Sexing Discus

[donnacona]

Is it true that males have longer pectoral then females and you can sex them that way.
Stuart:smash:

[Second Hand Pat]

The only surefire way to sex discus is by their breeding tubes. The female is squared off at the tip and the male is smaller and pointy.

[kkdiscus]

Is it true that males have longer pectoral then females and you can sex them that way.
Stuart:smash:

How long is long?

[Argentum]

Is it true that males have longer pectoral then females and you can sex them that way.
Stuart:smash:

Not necessary, I bought two red Turks that acted like pairs with one large with thick lips having a very long pectoral fin and the other smaller with short fins.

They ended up to be both males.

A better way will be the geometry method. where a imaginary line is extended from the dorsal and anal fins and if they cross in the tail its a female and if they dont its a male. google it and you will find some pics and examples

The only sure way is using the breeding tubes as Pat said. However if you are buying them from a shop and want to guess the best method is the geometry method if they are adults.

If you are buying Juviniles, Just select the healthiest 6 - 8 fish you can find and you will end up with a pair at least after they grow.

[donnacona]

Thanks a lot I'll check out the google sites

[Larry Bugg]

Personally I don't think the geometry method is close enough to accurate to be worth much either. Discus are just very hard to sex.

[kkdiscus]

Personally I don't think the geometry method is close enough to accurate to be worth much either. Discus are just very hard to sex.

How true! I thought my super eruption is a male, until I saw it spawned! :p

[Second Hand Pat]

I have applied the geometry method to many fish where I have known the gender and agree with Larry, it doesn't have much value.
Pat

[aquadon2222]

I've fallen for the fins shape tip, too. But when they breed I've been right 2 out of 2 times, pure luck I'm guessing. What I look for is a very specific part of the back of the dorsal fin - if its rounded, probably a girl, if it's pointed, probably a male. Certainly an imperfect system.

[kkdiscus]

I've fallen for the fins shape tip, too. But when they breed I've been right 2 out of 2 times, pure luck I'm guessing. What I look for is a very specific part of the back of the dorsal fin - if its rounded, probably a girl, if it's pointed, probably a male. Certainly an imperfect system.

Yes, that's what I read and guessed too. Still, not very confident after choosing until we see the eggs... :p

(I though male are more aggressive, but I was wrong. All the fighting in my tank are mainly female...)

[briztoon]

Hi guys,

Instead of starting a new thread, I figured I may as well continue with a current thread.

Is it possible to vent sex Discus?

As in, handle them and look at their genitalia, instead of waiting for their tubes to "drop".

[Rudustin]

Hi guys,

Instead of starting a new thread, I figured I may as well continue with a current thread.

Is it possible to vent sex Discus?

As in, handle them and look at their genitalia, instead of waiting for their tubes to "drop". Not that I am aware of. I have several discus that I thought were male and as it turned out they were female. I think the only sure thing is to wait for the tubes to drop and even then to a newbie it can be confusing! Rufus

[Discus-Hans]

I hire anybody who is 100% sure in selecting males + females, I pay you at least $100K a year, easy because I'm going to be rich selling pairs lol lol

Hans

[Rico04]

Is an incomplete science and more of a educated guess.

[Rico04]

Read the geometry method and not truly convinced. But you do have a 50-50 chance.

[briztoon]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I guess this is another reason why Discus can be so expensive.

[dragon1974]

Some Discus are easy to spot a male (ie BD), some are harder. The only sure fire way I know is to take the pair, put them in a tank and if you get babies you have a pair. You have a 50/50 chance of getting it wright. I mean the more experienced members have the eye for spotting a potential pair but other than I don't know. But that's the fun with this hobby for ppl like me, I like cursing up a storm when I find out I either have 2 males/females in a tank hahahah

[Rudustin]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I guess this is another reason why Discus can be so expensive.I don't know if this is one of the reasons that discus are expensive. I think the main reason is the time spent not only breeding discus but taking care of fry and juvies is enormously time consuming. I even wonder if the breeders actually charge enough considering how difficult it can be to first develop a strain that breeds true and then constantly upgrading the strain to continue it's quality to say nothing of housing, feeding and water quality. Distribution and shipping are an entirely different expense.

[dmartinx]

Do male discus have a nuchal prominence? This is a reliable indicator for angelfish. I'm seeing it in some of my juveniles who have yet to spawn. Anybody have any experience with this?