# Trying to figure out the genders of my guppies



## RaidenNation (Jan 9, 2013)

I am new to everything and just curious as to what the genders of my guppies appear to be. The LFS said they are mostly males in the tank, but no matter how many posts I read or pics I look at, I can't figure out how to tell for myself!

I got the best pics I could with my phone. I also took a pic of the fry I accidentally got when they bagged my ghost shrimp, I am curious to know how long it will be until it is full grown and if the gender is readable, though I had a really awful time getting a decent picture so I may be asking for a miracle.


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

They all look like males.Maybe the half black is female,hard to tell in picture.The fry is probably to young to be accurately sexed it shows female ,but all fry are born showing female characteristics.


----------



## RaidenNation (Jan 9, 2013)

Thank you, wow I didn't know that about the fry. The black and white one is new, it is the biggest one and it is always hanging out in the back top corner. I will try to get a better picture


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The anal fin(near their vent) is how you tell.Females keep a triangle shape(like all their other fins) .For a male the fin is called a gonopodium and becomes narrow and pointed.All livebeares are similiar in this respect.All fry are born "female" and particulary with swordtails it can take up to a year for a male to show.Often once a fry "becomes" male {the first one}(it will be considered the dominant male) other males will develope slower(due to hormones in the water{from dominant male})and the fact that males tend to be more aggressive the "passive" male will "hide" who it is for survival.With guppies females tend to get larger than males.


----------



## RaidenNation (Jan 9, 2013)

There are some better pictures of that one









Sorry for the poop. Is this one definitely a male? I keep feeling like it is getting rounder but it seems very healthy at the same time, does it look healthy? What could be happening?


----------



## RaidenNation (Jan 9, 2013)

coralbandit said:


> The anal fin(near their vent) is how you tell.Females keep a triangle shape(like all their other fins) .For a male the fin is called a gonopodium and becomes narrow and pointed.All livebeares are similiar in this respect.All fry are born "female" and particulary with swordtails it can take up to a year for a male to show.Often once a fry "becomes" male {the first one}(it will be considered the dominant male) other males will develope slower(due to hormones in the water{from dominant male})and the fact that males tend to be more aggressive the "passive" male will "hide" who it is for survival.With guppies females tend to get larger than males.


Wow that is fascinating, thank you for all of the info!


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

All are males.The half black included,and the second one also.
Heres a quick link look closely at the fins near their vent.
Sexing Livebearers


----------



## RaidenNation (Jan 9, 2013)

That's great to know, thank you, and I was looking for a site just like that with the comparison  Now I know not to worry about babies. Do you think that one is hanging out in the back then because he is a passive male? He comes out a little bit, but him and the pink one were both new together after the other 3 were here


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Ya,there will always be an order of dominance even in "peaceful" fish.If, when you add new fish re-arrange your tank decorations and plants so to break territories already claimed by the senior fish,this allows all to be slightly unfamiliar and claim their space.


----------



## Amethyst (Jul 15, 2012)

Definitely all male, as already stated. How big is the fry? If it is female you will be able to see a dark spot appearing above the anus/vent when she is about 3/4" long. You can actually see it sooner if you can get her to hold still long enough to get a good look, but once she's about 3/4" it's easier. If there is no spot, it's more likely male. The gonopodium starts to differentiate at about 8-10 weeks, when they are about an inch long or a little less. Also, the males are more colorful, so you should start seeing more color in the tail and the back half of the body sooner than if it is female. That is not a positive identifier, though, because some of the females are also quite colorful. 

Is the baby in the tank with the males? If it turns out to be female you'll need to house her separately or the guys will drive her crazy. If you decide you want both males and females, you need at least 2 females per male. I prefer 1:3 myself. In fact, if the fry turns out female you might want to find someone who has mixed-gender tank and "re-home" her. If it turns out male, he'll be fine with the others.

As for the question about the rounding out of the last pictured fish - he looks OK to me, especially if you had just fed them when you took pix. I've seen some of my males look really big-bellied right after a feeding, and within an hour or two they are fine again. 

If the belly continues to get bigger he may be constipated (though he's pooping in the picture, so probably not that) or he may have internal parasites. Other symptoms of internal parasites are stringy clear or white poop (rather than poop that is essentially the same color(s) as the food last fed) lethargy, and eventually getting too thin/emaciated. 

By the way, if he or others do appear constipated, feed them shelled, blanched peas - preferably organic so you aren't feeding them pesticides. You can mash the peas with garlic for added effect. The peas help flush the intestines, and the garlic can kill off nasty stuff in their intestines, and for some reason they like the taste of garlic.


----------



## IanHulett (Oct 6, 2013)

According to forum posts I've read, it's easy. If it only has colors on its tail, and the rest of it is gray or plain, then it's a female. Guppies with color all over them (tail and body) are males.


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

IanHulett said:


> According to forum posts I've read, it's easy. If it only has colors on its tail, and the rest of it is gray or plain, then it's a female. Guppies with color all over them (tail and body) are males.


color really has nothing to do with it.The only real way to tell is their fins.With some "fancy" guppies color are a good indicator,but for commons the color can be misleading.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

coralbandit said:


> color really has nothing to do with it.The only real way to tell is their fins.With some "fancy" guppies color are a good indicator,but for commons the color can be misleading.


I could disagree a little. For the most part if Guppies are full-bodied colored they are males. At least this would apply to the majority of the available population to the average person, non-breeder. For adults of course. Females just have colored fins. I know there is the gonopodium and the gravid spot that play into it also, but these are things you need to identify when the colors are not present, which is mostly when they are very young. 

So I would agree that color has nothing to do with it, but in reality it has a lot to do with quick identification.


----------

