Sexing Angels

[fishykisses]

Does anyone who lives near burnaby have any experience in sexing angels?
I have 4 angels about 8-12 months old. This afternoon i noticed that there were a ton of eggs (a good number are very white)and an angel guarding ...i assume it's the mother but she won't let any other angel near, which would lead me to think that there is no father...is this assumption wrong?
Anyway, i thought there was at least one pair possibly 2 but i'm not sure.
Can someone help me sex these little buggers so i can buy other angels accordingly?
I could also post clear up close pics if that would work.
Thanks all
Connie

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Look at the anal tube area. The ovipositor (egg laying tube) will be larger, wider in females while it is sharper & narrower in males. I found my males were generally larger & had a more pronounced head "bump" compared to my females.

HTH,

Anthony

[fishykisses]

Here's some pics which might help...i just can't tell
this is the one guarding the eggs - i assume the mother
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/fishykisses/357029af.jpg
and the rest
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/fishykisses/4a7f06b5.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/fishykisses/a7a15ccf.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/fishykisses/c3ea1b41.jpg

[Johnny Reefer]

Angelfish form nuclear families, meaning both the male and female share the brood and parental duties equally.

Because you have no obvious pair sharing these responsibilities leads me to believe that you have 4 females. If there is no male to fertilize them, then the eggs will likely just get eaten after a day or so.

Sexing FW Angelfish is difficult. As Seahorse Fanatic said...the genital papillae of the male is pointed, while the female's is rounded. However, this is only evident during breeding behaviour.

Your best bet, if you want to pair Angelfish off, is to get 10 or so in the same tank, provided you have the space for that many. By increasing the population, you are increasing the odds of having both males and females. Once you get the pairs you want, you could then sell the others or possibly return them to the Aquarium Shop. And maybe they'd give you a credit if they have any sense.

Good luck and cheers,

[woodcarver]

Hi Connie,The white eggs are infertile and will not hatch. If you still have clear eggs chances are the male has fertilized them . The pair will both guard the eggs and try to chase away intruders trying to eat the hatch. You could take the leaf out of the community tank and raise them seperately in a small rearing tank with methyline blue added ( enough drops to make the tank quite dark blue ) with an airstone blowing air gently over the eggs . The eggs will start to wiggle and after a few days the fry will become free swimming and need newly hatched brine shrimp for their first food. You can tell if they are feeding as their gut becomes fat and pink!!
It is almost impossible to sex young angels ,though it is said that if looked directly head on the male looks slightly pinched behind the long trailing fins and the female is slightly rotund. As Mark says the best way to obtain pairs other than purchasing known pairs is to keep a number together and let them pair off.
It is fascinating to allow the parents to raise a brood as they can be very attentive ,cleaning the fry with their mouths and spitting them back onto the leaf or slate. ( THOUGH ALL PAIRS ARE NOT GOOD PARENTS !!)Eventually a crowd of tiny angels will surround the parents
Wow ! I have written a book :smile: :smile:
Hope this helps.........................Dave

[Xtasia]

If the eggs go white, and the fish is still trying to fan them, chances are you have all female.

If the eggs do not go white, there is a chance that the mother chased off her mate. I had one angel that would lay eggs in the community tank with her mate, then she would chase him off once he had done his job. They did an excellent job raising the fry together once they were hatched.

You can either remove the eggs to another tank and aerate them with a air stone, and put enough methylene blue to make the water blueish (I just like to tint the water blue, I think dark blue is too much)... or you can remove all the fish except the mother from the tank, and replace the filtration with a sponge filter.