# Are females as much "fun"/have as much personality as males?



## Ianthe (Jun 1, 2011)

I have had quite a few bettas over the years but I have actually never owned a female! We are sort of casually looking for another betta to take over the space Bait left....my 4 year old just CAN'T STAND that we have an empty fishbowl in the closet, LOL!

Anyway, I just haven't seen many males that caught my eye yet....but I have seen a few teeny tiny girls in pathetic looking condition that seem to be begging us to take them. BUT...I have never had a female, only makes, who are SO FUN...so, a few questions...

1. Do they have as much personality as males?

2. We do not plan any kind of sorority tank, our new fish will be in their own tank, alone. I know females are more social than males...so would she be unhappy/lonely?

3. Do they require less space than males? What is the minimum?

4. (I might get dirty looks for this one...)....are they as "pretty"? I mean, in the cups, they all (male OR female) look awful and not that great, honestly....but usually after I get a male home for a few months they have perked up, come in to their colors and fins, and been really gorgeous to look at.....the females I have seen, in the cups, are all kind of a drab off white color with VERY short, VERY raggedy fins...so I guess I am asking if they "clean up" as well as the males, LOL? 

Thank you!!! Would also love any pics of any of your healthy females....just to see what a healthy girl looks like!


----------



## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

Yeah, they have lots of personality. It depends on the fish, of course, but theyre no less in that dept.

Nope, the fish will be fine. They dont need friends, but they CAN live with others.

They actually should have MORE space. They have small, fast little fins and are really quick swimmers. Males are heavy finned and slow, but they buzz around a lot more. Try to get her at least 2 gallons.

Frankly, no. Females arent as pretty/stunning. But, theyre adorable. Like. Omg, stop being that cute dont look at me with that cute face asdfhjkasdlhfkasd ahhh stop! ;P They've got teeny fins, little faces and little bitty ventrals. Omg, adorable. Those females sound sick  They have shorter fins, yes, but they can be pretty colors, just like males.


----------



## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

This is a before and after picture of my female, Lin. They do brighten up quite nicely! She's very cute and a lot of fun, IMO. She'a bit more jiggly and active than my male, because as P3 said, they don't have to drag those long tails aroud 

EDIT: Actually, now that I Look at these pictures, she looks better even now than in the "after" pictures. Her tail is much rounder, her colours are darker and she's pink/purple instead of blueish

Sorry for the size:


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

It's true, females aren't as pretty as males . . . just like peacocks. But when they are in full health, they have a perky cuteness about them with their little tails and fins. Females are every bit as chock-full of personality. Some of them can be more aggressive than the males and some are demure little ladies. And Pew is right, because they don't have the finnage, they are much more lively in their swimming, darting around. I'm actually moving my girl to the 10g and my male to the 3g because she's so much more lively. 

Bettas are loners, male or female. Females can get along with their own kind much better than a male but no betta is going to weep sad tears if they are not kept with another betta. 

Here is my Goldikova, staring hungrily at her thermometer because she thinks the ball bearings are pellets. Normally, she tilts her head and looks at it the way a labrador looks at a tennis ball, but she wouldn't do it while I had the camera in my hand (she's so camera shy, she gets stress stripes as soon as she sees it). After a while, she'll try and take a bite out of the glass. And the other one is Goldikova staring at the light on her heater. She's mesmerized by it and can stare at that light the entire time it's on. She also sleeps wedged behind her heater, resting on the suction cup.

I could go on for a while about her cute habits and I'm positive everyone else here could do the same about their girls, too (this would be a huge thread if we did, though). So yeah, I'd say girls have personality.


----------



## Ianthe (Jun 1, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> It's true, females aren't as pretty as males . . . just like peacocks. But when they are in full health, they have a perky cuteness about them with their little tails and fins. Females are every bit as chock-full of personality. Some of them can be more aggressive than the males and some are demure little ladies. And Pew is right, because they don't have the finnage, they are much more lively in their swimming, darting around. I'm actually moving my girl to the 10g and my male to the 3g because she's so much more lively.
> 
> Bettas are loners, male or female. Females can get along with their own kind much better than a male but no betta is going to weep sad tears if they are not kept with another betta.
> 
> ...



Thank you!!! This is exactly the information I am looking for!


----------



## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

I say the females have almost more personality as the males. Mine often give me kissy face looks and go bonkers when they see me near them. I've only had mine for around 3 months or so and they are fun to watch.

As for the prettiness of them they do get very pretty like here's a few of mine:


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i find that my girls seem to have MORE personality than my boys. i mean, when Caroline's feeling good(she's not feeling too well atm), she's a cute little thing. she interacts with EVERYTHING and EVERYONE, and always wiggles at me. if i place something on top of her tank, she's looking at it, and sometimes jumps up at it!

and, to me, girls can be just as pretty as boys! i only have three, and only Caroline's colorful(Chappy USED to be. :/ she was a beautiful blue-green dragon! now.... she's kinda.... brown. xD), but i'v seen some STUNNING girls!


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Personally I like males because they are prettier. However I do have one female. I think I had her about 2 or so weeks now and even missing most of her "tail" fin, she swims around like a mad man and has more personality then the 3 males I have. I stuck a finger in her cup for some reason and she BIT ME! 2 of my males swim away from my finger and the other one like to rub up against it.

I dont know about tank sizes. Mine is in a 1 gallon but she is tiny. She will get a 3 gallon soon though.

Sushi:


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i'll admit, my girls are in smaller tanks. Chappy has a 2 gallon Kritter Keeper, Caroline has the 1.5 i'd bought when i rescued Remy, and Lulu's in a one gallon. BUT. >3> Lui has reasons for Lulu and Caroline's tank sizes.

Lulu, is literally, scared of larger tanks. i had her in Caroline's 1.5 for a few days, testing out how my bettas would react to new tanks and new tank locations. Lulu freaked out. she hid, face-first in her bundle of Java Moss, till i put her back in her 1 gallon. when my CT female, Freya, passed, i gave Lulu Freya's 2 gallon Kritter Keep, and she hid in the barrel-cave for a week before i put her back in her one gallon. i tried giving her, her old plants and decor, but nothing helped her come out of hiding in either case.

as for Caroline. she's active, but seems to enjoy the space the square 1.5 gives her. i tried her out in the 3 gallon i have, and she didn't enjoy it. i set it up similarly to how i set up her 1.5, but she still clamped and stayed hidden, or near the top. she sits at my computer, so i've learned her habits well. being clamped and hidden/inactive, tells me she doesn't like something, or isn't feeling well. 

Chappy grew up in said 3 gallon, but i got annoyed with how hard it is to handle. so i gave it to my brother for his newest Veil, Wheatly. xD now HE has to deal with how awkward it is. >:3


----------



## Punki (Apr 30, 2011)

I love my male but hes my first and special but i know id rather have females then males if something ever happened to him. In my experiences they are more active, curious, lively, silly, and put a smile on my face often. My first girl was pretty in her own way, a pearly white body with red and white striped fins. So little, cute and crazy. I got a new girl a week ago and i think shes the prettiest betta ive ever seen in a petstore, male or female! They definatly make up for their lack of finnage with personality 








Id say to find one that catches your eye, has a bit of color, and hope for a bloom of colors once cared for, but really, their cute to watch


----------



## BrookeGrace (Apr 28, 2011)

^^ She's so cute! Beautiful colors and fins. :-D


----------



## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

I am loving all the cute pictures of gorgeous ladies!


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

bahamut285 said:


> I am loving all the cute pictures of gorgeous ladies!


Yup, it's a betta girl pinup fest.  So many pretty girls, my poor thing looks drab because she's in a barebottom tank with no light and only one plant. *making excuses* I love the girls with lots of blue and green in them, they're lovely and very vibrant. With lots of plants behind them, they positively shimmer.


----------



## sunnydawnie (Apr 27, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> Yup, it's a betta girl pinup fest.


HA ! That's a good one Sakura !

Here's my girl Jewel. She has just as much personality as my male. She wags her tail at me like a dog looking at a treat when I hold her pellet at feeding time. She watches what I do and takes interest in what's going on around her.

Here is Jewel:


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

They're so cute they way they look at you with their little pectoral fins flipping away so fast, almost like hummingbird wings. The coloring on my girl isn't the best it could be right now but more and more I'm learning to appreciate the subtle beauty in her shorter fins.


----------



## Dragonlady (Nov 29, 2010)

Female bettas are just as awesome as the males, IMO. High contrast marble females are my favorites. Here is a healthy 11 week old female I raised. I thought about selling her, but I want to see how her finnage develops.











And here is a young
blue Cambodian female.


----------



## Tisia (Mar 15, 2011)

if you decide you don't want that first girl after all, I want her so bad! lol


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

I've never kept a male betta, although I've admired many of them.

I think the girls are very beautiful in their own right. They're usually way cheaper than the males, can tolerate a current, and the best part of all... you can keep them together in a sorority, and learn about their behaviors and social structure. 

Yes, squabbles take place in sorority. I keep a couple 'time out' netted fry savers around, and a QT tank at the ready in case of open warfare. 

But the girls also have their sweet moments, when they curl up together to sleep or show their affection for each other. 

When one of my rose twins had her anal fin bitten off, I had to remove her from the sorority. She was in QT for a few weeks, to save her life and then to heal. Her sister twin sister, Thorn, was devasted... she turned very pale and stayed that way the whole time her sister was in QT, and seemed depressed. 

When her twins were reunited, Thorn went back to her normal shade of deep red rose. And she developed a new habit. When I opened the tank to feed the bettas, she jumped up at me... not to get the food, but to scare me away from her sister!

It's been several months and everytime I feed the sorority, little Thorn jumps at me. It's a remarkable behavior, more so because prior to the return of her sister, Thorn did not exhibit this behavior. It's a complex social behavior.


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

That is so sweet and cool that Thorn protects her sister. Here Fishy, your sorority sounds like it has a lot of personality in it.  Ianthe, that's a definite plus for the females: getting to observe their behavior with one another.


----------



## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

Wow! I have never seen a blue Cambodian. I thought they only appeared as Red  Such gorgeous females.

I agree with you Fishy Fishy. My females hate being seperated luckily I only had to do time outs for a day but the whole time they surrounded the net. They are vicious little things though. If I stick my arm in to grab something say a tube that needs to be cleaned or to replant some of my plants they bite me. And when I feed them if I take to long they jump at me. I have never seen a Betta jump though I know their nutorious jumpers. lol I love my girlies!


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

Sakura8,

Yes, I'm glad I formed the sorority. Now, the trick is to keep them busy and distracted enough so they don't get too bored and cranky with each other, lol!


----------



## Fawnleaf (Aug 31, 2010)

Same!! I just re-did my sorority and got 3 new girls today! (pics coming soon!) All my girls have WAY more personality than both my males. My males don't do much (sadly, Moby has been sick and even when not he isn't very active anyways) but my girls never stop moving! It's so much fun to just sit down and watch them zip around. You just have to keep an eye on the sorority tank for anyone who is getting beat up, because in my experience when a female is sick the others beat her up, like they want the weakest one out. 

Over all, the females aren't the prettiest, but they have way more personality and potential as a pet (in my opinion).


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

fawnleaf,

congrats on the new girls - where are they from?


----------



## sunnydawnie (Apr 27, 2011)

Question:

If you have a sorority how do you keep them from fighting while you are working or out for the evening ? Alot can happen in 9hours or so. A sorority sounds interesting but I wouldn't know how to start one - I see the recommendation is a minimum of 4 girls in a 10G tank. Also, if you get them started and decide to add more later, how do you do that ? Will they kill the newcomer ? When I get a fish, they are so pretty and their fins are perfect - I would hate to put them in a tank and then they get shredded.


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

sunnydawnie,

"If you have a sorority how do you keep them from fighting while you are working or out for the evening ?"

Praying helps.

Sorority girls can be nippy now and then. Try to be observant when you feed them before you go to work. If you see a storm brewing, try to 'head it off at the pass':

1. Time out a trouble maker in a fry net.
2. Protect a potential victim in a fry net.
3. Feed them a special treat.
4. Put something new to explore in the tank.
5. Take something out of the tank.
6. Keep the lights off.
7. Pray (did I mention that already)?

The worst does happen occasionally. Be prepared with fry saver nets and a QT tank, containers, salts, etc. Know how to heal wounds and how to condition injured fish. Know when and when not to panic.

I wouldn't start a sorority with less than a 20 gallon set-up. The more girls in the sorority, the less chance for 'concentrated aggression' to occur. You will need a heavily planted and decorated tank so they girls have plenty of chances to hide and escape aggression.

Fish can be added later... generally it's good to introduce a couple at a time, so the newcomer isn't singled out. There are several different methods to do this.

I reccomend QTing the newcommers until you are sure they are healthy. Then put them in a fry saver net in the sorority tank for a few days, so that all the fish are introduced in safety.

After then seperated introduction, do the full introduction. I like to do this on a water change day, when there is plenty of commotion in the tank. Net all the 'regulars' and place them in a bucket of tank water. Give them all a treat when they're in the bucket. 

Some people say to re-arrange the tank before the newcommers arrive, to reduce territorial issues. I keep re-arranging as an 'ace in the hole', and use it only if I have to (so far, I haven't need to ).

Release the new girls in the main tank, and give them some time to investigate their new home. Leave the fry saver net in place. Give them a light feeding and then re-introduce the regulars, in reverse pecking order (lowest to highest). Watch the interactions between the newbies and the regulars.

If you see a fish being overly aggressive, or if a fish seems to be bullied, remove one fish (either the bully or the bullied, not both) to the fry saver net.

Wait a couple days, and try again. Repeat as necessary, until everyone plays nice. 

If you have a super aggressive female who won't chill out, she may have to be housed alone or returned to the pet store. Be prepared for this senario as well.

If you can stand the roller coaster ride a sorority can be, it can be a very rewarding experiance.

There are a number of threads on this forum on this subject; if you are serious about a sorority it would be advisable to do a forum search and pull up as much info as you can...


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Here Fishy, this is GREAT advice. You should add it to the sorority sticky.


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

Thank you... I will add it to the stickee, if I can find it...


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

Done!


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Woohoo! Now there's even more great advice in the sorority sticky!


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

*blush*! 

I live to serve...


----------



## Fawnleaf (Aug 31, 2010)

I got my girls from Petco (new delivery, I think!) I got a GORGEOUS red Cambodian female full of eggs and she's got breeding bars! (I'm not breeding, but at least she's healthy). And I got a gray / black girl (I'm not sure because she is seriously stressed right now) and a green / blue / red girl too. They are all sooo fiesty! I am introducing them to the tank with the cup method. I'm going to leave them in their clear cups floating in the tank until they calm down. I will probably release them tomorrow if they are good. And I will watch them, and re net them if they start nipping. I will take pics soon, I just have to get the camera from my mom, since my ipod's "HD camera" is horrible.


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

Feisty is a good sign! They sound healthy.
Good luck with your introductions!


----------



## Ianthe (Jun 1, 2011)

Thank you all so much!!! They do sound like a lot of fun!!! I'm wondering though, if I should wait on a female until I could do a whole sorority tank...


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

If you get a single female now, and grow her up a bit, then all the other females will *probably* see her as the sorority leader when you build the sorority.

Don't feel you have to rush into a sorority...


----------



## Fawnleaf (Aug 31, 2010)

Yeah, rushing a sorority is never a good idea. That's how fish get killed. Sorority's aren't for everyone. You have to be able to deal with the occasional ripped fins and injuries; and illness can spread like wildfire. But it's SO rewarding, and even one female is a great idea! personally they seem more interesting to me in a group.


----------

