Help...

[Siamese Junkies]

Hey guys,

Here is one of our new fighter. Named Li.

There is a problem , we think its a female, but we are not sure because she is blowing bubbles.

Can you help ? Why is she doing this ?

Sean & Sopheap... :)

[PeterJ]

It's a bit hard to tell either way from the photo. Any chance you could get a clearer one? It's not that uncommon for a female to make a bubblenest, usually the nest and the bubbles are smaller than those made by a male. Does s/he get vertical bars when placed in view of a male?

[Figure_8]

as Peter says, females have been known to blow nests. Its not all that common, but it does happen. Someone (Lilli maybe?) had a female that would not only blow a nest, but release eggs, put them into the nest and tend it! is there any chance of a clearer pic?

[Siamese Junkies]

I think this is as clear as it gets.

[boughetto]

i hate to say this...but it looks female to me... :)

[Siamese Junkies]

i hate to say this...but it looks female to me...

No, that what we want. We want to breed haer.

Did you read the part about her blowing bubbles? Is that normal ?

[Celeste84]

try using the micro button (the tulip) it focus' on smaller objects at closer range. you can't tell either way from either of those photos guys i've seen both males and females who look like that, and as both can blow bubblenests you need to look for verticle bars, the eggs (females look like they've swallowed a marble when full of eggs) and the ovipositor (white dot inbetween and slightly behind the ventral fins). males may have protruding anus' that look like ovipositors, so look for all three things! and if s/he's blowing a bubble nest at least you know they're happy good luck! edit: have you tried showing him/her a mirror?? what's the reaction you get to that from him/her??

[Siamese Junkies]

Hey Celeste, Yep, she got everything you said!!! She got the ovipositor, she is full of eggs. Her verticle bars are short. SHE'S A GIRL!!! Thanks guys, Sean & Sopheap.

[VickiPS]

Length of the ventral fins is a good guide, too. If the ventrals are half the body length or more, it's a boy (well, probably -- I've been known to be VERY wrong)! I always tend to think male if there's a white tip on the ventrals, too -- that's just an observation of mine, though. White-tipped ventrals is typical of the wild b. splendens male colouration, and in my experience it's more likely to be present in a male than a female. Any more experienced members have view on the white-tipped ventrals, or am I just imagining things?

[canary]

Congratulations! It can be difficult We bought a PK 'girl' from a LFS (was in a tank with about 10 females). We kept 'her' in a community tank for 3 months with another female and some other fish. Last week put 'her' by herself and he blew a huge bubblenest and has started flaring like crazy. Good luck with your breeding

[boughetto]

Grats....but long ago..i use to own a "female" betta that turn in to a male betta =.=

[BabyDragonz]

lol its a little embarassing to say but i once mistook my juvie male RT for a female ^^ but he is doing nicely and his fins hav grown. except he tore his tail in the middle when jumping into another males basket :)

[Chuckie]

my article on sexing bettas

[Callatya]

From the first photo, I would have said male as the body looks slim and the fins look longer. The 2nd now looks like a female showing some male traits (longer ventrals, fuller fins) so i'm a bit up in the air. Females can build bubble nests, but if he/she is doing that as well as being sexually ambigious, i'd be very careful and try to breed at a time when you could watch. Does he/she have a beard?

[Celeste84]

cal, do you mean does she extend her gill when flaring (referring to beard comment)?? because ALL my females do that, even the ones i've spawned i've noticed especially when raising juvies, that when looking at them from above the females have a more teardrop shape, where as the males are more streamlined edit: just read lilli's link....makes me feel like an idiot for repeating her almost word for word ;;

[PeterJ]

:fish: my females all have beards to - aren't they meant too?

[Celeste84]

it's ok pete, after reading lilli's article i can say that yes they're meant to it's just that males more often than not have more pronounced beards :P

[PeterJ]

Bugger - I was just about to setup a freak stand for the sideshow. I spose I could always use my coworkers instead .

[VickiPS]

Females will extend their opercula (gill plates/covers) but their opercular membrane ("beard", which is under the gill plates and normally hidden when the fish is in repose) is quite insignificant compared to a male's when fully extended.

[Mishy]

Sorry to all of ya, but my money is on this one being a boy... the anal fin looks too sharp to be female. And some males do show their ovipostor ... (deemed a fault at betta shows)

[Figure_8]

I always tend to think male if there's a white tip on the ventrals, too -- that's just an observation of mine, though. White-tipped ventrals is typical of the wild b. splendens male colouration, and in my experience it's more likely to be present in a male than a female.

both of my girls (how sad.. I can count them on one hand with fingers to spare) have white tips on the ventrals. They both carry the bf gene though so maybe thats a factor. :dontknow:

[Callatya]

I do mean that, but there is usually a big difference in the size and flare shape from males to females. More often than not females aren't as darkly coloutred and tend to make a straight line, where males are rich colours there and flare out more.

[Celeste84]

actually the white (or black) tips to the ventrals are a genetic part of the fish's colouration, it's not sex linked because most of my girls have white tipped ventrals much more noticable in males, but that's because they have larger ventrals :)