# Marble bettas



## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

So I know I posted a thread earlier asking about how often marbles change, but now I want to know...How can you tell if a particular betta is going to be a marble? Are there certain clues to look for?


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

You can tell it's a marble if it has random splotches of color on it. You can tell if it's going to change by well... Seeing different colors appear up slowly! ^^"


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

just like my Honeycomb  random splotches of color


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

yeah but don't some of them start out all white or all yellow?


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

No, I think it's part of the gene or something to have AT LEAST 2 colors.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> No, I think it's part of the gene or something to have AT LEAST 2 colors.


So they start out with at least 2 colors?


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

They should. They can't be a solid in the beginning so...


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Well that makes sense but I remember someone else saying that a solid white could turn out to be a marble later....


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

MyRainbowBettaFish said:


> just like my Honeycomb  random splotches of color


But it looks like your fish is all yellow?


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## Greylady (Jul 15, 2012)

My Betta (see avatar and album) was all one color, in fact he was mostly a non color. But a few weeks ago he started getting bluish grey spots and marks on his tail and red stripes on his anal fin and what looks like a red rash all over the top of his head. I've been assured it's just marbaling. I was very surprised because one, I'd never heard of marbaling, and two he's fairly big and I would not consider him young. So I thought if he was going to change color he would have already done that. He was labeled "Opalesque" and really was all one color.


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## Fabian (Dec 16, 2011)

The easiest way is to check the gill plates.If the gill plates have some white coloured or thick coloured scale,that betta is a marble.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

So if the gill plates are opaque?(white?) what does thick colored mean?


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## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

Swarovski is a black/white marble - he's got black streaks on white and some irredescent scales on his side. Definitely a marble! Though he has yet to change.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Do you have a picture of him?


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Marbles just change. Can't tell if they will or not. A one hundred percent blue betta can marble out of nowhere.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

I have a marble PK and she is changing color again


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## Fabian (Dec 16, 2011)

Thick means much more intense coloration or looks lighter or darker.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Fabian said:


> Thick means much more intense coloration or looks lighter or darker.


Okay so basically if it looks like it has a freckle on it's gill plate?


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Marble-ing is caused by a certain gene. It can't be seen physically - you cannot predict if a fish is marble or not. You know when they begin to change. 

Marble has nothing to do with color patterns. A solid could have marble genes as much as a multi colored betta.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

indjo said:


> Marble-ing is caused by a certain gene. It can't be seen physically - you cannot predict if a fish is marble or not. You know when they begin to change.
> 
> Marble has nothing to do with color patterns. A solid could have marble genes as much as a multi colored betta.


Well I imagine it is more obvious to tell if the betta has splotches of color. That's weird though because I read an article on the IBC website about orange Dalmatians and it said the seldom (if ever) change.


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## Knitterly (Jun 3, 2012)

we had a marbled female, up until yesterday. She came to us looking like a blue cambodian, but over the months clearly became marbled. It was fun to watch.



















Sorry that the pic isn't better. I'm limited to my online pics just now.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Hey I know this thread is kind of old (sorry) but I have more questions about this:

If a solid betta has a few "imperfections" on its body (like a few black scales on an otherwise solid yellow) does that mean it is definately marble?

Are all multicolored betta fish marbles?

When I say marble, I mean have the marble gene...


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

I have a marble question, too. I'm wondering if my new guy, Shiny, is a marble. He's all pastel pink except around his gills is black, he has a black dot on his anal fin, and the top of his head is kind of brownish. Think so?


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