why does my male betta have vertical stripes? it is a short tail betta(plakat)......
i know that females have vertical stripes when they are ready to breed, but i am not sure about my betta..... it is a short tail male betta.... i am now thinking that it is a female betta.... what can be be wrong? is it a female? well answer this honestly....
2006-12-30 12:44:32 · 2 answers · asked by Sxc 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
It's honestly very difficult to tell the difference between a plakat male and a female without a picture. I can try to give you a pointer though. Look at your betta's belly. If you see a small white spot, you have a female (this is called the eggspot). If not, you most likely have a plakat male.
If you do end up having a plakat male, the vertical stripes on its body means that it is scared of something, usually another dominant male nearby. If you do have it near another male betta, I suggest separating them - seems like your little plakat might be a bit wimpy :) Or, if you just got the betta recently, he may be freaked out and still adjusting to his environment. It can take bettas anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks to fully adjust to a new home.
If your fish is female, the vertical stripes means that she wants to spawn very badly. Often times this will occur when a desirable male is in sight. If you are wanting to spawn, this is a very good thing! Otherwise...she'll most likely chill out soon.
Good luck with your betta!
2006-12-30 18:43:29 · answer #1 · answered by Nicole S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your betta is a female. Short tail male Betta Splendens don't exist. Some males get vertical stripes because they are inbreed too much. Its horizontal stripes means the female is ready to breed, vertical means its just a female or a gender confused not reproductive male.
Does it make bubble nests? I'd be surprised.
Either you paid a fortune for this fish and its another species of betta like a Betta Rubra or its not a betta but a spike tailed paradise fish or a dwarf gourami. Or its a female B. Splendens.
Well I suppose it COULD be a crown tail betta, some of them could look like it has a short tail, until you compare it to a female.
2006-12-31 13:54:37 · answer #2 · answered by Noota Oolah 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋