# What's the definitive way to sex a dwarf gourami?



## Jeffww (Aug 6, 2010)

No one?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Jeffww said:


> Some people say that fin shape is the way to tell. Round fins = female Pointed fins = male.


SOunds right. The male can be a juvie so it doesn't have bright colors. These dwarves can be treated with hormones so they're colors are ambiguous. 

They can co-exist but separate if injuries shows up.


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## Slippryrock (Mar 15, 2011)

i'm watching this to see if your question is answered. I too have the same question.


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## jingleberry (Mar 1, 2012)

See if this helps.

http://www.fishchannel.com/freshwater-aquariums/fish-breeding/breeding-dwarf-gouramis.aspx


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Female dwarf gourami have almost no markings and are drab grayish gold color. Once you see a male and female together, you can tell the diff 99% of the time. (I'm specifically referring to Powder Blue and Honey gourami).

I personally have not seen a female dwarf at any LFS in the last 3-4 years. Apparently, the breeders do not export them.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

OVT said:


> I personally have not seen a female dwarf at any LFS in the last 3-4 years. Apparently, the breeders do not export them.


This is true. They don't sell like the males and they probably don't want people breeding them because it's pretty easy.


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## nvladik (Jan 12, 2012)

Color is a very good indicator. This is a good read: http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/gouramis/dwarf_gouramis.htm.


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## Jeffww (Aug 6, 2010)

Well... round fins started building a bubble nest so I guess they're both males. I did find two females at wal mart though. They're going to be quarantined for god knows how long though.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Jeffww said:


> ...I did find two females at wal mart though.


o..O I think a trip to WalMart is in my near future


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## Slippryrock (Mar 15, 2011)

i recently picked up 2 honeys at pet supplies plus. I thought that i might be getting a pair but as it turns out they both colored up equally once they got comfy in their new home. I should start a new thread about gouramis as i keep losing them. they appear healthy, great coloring, great appetite, no visible signs of injury and yet they turn up dead. i removed some Colombian tetras that seemed to be causing stress. But i keep losing them. my most recent loss was a giant dwarf with great coloring. /shrug


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## Aquatic Delight (Mar 2, 2012)

as far as i know they do not export female dwarfs, every lfs here including petcomart, and walmart(the one time i stopped in) only sell male dwarf.





Slippryrock said:


> i recently picked up 2 honeys at pet supplies plus. I thought that i might be getting a pair but as it turns out they both colored up equally once they got comfy in their new home. I should start a new thread about gouramis as i keep losing them. they appear healthy, great coloring, great appetite, no visible signs of injury and yet they turn up dead. i removed some Colombian tetras that seemed to be causing stress. But i keep losing them. my most recent loss was a giant dwarf with great coloring. /shrug


 
OMG Your Pet supplies plus is safe enough to buy fish from? i wish i had photos of mine, it is the grossest place i have ever seen. half the tanks are empty with some of the grossest water i have ever seen. of the 30 or so tanks they have, maybe 9 actually have live fish in them, with no lights. there live plant tank is a joke as almost all of them are dead. most of the tanks that have live fish contain dead fish that have or are starting to decay. its just sad.

sorry to jack thread but i had to say this.


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## Slippryrock (Mar 15, 2011)

There is a walmart, meijer and psp here and only one legit lfs, none appear to stock females as it turns out. The psp here is only about 2 years old and so far they do a really fine job keeping the fish, reptiles and bird habitats and i use that term loosely, very clean and healthy all things considered. Prior to that when in the old building it was a bit of a dump.
To keep on topic, I have noticed both pointed and rounded on what are clearing colored like males. I'm going to stick to the coloring like african cichlids when trying to sex them.


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## wetworks (Jul 22, 2011)

Dinner first, at a nice place, not a chain restaurant, then a movie- a chick-flick, not an action film. Then a nice moonlit walk on the beach. Works every time.


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