How to Sex Discus Fish
Sexing discus fish is not an easy task. There are a lot of different opinions online about sexing discus fish.
When discus fish are small under 4 inches in size their dorsal (back) fin are always rounded. Therefore it is impossible to tell if a young discus under 4 inches in size is male or female! If anyone that is selling discus claims to know male versus female and the fish is under 4 inches in size- they are probably lying to make a quick sale!
When a discus reaches 4 inches of size or larger the shape of the dorsal fin changes.
If dorsal fin is rounded on the corners = FEMALE
If dorsal fine is pointed on the corners – MALE
Also- a male discus is always larger than the female.
The shape of the dorsal fin is a good indicator of sex but not always 100% accurate.
The only true 100% accurate way to know determine sex of a discus fish is to actually witness them spawning.
The fish that lays eggs is obviously the female.
The male then swims over the eggs to fertilize them.
If you have a discus lay eggs but the eggs never hatch there is a good chance that you have 2 female discus.
A less expensive alternative to getting a discus pair is to purchase 12 or more of the same discus strain/color when they are young. The odds of getting a breeding pair are usually pretty good. Many Discus.com customers have obtained breeding pairs in this manner.
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