Sexing German Blue Rams

[MemnochsKat]

Does anyone around here have experience with German Blue Rams? I want to get some, however I only have room for a pair, and would like to get a male and female - even if they don't pair - just to avoid male on male fighting in the tank. However I've been trying to read up on sexing them, but get conflicting information. Pink bellies, black spots with blue spangles, Dorsal Fin shape and size ext... This is by far the best article I can find on the subject: Tropical Fish Forums at the Age of Aquariums :: View topic - sexing blue ram, help!! (with photos) I'd really appreciate anyone who has experience with them to give me some advice.

Several of the ones at my LFS had pink tummies, which I've read means they're in breeding mode, however I've read that pink means male and in other posts I've read that pink means female.

Thanks ahead of time!

 

[Helena21]

Well i have kept GBR's on and off for years.
sexing-- Males- second (or third?) ray of dorsal fin is alot longer than the other rays of the dorsal fin. Finnage is normally alot longer than the females
Females- the first bit of their dorsal fin is much shorter than the rest, her belly should be pink and she will have light blue spangles in and around her blue spot on the side of her body, males do NOT have this!

heres a pic of my female in breeding mode. Notice her pink belly, short dorsal fin and the little blue spangles just coming into the big blue spot on her body;

heres an earlier pic of another female that had just gotten into my tank so her colors arent very good, but see the blue spangles?

crappy pic of my male. see long dorsal fin, and notice he has NO blue spangles near or inside his blue spot, and also look and long fins:

Hope I helped

heres a pic of my male

 

[MemnochsKat]

Thank you Helena! It's really helped alot. I watched the tank at my LFS with the GBR's in it for about 30 minutes or so. They're really interesting fish, not to mention beautiful. Hopefully I will have luck picking out a male and female