Can vendors really sex 3 inch peacocks/haps?

[Omrit]

I ordered from snake river cichlids recently, and in hindsight I started thinking "wait can they even sex these fish at that size?" after ordering some 2.5-3 inch "males" with them. Am I being delusional thinking these are actually males?

I know in theory you can vent sex them ,but is your average vendor really doing that?

Btw I am not complaining about my order, the fish seem fine. Just curious if in the future I am better off ordering large fish(when my other fish are larger) or sticking with buying 4 unsexed juveniles and hoping for a male.

 

[PhishMon84]

i think tampa bay claims this too- i went down the rabbithole of reddit and reviews that most ppl felt it was BS

 

[tiger15]

Haplochromis peacock can be sexed around 2.5 inch. It’s easier to pick out males from a group than females as subordinate males look female until the dominant males are removed.

 

[danotaylor]

Snake River guarantees there stock if you buy a specific sex. I ordered 3 guaranteed males from them a few years back; 2.5-3”, 3-4” & 4”+.
The 2.5-3” turned out to be female. I sent them an email several months later that I was suspicious the smaller “male” was a female. They requested clear pics of the vent, which I supplied. They agreed it was a female and 2 days later the refund money was back on my credit card.
I was disappointed not to have received the male I was hoping for, but the process of verifying and receiving the refund was seamless.
Oh, and they do not require the return of any incorrectly sexed fish, but if want a replacement you do have to repurchase and pay the shipping costs

 

[Omrit]

Haplochromis peacock can be sexed around 2.5 inch. It’s easier to pick out males from a group than females as subordinate males look female until the dominant males are removed.

But if the vendor is shipping out several orders that day(as they often do) then this method is very shaky? For example if four sunshine peacocks were ordered that day then the 4th most colorful 2.5 inch specimen is definitely not a guaranteed male. I think it's a good method for picking fish at petco but seems a bit far-fetched for the vendors to use in my opinion.

 

[DJRansome]

They have a 50/50 chance anyway and nothing to lose. The buyer is the only loser because they have an unwanted fish and still have to pay shipping on the replacement. Good marketing.

I use their claims to be able to sex small fish as a way to evaluate the vendor.

 

[danotaylor]

But if the vendor is shipping out several orders that day(as they often do) then this method is very shaky? For example if four sunshine peacocks were ordered that day then the 4th most colorful 2.5 inch specimen is definitely not a guaranteed male. I think it's a good method for picking fish at petco but seems a bit far-fetched for the vendors to use in my opinion.

This is hearsay. Ask them what their process is and don’t just assume. I would think they put each order in its own holding tank before packaging

The ease that a vendor is able to be contacted & quickness to make things right things that happen as an out working of human error is what matters to me.

Simple solution for the OP; buy bigger fish. Their only about $15 more as you escalate through the size categories, which is less than shipping costs on replacements

 

[danotaylor]

They have a 50/50 chance anyway and nothing to lose. The buyer is the only loser …

I respectfully disagree. It’s not a good business practice to base a guarantee on a 50/50 guess. The business loses the sale, the future sale of the female fish that they have spent money to raise & now get nothing for, the time spent catching and bagging the fish, and a potentially losing a disappointed customer. I’d say that’s plenty something’s to lose