# Where do people get the idea of "ugly" female bettas?



## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Okay, I understand that females don't have the "pretty" long flowing fins, or that they are not super vibrant like healthy males are....


But I have not ever seen an ugly female. Sure, my four youngsters have little to no color, but they are not ugly and they are just young. Rose is going red/pink on her fins, with a white body (ooo ahhh), Marge is going dark blue for fins, her sister Tina is getting medium blue/purple fins, and Zebra has almost clear fins with a hint of gold tinge (heh?)  And I think when they are older they will be mighty pretty!!!

so.... where do people get the idea the females are ugly and not worth anyone's time to own? Is it because of how they look when they are in stores (young, stripes, brownish/yellowish/blahish)?

(sure worth MY time :lol: seeing them transform....)


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

I have seen some grown females that don't look exactly glamorous... I like to think of them as viking women... Idk. 

If I could have more than 2 fish I totally would have a female. I almost got a female when I bought my most recent boy, but I worry about her having problems with eggs and such, especially living next to a male. Plus the female I wanted was more spookish than the male I ended up getting. So I look for personality more than color.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

hmmm okay  yeah but I will note 5/40 males here in one store won't be sold. 9/10 females won't be sold. People claim it is because the females are "ugly" but... I got an ebony female with metallic blue/green on here o.o and the young females deemed to die in a stink hole of cup water are showing colors.

I will admit I am always worried about the "eggs" problem... because some, like any egg layer, or even a livebearer, can have difficulties


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Most people don't even know you can buy bettas, others see females as plain. I mean if you're going to have 1 fish in a tank, usually people want something flashy and a conversation starter. This is average everyday people, not members of this forum. We all love females in here. Myself, I'd rather a male in a tank, and females in a group. That's why I don't have any yet. Getting my first of 4 girls tomorrow.


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## Sarahlydear (Feb 21, 2011)

I love my little girl and think she is the cutest thing!  
But I have seen some rather ugly girls...They just look bad, I want to buy them to create a heavily planted sorority but I don't expect people to Ohh and Ahh over them. 
Some females are definitely just as pretty as males though, like my little Rosie.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Lol! Viking woman is a good way to put it.. The Rise of the Valkyries immediately came to mind XD 
And they may not have fins but some can have colours as pretty as any male and they look amazing together when they're not nipping each others fins off lol!


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## missm83 (Aug 23, 2011)

i think the females are all beautiful.. when i got my 1st male i didnt even know what was the dif between male or female (yes i was clueless:rollbut my petsmart had no females..not sure why...


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Here, the only females in the petsmart in the city has, are older females because they have pretty colors lol. I have seen some... odd female bettas who yeah look like a viking xD but... I have met many people who say "all female bettas have no color" did they get that from the wild bettas? o.o


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Well trust me, I actually liked how she looked better than the male I got. She was almost rainbow. I almost regret not getting her, but I only had room for one more.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Oh my goodness that would have been cool. But all well I guess hey? hopefully she found someone good for her  liek your male did


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Maybe people think they are dull because they only see them in less than good pet stores all stressed out and grey. My LPS has a tank full of females, only like 3 of them have color.

My first betta was a female, Angel. She was a red cambodian girl that got shipped to my store by mistake. I took her home and treated her like a male with her own tank. That was 8 years ago.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

My female, only in natural light, shows her lovely purple!! I am going to have a purple one!! And the other, has light blue, one doesn't have a color and another is pink  cannot wait.


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## EverythingNice55 (Jul 26, 2011)

They certainly are NOT ugly! Whoever says that they are, they are very wrong! I love female bettas! I really wish that I could get one!!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I have five females lol. If you lived near me, I'd be willing to let you have one... when they are older lol.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I have been wanting a female for a while now, have my males, but just want a girl. =)
Unfortunately the only store out here who sells females is Walmart, and every time I go in, all that are left are the females and they are dead or close to it =(


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

Becuse they are compared to the males. And yes, the males are generally 'prettier'. But by no means are females uglier. They can have just as good colors, actually.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Around here it is very rare to find females that aren't blue/red veiltails in your LFS. They are not exactly as visually appealing as the males, particularly when housed together, where their colours usually fade due to stress. 

Also, a lot of females I've seen for sale in my LFS have had below average form, making them even less attractive to customers. Personally, if I was a beginning aquarist, I wouldn't want a beaten up, dull-coloured fish when I could choose a nicely-marked male with huge fins. 

Of course nowadays I would go with a female over a male anytime. They're so much better care and personality wise. Also since I can source females from overseas and reputable breeders, there is a wider range of colours and quality to choose from.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

When not kept in a stressful environment, they can be absolutely gorgeous. My girls are bright and vibrant. And then they're personality!


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## Moon (Jul 4, 2011)

Hey anyone there


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

It's sexual dimorphism. Males evolved to be the more attractive of the species. This happens with any animal that exhibits sexual dimorphism, i.e. peacocks, lions, antlered animals, etc. Females of the above listed species generally look dull coloured and plain.

As for the aesthetics, it's because humans view the majority of fish to be high-maintenance decorations, and said decorations *must* be "pretty". It is subjective.

Many people have pointed it out, that the ladies look very brown, dull and lifeless in the shops; meanwhile the males are (sometimes) bright, flaring, going crazy. Bettas are marketed to be "those fighting fish", so it's also a testosterone thing, you pick up a male because you'd think it would fight better.

Again, it's all subjective and different perspectives


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## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

When I think of a beautiful female betta, I remember my Luthien. She was a pure white opaque with enough personality and sass to fill the room and then some. There have been many, many female bettas in my life and each one was gorgeous. I now have Gertrude, who is a normal PK lady ... but she has green irridesence and bright red fins. I dare you to tell her she's ugly ... because she'll bite your finger off!


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## BettaGirl290 (Jul 29, 2010)

Kytkattin said:


> I have seen some grown females that don't look exactly glamorous... I like to think of them as viking women... Idk.
> 
> If I could have more than 2 fish I totally would have a female. I almost got a female when I bought my most recent boy, but I worry about her having problems with eggs and such, especially living next to a male. Plus the female I wanted was more spookish than the male I ended up getting. So I look for personality more than color.


LOL viking women. :lol:


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## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

OMG, so true 
I'm pretty sure Grrrtrude would compliment you if you compared her to a Viking woman.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Hahaha!! Yeah Madame doesn't LOOK like a viking (other than being a pretty big husky girl) but her attitude says otherwise...


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## WiccanWisdom (Sep 5, 2011)

Unfortunately (as a general rule) females aren't as colorful as the males, and they also stress a lot easier then males, so when you see them in the stores they tend to be pale and stressed and people just pass over them without giving them a chance.

There are a few breeders who are really focusing on improving the look of females, lengthening the fins and improving the colors, which is very excited! I love females. Nothing makes me happier then a big sorority filled with girlies!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

That's true. I got Madame when she was sooo much bigger, so she had her colors (no matter faded, but still visible), but my four girlies (one is in trouble for swallowing food whole....) are "bland" lol. Although slowly they are showing colors!!!!


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

I have no idea!!! Females, to me, are just as gorgeous as the guys!!! (((


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

All well, might be like why people prefer the "painted tetras" (injection or actually hand painted... both quite bad for the fishy, and the injection lowers lifespan a lot of the time) over a regular skirted tetra D: for color and appealing...ness...


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