Venting Malawis


Ok, when it comes to young Malawi cichlids, sexing them can prove difficult. Most are not sexable until the males begins to mature and develop his adult male colouration.

One method to sex african cichlids is by venting them. In other words, looking at their underside to determine if their vent ressembles that of a female oO or that of a male oo.

This article is dedicated to venting information along with some links and helpful photos to aid in your venting efforts.

http://www.fishhead.com/articles/ventsex.htm
http://www.thecichlidgallery.com/article_venting.htm
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/gender.php

Here are some pics of some common Malawis:

Female 1 1/2″ red zebra

Female 1 3/4″ yellow lab

Female 3″ ob peacock

Female 1 3/4″ albino socolofi

Female 2 3/4″ yellow lab (she had spawned earlier that day so the vent is slightly larger than normal)

Female 3 3/4″ kenyi

Male 1″ ob peacock

Same male ob peacock at 1 3/4″

Male 2″ albino socolofi

Male 2 1/2″ socolofi

Male 1 3/4″ yellow lab

Male 4″ auratus

Male 1 3/4″ red zebra (actually, I’m only about 90% sure this guy is male)

Big Thanks to chelle/tmg68650 for the spectacular photos