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Permalink Reply by jackson hutchison on September 30, 2012 at 5:47pm

You,ve definantly got a male german blue ram. Could tell by black on pelvic fins.

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Koch on September 30, 2012 at 7:22pm

Really? What about the pink on the stomach? Iv'e read a couple of places that females have a pink stomach, and mine has a pink stomach.

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Permalink Reply by Peter on September 30, 2012 at 7:24pm

Also the link Sharon posted says the females have black on the pelvic fins not the males

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Koch on September 30, 2012 at 7:26pm

Iv'e also heard that to.

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Koch on September 30, 2012 at 10:19pm

Thanks Sharon! 

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Koch on September 30, 2012 at 10:41pm

Hey guys I found a really really good video on sexing rams. I'm pretty positive I have a female now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwTke7coiB0&feature=related

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on October 3, 2012 at 11:42am

Slim enough to be a male, but because it looks young I'm gonna say a juvenile female. As they get older males grow extensions on the tips of their pectoral fins and on the first two spines of their dorsal fin. Also Tyler mentions pink on the stomach - that's a telltale female trait. As Sharon says there's a lot of the contradictory information online...  my male and female Ram reflect these contradictions with each exhibiting characteristics supposedly belonging to the opposite sex. But the extensions on the pectoral fins and first two spines of the dorsal are pretty reliable male traits and, as I mentioned, the pink belly is the surest female trait.

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Permalink Reply by Lucien on October 3, 2012 at 1:21pm

I'd say this fish is too young to determine the gender. I've got 5 of them which are too young as well. Keep an eye on his pelvic fins to see if the black fades, and on the spot to see if a sheen covers it eventually. I don't think the pink belly is a sure sign of a female because I believe they only show this when ready to mate. It's best to wait for the juvenile fish to establish their colors. 

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on October 3, 2012 at 2:29pm

Its tough to determine the sex of a young Ram, but I've noticed that people who've been around them for a long time seem to have a knack for it. Its a challenge for sure.

The pink belly is a sure sign that you have a female. Males don't have them. It is also true, as you suggest, that the pink emerges as she matures.

My pair is fully mature and both have black on their pectoral fins and a "sheen" on their black spot. Although the the males black spot is a bit more solid. 

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Koch on October 3, 2012 at 3:13pm

Thanks for the great feedback guys! I picked up another GBR today, hopefully a male. The one in this picture is a little more plump than my new one and the new one does lack the pink stomach, so i'm hoping it is a male. I'll post up a picture of my new one to get some opinions from you guys. Thanks again!

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Koch on October 3, 2012 at 7:39pm

Ok heres the german blue ram I picked up last night. Let me know if you think its a male. 

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on October 4, 2012 at 1:21am

The first two rays on the dorsal fin are spiked. That's a male trait. What's a little confusing is they are actually the second and third rays but the very high second ray accompanied by a high ray next to it tells me its a male. (I'm also too lazy to get out of bed to check if the spiked rays on my male's dorsal are the first two or second two.) 

The pectoral fins don't have the elongated tips I'm looking for but they're over-sized relative to the fish's body; so that's ok - but inconclusive. And you've probably noticed the markings are not that different from the females but they do appear in higher contrast on the body - another good sign. Your fish is also slim - a male trait but also a juvenile trait in either sex - again good, but inconclusive.  If you haven't already noticed, my observations are a bit vague. No?  But, the very high second dorsal ray is a male trait - I have very little doubt about that. And taken together with the preponderance of the evidence and the absence of a red or purplish-red belly, I think you're good.

Now since I don't have video to look at I'll tell you what kind of movements to look for.  The male will appear quicker, jumpier (if that's a word) more agile, and active. And he should be paying more attention to her than she does to him although this particular behavior may take more than a few days to unfold. The female will swim around less and tend to hunker down in a places near the bottom of the tank.

I've only been breeding Rams for less than a year but over time you begin to develop a feel for distinguishing between the sexes. Putting that "feel" into words poses an interesting but welcome challenge. Thanks for your post Tyler. I'm a sucker for Rams. Let us know how things go 

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