# Baby Betta Aging and Sexing...Breeders, please look



## Catthebetta (Apr 17, 2015)

Hi, i'm new to betta keeping but at the same time i'm not... We had one a while back when i was younger. 
So here's where this all started.

I bought a Betta for my boyfriend's birthday and fell in love with it... He ended up naming it but i've happily spent over $350 on this fish in less then a month. He had damaged fins, we named him Cat-hence my username, and he lives in a 10G tank with three snails named Bread, Taylar, and Esker.

a little over a week ago i went back to the pet store to pick up yet another new tank heater because the other one was crap.... and came home with a baby betta... 
Enough back story. 

I've gone high and low for research on general sizing/aging/and sexing of baby bettas. Everywhere i see is "it's a waiting game" "Give it another two months"
I have reason to believe my baby betta is stunted. Not only does he/she have very little color (1G tank, 50% water changes every other day, bubbler but he/she likes it.) except for the fins, doesn't appear to be growing. I know i know, "you've only had it a week!(more like almost two but still) 

Baby fish description-Grey, Pink fins(blue reflection), and two long stripes down either side. But the baby doesn't appear stressed out, and they don't fade and come back.

We're getting to the point, hang in there. I have no attention span

*I don't know where i'm really going with this, but i want to see people who have bred both PET STORE fish(even though it's not a great idea) 

I want to see people who breed PEDIGREE fish

I want to see people who have bought baby bettas and had them stunted

I want to see people who have bought baby bettas and had them grow normally *

I guess i also want to learn how to help him the best i can, from experienced people. I've done butt loads of research, mind you. But i want to hear it from real people

Thank you for listening to me, here's some imaginary brownies for the help <3

For the record, here's Cat. I don't have any pictures of the baby... unfortunately.


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## kittenfish (Dec 1, 2013)

I've had one baby betta grow very slowly at first, but she eventually caught up and reached a normal size. I also had one grow relatively quickly at first, but stop growing at a smaller size. I've had the first one for a year and a half, while the second died after about eight months. Don't know whether that has anything to do with growth rate.

The girl:

Extra tiny when I got her









Two months later (wish I had something for scale, she was really small)









Now a big fat blob










The boy:

Went quickly from this









To this (two weeks later)









To this, but stopped growing at this size. If you have a digital thermometer you can use the probe for scale.









I have other baby bettas and they all differ in growth rate, it's pretty much random.


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## Catthebetta (Apr 17, 2015)

It doesn't look like the wee one has grown at all, Friday will be two weeks since we brought him or her home


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Some young fish will naturally grow slower than others. In each spawn, you will find that there are fry that grow and develop much more quickly than their siblings, and fry that seem to take much longer than the rest of their siblings to mature. It's like how not all people grow at the same rate. 

I would also think that your fry/juvenile hasn't received the best care during its time at the store, particularly in regards to diet and water quality, and this may have had an effect on its growth. 

What are you feeding your fish at the moment? Multiple daily feedings of high-protein foods coupled with higher water temperature and frequent water changes, generally produce faster growing fry. 

However, there is nothing wrong with fish that develop at a slower rate. It's only been a couple of weeks. Just give it some time.


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## Catthebetta (Apr 17, 2015)

Was given a possible confirmation that he is a male. 

I am feeding pellets (soaked) and BBS. I was told to get daphnia(SP?) so I'm going to the store to get that and possible some IAL as well, if it is there. I haven't been able to find it in the past...


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

If you can get a pic up Cat, I can help sex it for you.

Have you looked at this thread: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=457330&highlight=PetCo+Baby+Care+Thread

Some of my babies:
Pierce is a PetCo baby, a larger one bought last August



Here he is as of yesterday
Other full grown fish for scale, he's full grown as well


A baby from one of my spawns, this is "red" the female. Her brother is around the corner but I didn't get a pic


"Red" is almost full grown as of yesterday


Her brother "orange" is on the left here next to his dad Velvet. They're 3 months old now, slightly stunted but very strong fish. They are continually growing still


This girl is a PetCo baby girl, she came in with Velvet and ended up being stunted, she's still alive, just small.


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## Catthebetta (Apr 17, 2015)




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## Catthebetta (Apr 17, 2015)

Here's another one. Sorry for double posting, I'm on my phone and it's being a butt


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yeah, that's a little boy, likely will be a VT or a Delta. He's very emaciated though, make sure you feed him a lot!


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