How do you tell the difference between a female feeder fish, and a male feeder fish?

Question

we had 5 feeder fish in our tank with a piranha, he was well fed. over night, he ate 2 of the 5 feeder fish. when we woke up we hurried to get the feeders out of the same tank as him. now we only have 3, we want 5 again. we want to know the difference between a male and a female so we can breed them to get 5 again.

Answer 1

First what kind of feeder fish was it?

I suspect it was a Rosyred minnow (or fathead minnow).  The Juveniles are hard to distinguish.  The adults, the female is chunkier than the male.  But you had better read how to breed them - it is fairly easy and you don't separate them into pairs.  the male usually cares for the eggs of all/any females, protecting them from being eaten.  A ten (or 5) gallon tank with a few caves (or flowerpots) will be the easiest - my favourite is a piece of slate with 3 walls surrounding it.  Those hermit crab plastic houses could work.

see some helpful links below.

Good luck!

Answer 2

well seeing that:1, piranha EAT fish, and 2 feeder fish are like 12 cents.  why do you want to breed feeder fish?

Answer 3

Like Crystal said, feeder fish isn't a species of fish to itself, it's just a food source so unless you say what kind of feeder fish you are breeding, noone can tell you anything.

For the Einstein asking why you'd breed them, it only makes sense.  Buying feeders from stores, where those fish are bought as culled fish from breeders, they are given very very little care, and a sure fire way to promote a pathogen getting into your tank.  I think you clearly see why it's better to breed your own if you must provide other fish as food.