Sexing Fish Policy
At Aquarium Central, we strive to offer high-quality fish at the lowest possible prices while ensuring fairness for all customers. To keep our processes efficient and maintain balanced stock, we do not offer sexing of fish unless explicitly stated in the product title.
What This Means for Your Order
- If a fish listing specifies a sex (e.g., Male Guppy, Male Betta), you will receive the specified sex.
- If a listing does not mention sex, the fish will be selected at random, as they are received from suppliers in natural mixed-sex ratios.
- We do not take requests for specific sexes on fish that are not sexed in the product title.
This policy allows us to keep prices low, process orders quickly, and maintain fair availability for all customers.
Why We Do Not Sex Fish on Request
1. Keeping Prices Low for Everyone
Sexing fish requires extra handling, time, and expertise, which would increase costs. By maintaining a no-sexing policy, we ensure that all customers benefit from our lowest possible prices without additional fees for manual sorting.
2. Efficient Order Processing
Our team works hard to pack and dispatch orders as quickly as possible to ensure timely delivery. Sexing fish individually would slow down our order processing and take resources away from getting everyone’s orders packed on time for the courier.
3. Preventing Unfair Sex Ratios
When we receive fish, they arrive in pre-mixed male and female ratios as determined by nature or breeding farms. If we selectively pick males or females upon request, the remaining stock becomes unbalanced for future customers. By maintaining a no-sexing policy, we ensure that all customers receive fish in the same natural ratio they were originally supplied.
4. Colour Feeding with AquaMunch Super Colour
At Aquarium Central, we feed AquaMunch Super Colour to our fish, which enhances their natural pigmentation. This can cause females to develop more vibrant colours similar to males, making visual sexing much more difficult. In some species, both sexes will display strong colouration when fed a high-quality diet, making it challenging to guarantee accuracy when sexing.
5. Difficulty in Sexing Certain Species
Many species cannot be accurately sexed at a young age, as sexual dimorphism (physical differences between males and females) develops later. Even experienced breeders may struggle to identify sexes in juveniles, and attempting to do so at the point of sale can lead to errors.
Understanding the Probability of Receiving a Male and Female Pair
Because our fish are kept in even male-to-female ratios, the probability of getting at least one male and one female increases as you buy more fish. The table below illustrates the likelihood of receiving both sexes in your order:
| Number of Fish Purchased | Chance of Receiving Only Males or Only Females | Chance of Receiving Both Sexes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Fish | 50% (2 Male or 2 Female) | 50% (1 Males & 1 Females) |
| 4 Fish | 25% | 75% |
| 6 Fish | 11% | 89% |
| 8 Fish | 6% | 94% |
| 10 Fish | 3% | 97% |
How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Both Sexes
- Purchase at least 4–6 fish to increase the likelihood of getting a mix of males and females.
- Allow the fish to mature before determining their sex, as juveniles may not yet show differences.
- Observe natural behaviour, as some species show dominant colouration changes regardless of sex.
Final Notes on Our No-Sexing Policy
✅ If a fish listing specifies a sex (e.g., Male Guppy, Male Betta), you will receive that sex.
❌ If the listing does not mention sex, fish are sold in mixed, random ratios.
❌ We do not take requests for specific sexes on fish that are not already labelled as male or female in the product title.
We appreciate your understanding of this policy, which ensures fairness, efficiency, and affordability for all customers. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our team!