she has just laid eggs for the first time.

Just thought I would update to let you all know conclusively!
DB