Dwarf Rainbows - Male/Female Colouration

That's the problem with stressed young fish in shop tanks 

Seriously fish doesn't comment on males having red fins, just that males are more brightly coloured and have much deeper bodies than females as they mature. Do yours show any difference in body shape?

Other references talk about males having orange fins rather than red. And I've come across one saying that the females kept the males in one corner while they roamed all over the tank.

But the majority say that males have orange-red fins and females orange yellow; and that they need a ratio of 2 females per male.

Hi Sue

There are some differences in the body shapes, but I'm not sure if this isn't just down to individual growth rates as I did pick them up quite young (they we're all probably less than an inch in length) and they are still a way off being fully grown.

I did go back to the retailer at the weekend who is still selling the same batch of rainbows and you could distinctly see the orange/red fins on the males and a more vivid blue colouration as well - in fact you could easily tell the difference when I first purchase them (until they got stressed when being netted as you've referred to!).

I did expect them to take a while to get their colouration back after I first bought them but they seem to be doing fine and growing well but definitely no male colouration showing!

I should add that the females still look lovely just in case anyone was thinking they're a bit drab or something 

One wonders what would happen to all the other males if everybody wanted the ideal ratio of males to females. I guess most people don't know about it, or it could be very inconvenient for the fish shops ........... I'm planning to get six of these soon, but I'll have to take what I get as by shopping on line they are less than half the price of the large fish shop.

Lookin' good!

I got some dwarf rainbows today 

They were quite big, I was surprised as I expected tiny little juveniles. It was easy to tell the sexes apart, the males had really deep bodies and red tail while the females are much shallower with orange tails. I got 3m 5f. Well, I'm hoping that's what I've got and they don't suddenly change shape or colour on me. They are still settling in, some of them are still clamping their fins a bit so I'll have to wait to see them properly.

Nice one Sue  I found that mine settled in quite quickly - they seem to be quite confident fish rather than skittish or nervous.

Sounds like yours are already quite mature - can you see a distinct, almost violet coloured line down the length of their bodies? All of mine have them (males & females) but I'd swear blind they weren't there until I introduced the males.

How exciting Sue, but I agree with the others we need pics once they're all settled in!!

Of course Sue, once things are all settled :-) hope things are going ok with your mum and she's on the road to recovery