[Jan]

I am new to cichlids how do i tell if they are male or female and can a yellow lab and a cobalt mate. Thanks

[maimai]

as me know male fish usually biger female fish.And male fish have many color than female fish.when it's born you will know with one is female

[watrsedg]

hi jan, usually on a male cichlid the dorsal (top) and the anal fin ( lower rear) has very long trailer behind it, while the female's are more rounded at the ends. the male is usually the more colorfull and prominent to help attract a mate. This however isnt true for all cichlids. Oscars are almost impossible to tell apart without checking surgically. Convicts are relatively easy to discern since the female almost always has a red tinted belly. After you have cichlids for a little while it will get easier to see the charactistic traits of the different sexes. If your trying to breed some fish, i recommend adding some pics on here and getting some opinions