hi,i have 2 x juvie blue acaras approx 3 inches.came home from work today and there were approx 200 ish eggs on one of my plants with the 2 acaras guarding them.my question is,both of the fish have what looks like a miniture white penis looking thing sticking out near their back end. are they both females???sorry to sound so dumb.
if they are feritle you kno u have a male and female! if theyn arent you could still have a male and female just not certain! but they may be male and female to tolerate each other!
but are the eggs a brownish color? then they are fertile and you have a male and female!
Wow I haven't seen blue acara in years, was wondering what happened to them...
Anyway try to have a look at the (I forget what you call them, the egg-tube things) if they're still out. If you can look at them side-by-side the female's would be a bit blunter, and I think they protrude at a slightly different angle (forgive me it's been awhile since I saw breeding cichlids).
Anyway if they turn white they're likely infertile; most of the time they'll eat the eggs if they're no good. I'd say check the finnage for secondary characteristics but they're pretty small so even if one's a male the fins might not show it.
the white eggs are infertile due to fungus growth. the parents will/should eat them. as far as sexing them..males have pointed fins,and longer also but you said they have the same size finage. best of luck
