Few people know how to distinguish a female from a male scalar in an aquarium, although in fact it can be done very simply. It is important to be able to distinguish between the sex of the fish, because without this it is impossible to properly breed and keep them in the aquarium.
What is the difference between females and males
Like many other fish species, this family also has representatives of both sexes, which have their own characteristics. When breeding fish, it should be borne in mind that female and male angelfish have minor differences until they grow to about 9-10 months. Only after this it becomes clear that the upper dorsal fin of males develops much more than in females. In addition, there are much more stripes visible on the back of the fin .
The difference between the female and the male scalar is also in the frontal part of the head, since in the male it is convex, and in the female, on the contrary, it is concave.
Determination of sex of scalar
Many owners of aquarium fish are wondering how to distinguish a female from a male scalar, as this is very important for their breeding. Determining the sex for a beginner at first is not such an easy task, because in the absence of experience and attention to establish their gender is almost impossible . And an experienced aquarist will cope with the task without difficulty.
It is very difficult to do this if the fish have not yet reached their puberty. However, both sexes have certain characteristics by which their gender can be determined.
Features of the genital organs of fish
Sufficiently attractive and unusual inhabitants of the aquarium are fish angelfish. How to distinguish a female from a male, absolutely every owner of these amazing creatures should know. You need to wait until the individuals grow up a bit and reach puberty, because after that they need some care.
To determine which scalar is male and which is female, you need to examine their genitals. As soon as the fish becomes an adult, a small tube begins to be seen near the anus: in the female it is the ovipositor, and in the male it is the vas deferens. The genitals are located behind the ventral paired fins, and they become more visible during spawning. To better examine the genitals of the fish, you need to transplant it into a separate aquarium .
Determine the sex of the fish can also be in the form of the genitals. In males, the vas deferens has the shape of a pointed narrow tube that resembles the tip of a pencil. In a female, the ovipositor has a cylindrical and more rounded shape.
Body shape differences
If you are concerned about the question of how to distinguish a female from a male scalar, then you need to inspect the body of the fish. It is necessary to pay attention to the protruding growth on the forehead in males. This makes his forehead noticeably larger and more expressive. Fat growth becomes more noticeable in adults, however, the first signs become noticeable already at an early stage of development .
In addition, it is very important to pay attention to the smaller size and much more rounded body shapes in females. If you need to purchase several pairs of fish for further breeding, it is important to pick up a pair of small and a couple of large individuals.
Gender differences
Many people wonder how to distinguish a female from a male scalar, based on the behavior of the fish. During the breeding season, angelfish, which mainly lead a flocking lifestyle, choose only one partner and create pairs. Even a novice can identify an already formed “family”. The couple is kept separately and is looking for the most suitable place for throwing eggs.
By their nature, these amazing aquarium fish are monogamous. The loss of a partner as a result of separation from him or death is a tremendous stress for the fish, which they often can not survive. Angelfish can injure themselves by hitting the walls of the aquarium or objects located in it, which leads to their death. That is why you can choose partners for the fish, but do not destroy the already formed pairs.
Determination of sex during spawning
To accurately determine the sex of the scalar during spawning, you need to plant a group of several sexually mature individuals in a separate aquarium. When purchasing fish, it is best to buy 4-6 young individuals at once and settle them together. However, you need to select a roomy enough aquarium so that the scalar feels comfortable. When choosing fish, it is advisable to purchase several small and larger individuals, as this will increase the likelihood of acquiring scalars of different sexes, and hence the subsequent formation of spawning pairs.
To determine the sex of the fish, you need to follow the behavior of spawning individuals. When they reach puberty, they will begin to form pairs on their own, then to spawn. From now on, you need to carefully monitor the behavior of the fish, as this will not only determine their gender, but also understand how they are distributed in pairs.
However, it must be remembered that individuals of the same sex can also form pairs, naturally, they will not have offspring. Sometimes spawning pairs show signs of attention, which can be affectionate and touching or somewhat aggressive.
With careful observation, you can notice that the female spawns, but you will have to spend a lot of time at the aquarium so as not to miss the moment.
It is worth noting that the older a scalar becomes, the easier it is to determine its gender, since at a more mature age the genitals drop lower, which makes it possible to consider them well.
Spawning process
Often, scalars begin to lay eggs in the afternoon, in the late afternoon. The entire spawning process takes very little time and lasts approximately 1.5 hours. At this time, the female is pressed very close to the surface of the aquarium and spawns in even rows. The male at the same time repeats all the movements of his partner and thereby fertilizes the eggs. When spawning, it is important to know how to distinguish a female from a male. A photo of the fish will allow a closer look at gender differences.
Given the rapid collection and transfer of eggs to another vessel, angelfish can spawn every 2 weeks. They can do this in a common aquarium, however, for successful offspring rearing it is important to provide them with a separate free space. This is necessary to save the masonry from the encroachment of other inhabitants of the aquarium, since there is no guarantee that spawning couple can provide the required protection to the masonry. In addition, if the larvae and fry live in a common aquarium, then it will be almost impossible to keep them.
In order to avoid infection of fry of various kinds of diseases in the water, you need to add certain drugs that will help to destroy all fungi and bacteria. It is important to remember that caviar needs constant oxygen supply, which is why it must be placed at a small distance from the aerator, but in such a way that air bubbles do not fall on it.