# quick question



## wally43 (Feb 23, 2007)

i have 5 rbps that are all around 6 to 7 inches latly two of them have been gettin really dark, and i know the males will get darker faster then females so i'm just wondering if i have 2 males and 3 females, if the darker ones are males they started getting dark yesterday and today they look black. and the other 3 are still light colored? just wondering. thanks


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## DemDesBri (Feb 28, 2007)

wally43 said:


> i have 5 rbps that are all around 6 to 7 inches latly two of them have been gettin really dark, and i know the males will get darker faster then females so i'm just wondering if i have 2 males and 3 females, if the darker ones are males they started getting dark yesterday and today they look black. and the other 3 are still light colored? just wondering. thanks


No way to tell male or female until they are doing they actually doing the dance and laid eggs. The male will be the one at the bottom guarding and fanning the eggs and the female is usually hovering above the male.


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## Fry (Oct 9, 2005)

wally43 said:


> i have 5 rbps that are all around 6 to 7 inches latly two of them have been gettin really dark, and i know the males will get darker faster then females so i'm just wondering if i have 2 males and 3 females, if the darker ones are males they started getting dark yesterday and today they look black. and the other 3 are still light colored? just wondering. thanks


No way to tell.You may have 2 males trying to breed with 1 ready female.or 1 male and 2 ready females.typically the male will be the first to go black.I have also witnessed the female fanning eggs just as a male would.I would say this may happen with the more experienced females.as the female I seen taking the males role was a 4 year old female with about 30 batches of eggs under her belt.So this method may be accurate ,but not conclusive.Chances are though you will have at least 1 pair or this ritual would never have occurred.


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