# New baby, trying to figure out its gender and type!



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Got my first baby betta almost two weeks ago!  Of the 7 babies at the store this one had no real color and had a dirty cup, so I snatched the poor thing up. It's showing small signs of color now but who knows what color it'll end up! I'm mostly curious to know what type of betta it might be......and since I couldn't find any examples online of betta baby pics I thought I'd share and see if anyone else might have an idea. It's ventral fins are pretty long so I suspect it to be a male, maybe a veiltail. Until it grows up more and I can figure out more about it I've decided to keep it nameless.....thoooooough the temporary name Reading Rainbow has stuck some since the colors on its fins change from blue, green, and red depending in the angle you see it at =]


----------



## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Aww a cutie.. looks to be a VT, but could be wrong.. looks to have longer ventrals.. but again, sometimes you can't tell until they are older, as some males will keep shorter fins until almost a year and then have a big growth spurt lol.

Make sure to keep his water around 82-84, and feed high quality growth food at least 3x a day - NLS Grow is good, live foods are better... water changes need to be done 2-3x the amount as an adult as they give off a growth stunt hormone, so at least a partial change every other day or even every day.

Good luck with him/her, so much fun to watch them grow


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Thanks! Yea im feeding it several times a day and indeed doin partial changes every other day. I do wanna pick up some food that encourages growth, I'm gonna try and stop by the petsmart near me tomorrow to see if they carry any. But yea my baby seems to have sprung to life the past couple days so I'm happy I'm doing well caring for it =] can't wait for it to grow more!


----------



## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

male vt. long ventrals.


----------



## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

IDK about it being a male. all my female VT's have had ventrals just as long if not longer than their anal fins, but its definitely a VT.
Goodluck with the baby!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Update! 

Its fins are growing a biiit more and now have some color, its body color is still a mystery though! Im noticing a few scales shimmering a blue or green, but who knows what color it'll end up! Still hard to figure out which type it'll end up though, still considering Veiltail but I guess we'll know for sure soon enough! :-D

I'll have to get pictures of it in its new tank sometime! It'll probably start growing into it a bit more now that it has more space


----------



## Gen2387 (Oct 13, 2011)

Awwwwww what a cutie pie! I'm against petshops selling babies but at least the people here that adopt them know how to take care of them. He/She is lucky to have found a good home!
I can't wait to see what he/she is going to look like later on!


----------



## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

male VT.


----------



## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

Your baby is a cutie! The body AND find together make me want to say "Boy". I have a VT female with long finnage, but she has that girly form. lol

It'll be much easier as your fish grows up.


----------



## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

I think it's a male vt. Long ventrals and two rays. Good on you for adopting him!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Gen2387 said:


> Awwwwww what a cutie pie! I'm against petshops selling babies but at least the people here that adopt them know how to take care of them. He/She is lucky to have found a good home!
> I can't wait to see what he/she is going to look like later on!


Oh trust me i agree, its a shame these babies get sold like that, i really wished i couldve saved them all from being bought by anyone who doesnt know how to care for them! And yea i'll definitely put updated pics up when he/she frows more! Im pretty sure at this point its a "he" though =]


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

MattsBettas said:


> I think it's a male vt. Long ventrals and two rays. Good on you for adopting him!


Yea, like you and everyone else im pretty darn sure its a male VT! Just cant wait to watch it get its colors some more. Such a freakin cutie, love it to bits!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Another update picture! Still having a hard time telling its type and gender since its not looking quite like a male VT to me now, but this is my first baby so I don't know. It's ending up with mainly blue coloration (specially whenever I take a pic with flash) but still has a mix of reds and greens in its scales so it's still a mystery!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

iPhone wouldn't focus on the baby at all, but im still using this pic to just show the color of it with flash


----------



## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

He's looking healthier =) Good joB!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Syriiven said:


> He's looking healthier =) Good joB!


Thanks! Everyday it looks better and bigger! I did just recently put the baby in a bigger tank and added a tiny heater which makes such a huge difference! I also have a few nicer photos I'll have to post up sometime, he's a quick little guy so getting a great picture is proving hard lol


----------



## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I find distracting them with a pellet in your fingers at the surface or with a mirror for them to flare at gives you a few more seconds to nab a shot.


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Syriiven said:


> I find distracting them with a pellet in your fingers at the surface or with a mirror for them to flare at gives you a few more seconds to nab a shot.


Yea I've been distracting him with my finger but man he is just a quick one! I'm gonna try a mirror out on him a tiny bit since I've yet to test his reaction to that. I swear even in the past couple days his fins are showing signs of a possible bi-coloration on them! Here's hoping!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Update agaaaain! The babies colors continue to brighten more and more!  past couple days I've been noticing the second color appearing on the tips of its fins, I wonder how it'll turn out!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Another silly' ol upate! 

Ive officially found out my baby betta is indeed a boy after i watched him flare at his reflection for the first time. He def has a manly beard goin! 

Now that ive def figured out the gender im still totally stuck figuring out the type. When i first got him i expected he'd be a veiltail, but i seriously dont know now. Could he perhaps be a delta? Managed to snag these pictures today when he was showing off. Hes still a tad tiny, definitely has another growth spurt or two in his future! Just cant wait for him to grow up more so i can finally figure out a name for him!

He has has almost a tricolor going on on his fins, its hard to see in the picture but after the red he has some white coming in too! Its so pretty!

Sorry the picture is sideways, im uploading from my iPad and i have no clue why the website is roating it like that.


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)




----------



## stangant (Dec 3, 2012)

wow such a great transformation! Fantastic job on raising the little guy.


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Thanks! Yea hes growing up so well, when i got him he was very sickly and runty......there was just no way i was gonna leave him at the store to die. Im just happy he turned out so healthy! Cant wait to keep watching him grow =] everyday im excited to get out of bed and see if hes grown a bit more or gotten anymore color in


----------



## laur3namb3r (Dec 31, 2012)

Aww he's so cute! I am also having a hard time figuring out my baby's tail type...but ours look similar! Copernicus is mainly blue/green with red coloring on its fins and ventrals. I'm also thinking he could be delta, but who knows! Here's a picture of him :]


----------



## Skyrocket Moon (Jan 27, 2013)

wow I can't believe how quickly your beta got color and grew. I never seen them go from juvinial to mature. I can't wait to see how his fins progress too.


----------



## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Wow he's so beautiful, good work on him.


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

laur3namb3r said:


> Aww he's so cute! I am also having a hard time figuring out my baby's tail type...but ours look similar! Copernicus is mainly blue/green with red coloring on its fins and ventrals. I'm also thinking he could be delta, but who knows! Here's a picture of him :]


 If i had to guess i'd maybe say Veiltail or a Spadetail, but i could be mistaken since im also new when it comes to raising baby bettas! You've got yourself a cute one for sure, i do like its tail alot!


----------



## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

Hope, yours looks like a round tail, and Sky, yours looks like a spade tail


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

lillyandquigly said:


> Hope, yours looks like a round tail, and Sky, yours looks like a spade tail


Thanks for the info! The little guy hasn't hit his next growth spurt juuuust yet but I think he's getting there! Here a pic I managed to snap on my phone tonight, he moves so fast I'm surprised I even got it!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Also he's still showing signs of being tri-colored......here's hoping its true!


----------



## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

he's very pretty


----------



## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

I just now remembered to come back and look at this, but WOW! What a difference! He looks great!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Skyewillow said:


> I just now remembered to come back and look at this, but WOW! What a difference! He looks great!


Thanks! He has a bit of excess slime coat going on at the moment, I guess just the stress coat measurements for the new water I put in is for an adult and not a growing boy! I worried for a while he had Ich or Columnaris, but I've been monitoring him and feel better that he doesn't have anything wrong fungus or parasite wise. 

I just wish he'd hurry up and grow all the way up, he's going to be so darn pretty!


----------



## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

You'll be amazed at what he can turn into!


----------



## HopeNicholson (Aug 22, 2012)

Another update! He now has a name! I told myself before the Super Bowl that if my home team won (Ravens) that I'd name him after player Ray Lewis!

So say hello to Ray Lewis  Also I'm noticing that what was blue almost has hints of indigo or purple, which makes the name even better!

But mainly y update is about his tail. I've noticed the past couple days that the end of his tail is starting to branch out into rays of sorts, I was worried at first thinking it was finrot or tail nipping, but I've been noticing that the ends of the rays are showing the same color as his body.

I've never seen a tail like this before, is it possible he has a tiny bit of crowntail in him? Just hoping its normal, cause he's still growing very slowly and hasn't hit his second growth spurt yet


----------



## Krys (Jul 28, 2009)

Gorgeous male. And a combtail to boot! Nice discount if you ask me 
Good lob and May you continue to have good luck!


----------

