I think it would be great to keep information all in one place on sexing red terrors while they are in the in-between stage of adolescence and adulthood. When young festae are nearly impossibly to sex because they look the same up until around the 5-7 inch mark when they change color. I bought a festae at about the 4 inch mark and was told it was a female but now believe it was a male. If more experienced keepers could confirm that I would appreciate it greatly.
To start this thread off with ways to tell a festae is female is coloration in the dorsal fin. Often females will have dark coloration on part of their dorsal fin which helps many to identify it is a female.
In addition, males color down over time and do not get the true red colors like the females do.![IMG_0958.jpeg IMG_0958.jpeg](https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/data/attachments/1107/1107994-87f66969d21989b670889d3378bafaed.jpg)
![IMG_0959.jpeg IMG_0959.jpeg](https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/data/attachments/1107/1107995-931886aa8bf007e1425144aeb0314f30.jpg)
![IMG_0959.jpeg IMG_0959.jpeg](https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/data/attachments/1107/1107995-931886aa8bf007e1425144aeb0314f30.jpg)
To start this thread off with ways to tell a festae is female is coloration in the dorsal fin. Often females will have dark coloration on part of their dorsal fin which helps many to identify it is a female.
In addition, males color down over time and do not get the true red colors like the females do.
![IMG_0958.jpeg IMG_0958.jpeg](https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/data/attachments/1107/1107994-87f66969d21989b670889d3378bafaed.jpg)
![IMG_0959.jpeg IMG_0959.jpeg](https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/data/attachments/1107/1107995-931886aa8bf007e1425144aeb0314f30.jpg)
![IMG_0958.jpeg IMG_0958.jpeg](https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/data/attachments/1107/1107994-87f66969d21989b670889d3378bafaed.jpg)
![IMG_0959.jpeg IMG_0959.jpeg](https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/data/attachments/1107/1107995-931886aa8bf007e1425144aeb0314f30.jpg)
![IMG_0958.jpeg IMG_0958.jpeg](https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/data/attachments/1107/1107994-87f66969d21989b670889d3378bafaed.jpg)
![IMG_0959.jpeg IMG_0959.jpeg](https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/data/attachments/1107/1107995-931886aa8bf007e1425144aeb0314f30.jpg)