how can you tell if a betta fish is male or female?

Question

my fish is a very beautiful blue with orange on the upper parts of the fins and now it has a brown head with a brown stripe down it's back and the belly has gotten very big and there are white and clear balls in the bottom of the tank, what are they and what gender is my fish?

Answer 1

The best way to tell males from female is by the length of the
fins.
Here's a male:
http://www.aquababies.com/images/fish9.jpg

and a male "flaring" or showing off his fins:
http://www.geocities.com/mpreseau1/oldturk.jpg

Here's a female:
http://www.oneworldinternetcafe.com/betta/betta05G.jpg

In this picture of a female you can see her egg spot under her belly. That indicates she is ready to breed:
http://www.dougall.info/images/female_betta_black_copper_red_cross_85daysold_2%20copy.jpg

Odds are very good you have a female that has laid eggs. Without a male present to fertilize the eggs they will all turn white indicating they are infertile and will never hatch.

MM

Answer 2

Fin size and color aren't always the best method for sexing Bettas. Plakats are short-finned Betta splendens and the males have fins as short as the females. Also young males sold at many fish stores haven't grown their full finnage yet and look very similar to young females. Also, a common myth is that females aren't as brilliantly colored as their male counterparts when in actuality the coloration is just as beautiful.

All female egg-laying Bettas have an ovipositor. This is the tube through which the eggs are deposited and it happens to be visible on the underside of the Betta. To the naked eye it looks like nothing more then a small white dot centered behind the ventral fins. If the ovipositor is present the fish is female and conversely a lack of an ovipositor indicates a male Betta.

Answer 3

Hi,
Sounds like you ahve a female. A male has long flowing fins and a female's fins are much shorter. Some people say the female aren't very pretty but I have 2 beautiful female Betta's. Here are a few pictures for you to look at...
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/anabantoids/bettas.php
Hope that helps!

Answer 4

The male Betta fish have very long tail fins. When the male betta is upset it will flare it's gills out. The female has very short tail fins.

Answer 5

Sounds like you have a female that laid eggs. The clear balls you mentioned are the eggs. They are not viable as there was no male. The male betta builds a bubble nest for the eggs and keeps them from sinking so that when they hatch they do not drown. Bettas are labyrinth fish and are surface breathers so dad must keep the fry from drowning until they are able to surface for themselves. No male of course means no fertile eggs.

Answer 6

Bettas are a species of fish that is easy to sex. Males have the long flowing fins and brilliant colors that owners find attractive, and are what is usually sold in shops. Females are drabber and have short rather stubby fins. It is not always easy to find females for sale in pet shops.

I hope that helps you out.

Answer 7

The females do not have the ornate fins that the male has. If you have a betta with huge, decorative fins, it`s a male. the female looks just the same but with regular (average) size fins.

Answer 8

The males have the big, pretty tails and fins while the females aren't quite as brightly colored and don't have the fancy tails and fins. The females also don't get all exited and try to attack everything else.

Answer 9

They look different. The male species has beautiful colors and elaborate fins they are also larger then females.

You most likely have a female laying eggs.

Answer 10

Male Bettas have much longer, and wavy fins, and are generally nicer colors.