I have just brought 5 minnows to put it my fish tank but i cant tell which is a boy or girl can someone help!

Question

Is it a boy or a girl

Plz dont leave basd anwsers as i am only answing coz there my 8 year old sis. Thank you to everyone who is leaving answers

Answer 1

You need to look at the dorsal fin.

Usually you can tell, as the dorsal fin, this is the fin on the underside of the fish will be different bettween the genders. the very back fin on the males will be much thinner and as a much lesser angle.

You cant tell on goldfish etc because their fins are completely different.

However, on a different note, it does not really matter which minnows are male and female, unless i spose you want to call one minnie and one mickey!!

Answer 2

Are you wanting to know how do they reproduce? Spawning season as an example for the fathead minnow starts in late May to early June when water temperature exceeds 16° C (about 60° F). It goes into mid-August when the water temperatures begin to cool. About 30 days before a male begins to spawn, he develops dark coloration, breeding tubercles (which resembles little horns) on his head, and a soft mucus-like pad on his back between his head and dorsal fin (which by the way is on the top of him - not the bottom of him as someone else out here said - the bottom fin is the Anal fin).

The male selects the nest site, which normally is under an object such as a log, rock, stick, pop can, or whatever may be dumped at the bottom of the waterway (or in this case for an aqurium - rocks, wood, or plants). The bottom of the waterway is commonly made up of gravel or sand, which easily can be moved. The male excavates enough of the bottom to be able to fit easily under the nest object. He then defends it aggressively from all other fatheads. Often females have to be very persistent to gain admission to the nest. Once the female enters the nest she turns upside down and lays her sticky eggs on the underside of the nest object. She then leaves to either spawn with another male or go back to where she came from. After the female leaves the nest, the male then fertilizes the eggs. The male not only guards his incubating eggs; he fans them with his fins and massages them with his back pad. This keep them clean and well oxygenated. Other females may add eggs to the nest as the spawn season goes on. The male continues his care until all of the eggs hatch. Females produce clutches of eggs (groups of eggs that become ready for spawning at the same time). Each clutch may contain 80-370 eggs. Most females probably spawn several clutches in a season, but this is only a rough estimate as the actual number can vary depending on conditions. The embryos hatch in about 4-6 days.

Answer 3

Why on earth would you wnat to know what sex minnows are???

Are they white clouds?

Are you a fisherman and want to spawn them for free bait?

In regular egglaying tropical fish, the females are usually more drab in color and when viewed from above, they are wider and heavier in the stomach area.

In most of the livebearing tropicals, the female is typically a lot larger than the males. The males are usually more brightly colored.

Answer 4

I got 2 goldfish and i asked if you can tell whether it is a boy or girl and they said no you can't but that could be only on goldfish but i advise you to go to a pet shop and ask them

Answer 5

~~~our pet store sells these flat magnifying screens that you can put infront of your fishtank,,,that may help you to indentify male or female better,,,,,,really works great,,,,we have sold many fish this way by being able to breed and seperate after spawning so the males dont eat the babies,,,,

Answer 6

Go and ask the shop u bought it from.

Answer 7

usually minnows are gray if they're a girl for a boy they're just a different color

Answer 8

AHHH you should of ask them before you put them into your tank. Now they will forget poor fish

Answer 9

you might be a redneck if