# Male Plakat or Female betta? So confused.



## Aeroggi (Apr 15, 2013)

After my aunt gave me my fish, Ravi(still don't know if he is a Super delta or HM) about two Saturdays ago, my cousin (asked me two days) didn't want his bettas anymore and I couldn't say no. .___. So I have three female bettas, and I want to try make a sorority with them and probably 3 or 4 more females in a 10 gallon. BUT... one of the 'female' looks like a male. .___. Actually, not just looks but I have a feeling that s/he is a he. Probably because of how aggressive s/he is, so kind of a lose-lose for me? I have a spare tanks, but not heaters. I can't tell apart male plakat and regular females. And I can't trust petco/smart labels. As all the fishes he got were labeled veiltail, but all of them are crowntail.

So can you guys help me identify this little fish?


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Looks like a male. I Don't see an eggspot


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## jesssan2442 (Feb 19, 2013)

get him/her to flare and look at the size of the beard that's usually a good indicator


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Actually the beard isn't a good indicator either unfortunately. One of my girls has quite an impressive beard actually!

But it looks like a male to me, the body proportions and the fact it looks as though he doesn't have an eggspot either as MattsBettas had suggested.


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## Aeroggi (Apr 15, 2013)

I guess I'll get another heater then... Ravi looks too happy to share his tank :/ But I'll post more picture in a few minutes, but I honestly don't blame Petco this time. I looked up on the site on how to differentiate from a male PK and a regular female, but I was just left more confused before I started to look them up.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Ugg yeah, I tried that search too and came up with the same results lol, it can be so difficult!


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## Aeroggi (Apr 15, 2013)

Hmm, makes it more confusing when I read "Look for this and this, then it's a female." 'Check.' Then I scroll down for the male "Look for this and this." Check.... -.-

Also for the eggspot, I was also looking for it and I found like a small dot, but it doesn't really 'stick' out from underneath. I dunno if it's the egg spot for just the color of that spot. So, I'll guess I'll be cautious and place it in it's own tank...


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

It's hard to tell the genders some times lol.


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## Aeroggi (Apr 15, 2013)

So what I have noticed is when s/he flares, s/he doesn't really flare with it's beard. I don't know if it means anything except the fact that I couldn't really look at its beard while it flared. But I'll still post the pictures.

















But, the other female betta(whom is healing from fin rot with salt.) I was using to make him/her flare got like stripes along her body though.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

The vertical stripes not only suggest breeding, but they can be used to relay submission as well. I know often one of my girls in the sorority has vertical stripes but it's just her way saying that she submits to the alpha girl and she doesn't want trouble.

Hmmm, but the body is looking more female in this picture....perhaps if you can have it in view of a male for a few days to see if she gets eggy? I've heard that might be stressful though so I wouldn't follow that until someone else comments about it.


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## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

I agree with lilnaugrim I think you have yourself a little pretty girl there. I love the spots on the dorsal fin !


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## Aeroggi (Apr 15, 2013)

Alright, I'll wait before doing anything. Well, it's not like I was going to do anything right away if I found out his gender right away. I can't go get a heater until Saturday. But I'll add more picture of him/her if it helps.


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## Aeroggi (Apr 15, 2013)

Thanks Perseusmom!
I think she is pretty too  She is kind of aggressive towards the other two female I got. I just wanted to make sure before making a sorority with her, that she is a she rather than a he. (<-- sounds funny, sorry, easily distracted .__.) 
I really never had a hard time sexing a betta until today. 

http://www.bettafish.com/member.php?u=38710


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## Aeroggi (Apr 15, 2013)

So update or extra info? (Eh, whichever one floats your boat)
I check on my fishes whenever I can, so it's usually when I wake up, go to bed, after school, and a few more times in between when I'm not busy. This morning, I check on the females first, nothing out of the ordinary. So after school today, I go check on them again, nothing again. But I just checked on them(more like to get ready to change their water) again 30 minutes ago, the fe/male had like a bubble nest...? I know females can make a bubble nest, but is it a coincidence that two other female has vertical stripes or s/he is a male?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Hmmm maybe not a coincidence then. I know breeding stripes are also signs of submission but I hardly doubt both of them would be "submitting" to a "female" like that.

So I go back to my first verdict and call it a male lol.


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## majesticstorm (Dec 8, 2012)

I would like to say male? He/she seem to have rather long ventrals.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

I'm thinking an alpha female... In my herp experience I would have sexed my dragon as male while still young due to looks and behavior. I know it's not the same thing but this girl even as a baby didn't show submission even to the largest grown males and often "bearded" (as Betta's do also) in a male fashion. Me thinks you have a dominant girly


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Ventrals as usually a good way to go but some of my slightly older females have ventrals almost as long as my young dragon plakat. I'm still rooting for a young male though.


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## majesticstorm (Dec 8, 2012)

Wow, I didn't know that females could have long ventrals, thanks lilnaugrim


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Np! Just for some examples here are some of my girls who've got long ventrals:

The first girl in front is Pineapple, I was confused by her very pointed anal fin, and the longer ventrals but she's clearly got ovaries  (lol you can see Aurora in the back glaring XD)


And Mystique flaring at a boy whom I did not know was a boy at that time lol Her ventrals are longer in real life but you can get the gist here, I mean they're still generally shorter than males but not all are tiny like most females you see. And of course with age things get longer


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## majesticstorm (Dec 8, 2012)

Ahahahaha, your girls are adorable! I see Aurora glaring back there, too funny! Pineapple sure does have long ventrals


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Haha thanks, and yes she does! That's why I was second guessing myself! It's just weird because she's the same age as all her sisters which is everyone but Mystique, so she's the same body size but her fins are almost double sized! But no, she definitely is a female ^^


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## Aeroggi (Apr 15, 2013)

Thanks again. And lovely bettas you have there ~ 
I want my sorority to be as lovely. I'm going to use my 10g for my females, and I'm currently cycling a new tank cycle for the confusing male. lol. So, for now I just have the other females in cups doing water changes every day with prime and stress coat. I'll probably rescue females at petsmart/co, as I went to the one by my house with a friend and she insisted I get this white and red girl sitting at the bottom of a dirty cup, I'll get those that needs the help.
I just moved Ravi to a 5.5g tank and seems to be happier in it. I think he was overwhelmed with the 10g, even though there was plants all around the tank and caves to go into. But I guess it's for the better as well.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yeah I find it depends on the betta, some like bigger spaces while others prefer the smaller ones. I'm starting to think my Remmy likes smaller spaces because while he was sitting in his cup during my ich scare, he blew quite a bit bubble nest lol He just seemed happier to be in a confined space but Mercury needs all of his 5.5 gallons, he was alwasy freaking out in his prior 3 gallon!

Good luck with the sorority! I'm sure it will be fantastic!! And thank you for the compliment


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## Aeroggi (Apr 15, 2013)

Ha, and people say fishes don't have personality!
Thanks, and no problem


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