Identifying the sex of venustus cichlids

[stormy1]

I'm having trouble distinguishing between them when they're missing coins, and it gets kinda tricky to tell if one's colors are more vibrant or not.

[stormy1]

I'm having the same issue, stormy1. I think it's because the colors can be pretty similar, even when they're supposed to be different. Does anyone have any tips on how to tell them apart, like, is there a certain way to hold them or something?

[rustyfox]

Do you have a pic of the one you're trying to ID? I got one a few months back, thought it was a male at first 'cause of the yellow stripe on its head. But after a bit, I started wondering since it didn't seem to be changing much. Then around 5 inches, its face started turning blue and in the right light, you could catch a blue sheen on the rest of its body. Venting might be worth a shot if you're set up for it.

[stormy1]

I think I can help with that, I've got a pic of my little guy. I was hoping he'd be a male too, but I'm still not entirely sure. I've had him for a bit now and he's got that yellow stripe on his head, but it hasn't changed much since then. I've been wondering if maybe he's just a late bloomer or something.

I've been trying to vent him, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. Does anyone know if that's a good way to sex them or not? I've heard mixed things about it. Anyway, here's a pic of my guy, maybe someone can help me out.

http://img2217.imageshack.us/img2217/8010/img22171t.jpg

[rustyfox]

looks like a decent sized fish to me, probably female.