How do you sex balas?

Erika

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Jul 1, 2003
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Hamilton, OH
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I have two balas that I got at the same time at the same lfs and they were the same size. Is there any way to sex these fish?
I have determined that I have m/f pairs of my pacus and nics but can't tell what I've got with the balas.
I've had them for about 4 months now and one is larger than the other and its black markings are somewhat darker.
Thanks in advance!
 
I have 7 or 8 Balas, and I can't tell a difference. I don't think you can mate them though, if that's what you have in mind.
 
They havent been bred without the use of hormones to my knowledge. In Thailand they are bred using hormones from the pituitary glands of carp. There must be a way out sexing the fish, but I do not know it - it probably isnt apprarent which sex you have until they are breeding condition.
 
For example, it isn't possible to sex an Oscar without dissection, (which, obviously, kills the fish.)
 
I wasn't planning on breeding them, just curious. I figured just because I couldn't tell them apart didn't mean much. I couldn't tell with my other fish until they grew some. Thanks for the info, though guys.
 
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