Cherry Barbs

I can't figure out if the four Cherry Barbs I have are males or females 'coz they keep changing colour. Sometimes they look bright red and other times dullish brown. Is there any other way to sex them besides colour?

Males are usually slimmer than females

Right, off for a gawk...

Well they all look to have the same body shape to me. Crap, I've probably ended up with four males. Not so bothered about them not breeding but I wouldn't like them to fight given the lack of female companionship.

AFAIK the females will never go red so i'd think that if you have seen them all red at one point, they could well be males.
I had 4, 2 of each sex & they were very obviously different. I have only 2 females now but I have never ever seen them any other colour than brown.
Got a pic?

Just of one of them - they're quite difficult to photograph I find as they never stay still!!

I'd say male... the fins are very red. My females fins are pale brown/yellow

I'd say 100% all male from this pic

Thanks M.C. Looks like I have four males then. So much for the LFS guy insisting he could definitely sex the juveniles when I asked for one male and three females.

Oh yeah, forgot about that photo. They do look quite bright there and you're saying the females never show up that bright?

I have had mine about 2 years and never seen them red. So that's JME

Well that's sorted it then. Boys it is. Ah well, at least they add a very pretty splash of colour to the planted tank.

Yes, they are stunning, I prefer the males

There's no fear the Angelfish will try to eat them when I add it to the tank in about ten days or so, is there? I presumed they were big enough...

Ooooh now you're asking... how big are the angels' mouths? I'd keep a very close eye on them

Could the fact that hey are not all really red be due to the fact that not one male is able to be dominant?

I have a male and 2 female, and a definate difference in colour - the male is very red, but if yours keep changing then perhaps they have to work out who is Alpha fish - I dont know if barbs do this, just posing a question?

Oh that's an interesting point Diana as one of them is definitely bigger than the other three. It might explain the "chameleon" effect that's going on.

The one in your pic looks male.

Well these photos show that, as well as the difference in colouring, the male has a pale dotted median line whereas the female has a darker dotted median line so my four are definitely male.


Male Cherry Barb

Female Cherry Barb