# Why do people think female bettas are boring and ugly?!



## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

OBVIOUSLY they've never seen a happy female!

All 8 of mine are very active and brightly colored, just like the males but with shorter fins. 

Just needed to comment on this, because it's annoying!
I just came across a website on how to tell the difference between male and female bettas, and someone said that "female bettas are smaller with greenish or brownish small fins. they look like a different species" and had this photo to go along with it:









FEMALE BETTAS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE THIS:










*Niether of these fish are mine, just had to make a point. Obviously everyone who uses this forum knows the real truth behind female bettas, but you know...ranting was necessary. LOL. Even my mom and boss were like " why would you ever want to start a tank with mostly female bettas? Aren't they boring?"

NO! The best part is, now that my mom has seen my tank with my girls in it, she thinks they are gorgeous.


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## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

I love female bettas! Whoever says they're ugly and colourless has never seen a tank full of fat, sassy lady bettas <3


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## pittipuppylove (Feb 23, 2012)

I will admit that I was once one of those people who thought females were dull and boring (please don't kill me). Then I picked up a little red/blue traditionally colored gal from Walmart who tried to eat me when I picked up her cup and have been a convert ever since - she's now one the most personable betta I have the pleasure of caring for. lol There may or may not be thoughts of a sorority in my future...

It just seems like a lot of pet store females, at least the ones I've seen, aren't as colorful as the males and are less active. They'd probably color right up and start acting like the females we know and love if put in clean, warm water with more room, but the average person doesn't seem to see that.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I will agree with you there. The ones I picked for my sorority were all active and pretty colorful, but MAN are they gorgeous now that they're in a big warm tank! My first female was a drab purple color when I was younger, and I will admit she was nothing special, but I also didn't properly house her - she lived in an unheated bowl. Regardless, she was feisty, and killed my male (I was young and tried to breed them and it was a disaster, don't judge, lol). 

I talked to a woman at Petsmart last night who was just raving about females and how gorgeous they were...you don't hear that very often, probably because most bettas aren't properly cared for while at the store. It's too bad, because they really are little gems.


By the way, I think starting a sorority was one of the best ideas I've had. I love it, and my girls have only been in the tank since Sunday!


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## bethyMT (Nov 24, 2012)

I have some females with coloration like the first picture, and I don't think they're boring at all! That picture looks like an immature female as well, which is going to look more drab. Actually, females were duller than males up until recent breeding efforts brought forth more color. 

However, the looks of females are good whichever way (IMO), but their personalities are the real reason to keep them. They're spunky, fiesty, and just generally fun. Also, females are in most need of rescue - I found my first betta ever, a female, shoved in the back of a shelf at petsmart. 

Maybe there is something wrong with me...I am fascinated by my girls with stripes. They are young, so it's interesting to see how their colors change over time, if they change at all. The real draw, whatever color they are, is the personality and intelligence of betta fish, male or female.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Females with wild type colouring (like the one in the first picture) do tend to look very drab and 'ugly' when they are washed out and stress striped like that. Unfortunately, in most stores I've been to, females are kept altogether in bare, cramped sorority tanks where they are usually extremely stressed and usually have big chunks taken out of their fins. 

I actually prefer female bettas over males. Unfortunately, males seem to usually be the ones that are preferred by stores and sellers here, and most of the females are fairly ordinary in comparison. 

This was my sorority full of imported and locally bred females. You cannot tell me that they are boring or ugly! 












I once


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## fishy314 (Nov 8, 2012)

They're goregous!


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## pittipuppylove (Feb 23, 2012)

LittleBettaFish said:


> This was my sorority full of imported and locally bred females. You cannot tell me that they are boring or ugly!


They're adorable!

Also, it seems like 90% or more of females at the local Petcos and Petsmarts are rust-colored cambodians. I have nothing against cambodians, but they're not everyone's cup of tea - especially if youre looking for variety. Has anyone else seen something like this?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Petsmart has crap for females. Like you said, cambodians or ones that have so much fin rot you can't tell what color they are. There was a really cool chocolate or mustard gas female there last week, but she basically had no fins and I don't have room to do a rescue otherwise I would have saved her...I bet she's still there. I did get a really nice dark blue one with red fins there though, all my other girls came from Petco. I've seen some very nice ones at Petco, but still A LOT of cambodians! I tried to get a variety for my tank, all different colors, and ended up with two of the same color anyway...they looked slightly different in their cups, but ended up exactly the same, lol. I have photos of all of them in my sorority album, except I don't think I have a solo shot of the girl from Petsmart.

LittleBettaFish, your sorority girls are gorgeous! I especially love that little blue and white marble! I have actually only seen one sorority tank in a LFS around here, and all 6 of the girls were deep purple...I'm thinking they must have been from the same spawn. 3 of my girls came home a bit washed out with stress stripes, but those are gone and they've really brightened up after only 5 days in my tank.


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Two HUGE fins up! I love female bettas! I DID buy a Cambodian girl from Petsmart; she differs in that her fins are a lovely purple w/white rays. She's getting some black spots, so she's not exactly a Cambodian any more.
I just posted a thread about finding some slightly more exotic-looking girls for my sorority. Males are all the rage. What few advertised females there are cost $$$, and are either paired w/ a male, or intended as single breeding stock. I don't want to be a breeder, just have cute fish! LBF, WHERE did you get those gorgeous girls?!
Female bettas: the Rodney Dangerfeilds of the Betta world- we don't get no respect- no respect at all...


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## Saphira101 (Nov 14, 2012)

Are they kidding? female bettas are gorgeous! just look at Winter, I got her at petsmart last July. (follow the link in my siggy for a pic)


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Maybe becuase wild females are very dull in color?


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Saphira101 said:


> Are they kidding? female bettas are gorgeous! just look at Winter, I got her at petsmart last July. (follow the link in my siggy for a pic)


She is gorgeous! She kind of looks like a purple version of my Olivia!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

There are pretty Bettas and ugly Bettas. But Ugly is not set in stone.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Xaltd1 said:


> Female bettas: the Rodney Dangerfeilds of the Betta world- we don't get no respect- no respect at all...


LOL yes!!!!


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

When a Betta girl is stressed (I can't imagine NOT being stressed in those cups) they are often striped and greenish. My 1st baby girl was washed-out, but I saw some purple in that fish- now, stress stripes are gone, she has purple fins, and and irredescent blue/purple body- she looks like the male VT's w/o the fins!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Plus females can live in Sorities.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

3 of my girls had stress stripes when I got them. They disappeared rather quickly when put in my sorority and are so bright and colorful now! I was actually playing around with the idea of adding another type of colorful fish (ie: platies, neons) to my tank but I really don't think it's necessary now, the girls hang out all over and really brighten things up!


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

I think I will add a shoal of albino coreys. They zoom around the bottom and are a riot- my cat (actual cat, not a fish) will enjoy watching them. He can only really see high-contrast fish. My colorful girls can disappear into the background.


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## majesticstorm (Dec 8, 2012)

They aren't ugly. They just look a bit discolored due to the poor care they get at the petstores. 

I remember(before the females were placed in their cups) that petco once had them in one of those display tanks and they were really pretty. Now that I joined this forum and see how lovely these ladies can be, I really want a sorority of my own, but alas, I don't have a 10+gal tank. Maybe some day...


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## sainthogan (Sep 27, 2012)

My female is a little dull in color until you shine a flashlight on her (see avatar picture) or she thinks she sees a male (like the day she saw me in my bright blue and purple jacket). But boy is she feisty!! Much more so than my male. I wouldn't trade her for the world!


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Shop around! I found a 20 gallon full kit for $65 at one Petco, only to find a 29 gallon for a few dollars more at another Petco! They gladly made the switch for me. If you lurk in the stores, you might find a bargain; the opposite of the web. Individual managers in stores are often in the position to discount merchandise. If they see a repeat customer, they'll want to work with you. The stores off the beaten track are the best. I'm currently playing 3 local Petcos against each other. I tell each the fish manager what the other store has; what I want (more exotic females). I'll see who delivers! I also got $25 in $5 coupons, 3 from one store, 2 from another. If you buy a tank, you get $5 coupons (if you're a "PALS card member).


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## bettasareawesome (Jul 9, 2012)

I like female bettas there just like males but with shorter fins. And you can put them all together unlike males. Although i like males just as much. Also i'vegot a female right now and i like her she's much more active than my last guy although thats probably becuase she's a plakat and in a good tank instead of a vase.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

I personally like the females better. I have one in particular that is proof they aren't all dull. she was a pale fleshy color with fin rot when I got her. I thought she was going to die. She got ten gallons pretty much to herself before I started my sorority and she is now a bright orange monster. She is in my photo albums. She is my oldest female, Patty. My whole sorority is colorful girls. Bright reds, pale yellows with blue irid, Wild color...


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

majesticstorm said:


> They aren't ugly. They just look a bit discolored due to the poor care they get at the petstores.
> 
> I remember(before the females were placed in their cups) that petco once had them in one of those display tanks and they were really pretty. Now that I joined this forum and see how lovely these ladies can be, I really want a sorority of my own, but alas, I don't have a 10+gal tank. Maybe some day...


Per my entry above


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## majesticstorm (Dec 8, 2012)

Xaltd1 said:


> Shop around! I found a 20 gallon full kit for $65 at one Petco, only to find a 29 gallon for a few dollars more at another Petco! They gladly made the switch for me. If you lurk in the stores, you might find a bargain; the opposite of the web. Individual managers in stores are often in the position to discount merchandise. If they see a repeat customer, they'll want to work with you. The stores off the beaten track are the best. I'm currently playing 3 local Petcos against each other. I tell each the fish manager what the other store has; what I want (more exotic females). I'll see who delivers! I also got $25 in $5 coupons, 3 from one store, 2 from another. If you buy a tank, you get $5 coupons (if you're a "PALS card member).


Awesome! I'll keep that in mind! Unfortunately the problem is that I'm currently living in a dorm and can't have tanks larger than 10 gals (plus moving in/out would be a pain) but I will definitely keep your advice


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

I live in a small apartment. My landlord hasn't discovered the tank... yet. I will have to move eventually, too, but I got the tank to make it seem less like a broom closet and more like home.


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## bettasareawesome (Jul 9, 2012)

Wait, the landlord dosent allow you to have fish? Why not


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## pittipuppylove (Feb 23, 2012)

bettasareawesome said:


> Wait, the landlord dosent allow you to have fish? Why not


My guess it's the same reason that many dorms have a limit on tank sizes - it's the landlord's property and s/he sets the rules. If a tank breaks or leaks, there could be a lot of water damage. Regular partial water changes can take up a lot of water and will thusly increase the water bill, and the electricity used to heat, filter, etc. a tank increases that bill as well. The sheer weight of a tank can cause issues as well - given that a tank can easily weigh around 10lbs per gallon with substrate and decorations, even a relitively small tank could damage furnature or even damage the floor if it isn't designed to hold that much weight.


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

I didn't ask if I could have fish, so I don't know! I live in a basement in-law apt., so if I spill 29 gallons, it will soak thru the carpet into cement. His kitchen, though, has flooded my bedroom & kitchen w/ spilled water from his leaky pipes, causing me major inconveniece. I feel entitled. I have a cat; I would think fish would be no prob., but who knows with him... he does pay all utilities.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

fleetfish said:


> I love female bettas! Whoever says they're ugly and colourless has never seen a tank full of fat, sassy lady bettas <3


THIS!


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

OMG I should not have done this- but I saw 2 female cts @ Petsmart- one indigo blue, and the other aquamarine blue/green!!!!! Yep, I brought them home... what gorgeous fish!!!


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

what pet stores are you going to? at the petco and petsmart in my town, we've found everything from cambodian crowntails to orange veiltails to a purple MG halfsun plakat!


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

This was the Danvers, Mass. PetSmart. I shop there for my cat's favorite designer cat food only PetSmart carries. They usually don't have much in the way of fish, but the person told me that these came in this week. There was a mustard gas ct, but I passed on it.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Silver I noticed a blind one?


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

Though I'm more of a person who prefers males, I have to say, females can be just as interesting! My petstores sell undersized baby females. They say full grown female. I have one Cambodian ( who is starting to change color) who is about an inch long, and a royal blue and green female named Gypsy who is about 1.3 inches long. They are very small.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I am more of a Male Betta Person too. I had a female ounce but she had a job so did the one before I miss both of them though. Plus every female I have ever had refused Pellets.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

My females have tons of personality! They're all very colorful and bright just like my male.. Truth is, I think I like them more than males. ^^" They're just like males except short-finned, I don't see a very big difference besides that and mating behaviors. I'm so happy I have 6 of them, I might even get 2 more soon. c:


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

uhm, no blind ones. As far as I can tell. The follow fingers like a cat following a bird.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Ooh its just that 2 of the females look like they have a layer of skin on there eyes.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

just the angle I'm sure. They are all so alert when I wiggle my fingers over the water.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Oh okay. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Ooh its just that 2 of the females look like they have a layer of skin on there eyes.


that can happen with dragons a lot, but my understanding is that it only rarely results in total blindness.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

So its a common misconception?


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> So its a common misconception?


yeah, people see DS bettas with an iridescent scaled-over eye and assume they're blind, when actually it's more like just wearing heavily tinted sunglasses.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Oh, I someday want a blind Betta. Sorry silver did not mean to hurt your feelings.


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## Irishdancer (Apr 5, 2011)

I had male bettas for a year and a half before I bought my first female. She's beautiful and I absolutely love her! The funny thing is that she's actually a bright red, she's even a brighter color than some of my boys!


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

you didn't, spooked me a bit, but now hurt feelings.

I think one of my girls has dragonscaling, but she's not in that picture, and it's only partial. Sadly.


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## Rosso1011 (Nov 13, 2011)

I used to think female bettas were ugly (I guess because pet stores don't usually carry a nice stock) and would probably be boring. I have unfortunately had two females pass away while in my care. 

I now own 4 lovely ladies who are going to be "dropped" into a hopefully well structured sorority tank. I have a deep blue (big mamma), an Orange (Princess Daisy), a rainbow (I know that's incorrect but her colors remind me of a rainbow), and a red. 

Princess Daisy has no trouble flaring at me. It's so cute. Rainbow is so little still. I will be so excited when I can get a decent picture of them all!!!


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## Elsewhere (Dec 30, 2012)

I honestly like females more because they're tails don't get stuck in the filters! When I first got my boy, Pigg, they told me he was a girl so that's why I got him- so "her" tail wouldn't get very large. Well I should've known he was a boy right off the bat, but even seven months ago I knew nearly nothing about fish. Next time I get a Betta I'm getting a girl! I love my Pigg, but I've had to make quite a few compromises because of his tail! And just the other day I saw a rainbow coloured female at PetSmart. I almost took her home she was so beautiful, but I sold myself I wouldn't be able to care for her properly and she was so pretty that someone would definitely buy her.


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## Phaydra (Nov 20, 2012)

The only thing dull here sir is the misinformation. 

I over heard a woman tell a man that females were dull and boring at a Petco 2 weeks ago. Same woman told him he could house to males in a 2.5 with weekly water changes.(Cringe) I had to show him A-tsh-hi's Bad Bubbles video. She has more color then most my males. I also convinced him to get a 5g for one male betta. I use that video to show a few people just how active a warm betta is too. My little girl is a crusader for bettas all over SoCal.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

I like my girls better because they can be kept together. 
I think that the reason other people really dont like them is because what they see in petstores are mostly cambodians and blues, and that makes them think that most other females will be those colors, and those colors only.

I wish most pet stores would get better stock to show people that they really arent boring but I dont think they will do that any time soon.

Luckily the place where I've gotten most of mine at carry pretty decent females, atleast in coloration variety. I have gotten all sorts of different colors all from that one store and they carry them all those different colors at the same time. I have never heard anyone in that store say females are boring, but they will in other stores.


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## Juicebox (Oct 24, 2012)

Xaltd1 said:


> If you buy a tank, you get $5 coupons (if you're a "PALS card member).


im a pals member,i have bought 2 tanks from petco and never got 5 dollar coupons, as far as i know its only for every 100 dollars you spend you get a 5 dollar coupon,thats how my pals works anyways. 

are u sure u did not get the coupons coz u had spent 100 total


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Phaydra, I love your girl! She is gorgeous, I'd like to have one like her for my sorority 

aemaki, I think a lot of it is the unique girls just get picked up right away, especially if they look healthy. There are actually 2 VT females at my local Petsmart right now that are mustard gas/chocolate but have TERRIBLE fin rot. The one has been there for a couple weeks now...if she's still there the next time I go, I'm going to rescue her. All the others are like you said, cambodian or blue! Petco seems to have a better selection, at least two of three Petcos I've been to in my area have had a whole variety of females - still some cambodians and blues but also reds, yellows, etc. It'd be fun to find some double tail females around instead of only CT and VT though.


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## Phaydra (Nov 20, 2012)

carbonxxkidd said:


> Phaydra, I love your girl! She is gorgeous, I'd like to have one like her for my sorority


It will be a while before I attempt to breed her but she is one of TheGreatBetta's from aquabid. He sells through Jennifer Viveiros now though. She is a copper half moon.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

carbonxxkidd said:


> Phaydra, I love your girl! She is gorgeous, I'd like to have one like her for my sorority
> 
> aemaki, I think a lot of it is the unique girls just get picked up right away, especially if they look healthy. There are actually 2 VT females at my local Petsmart right now that are mustard gas/chocolate but have TERRIBLE fin rot. The one has been there for a couple weeks now...if she's still there the next time I go, I'm going to rescue her. All the others are like you said, cambodian or blue! Petco seems to have a better selection, at least two of three Petcos I've been to in my area have had a whole variety of females - still some cambodians and blues but also reds, yellows, etc. It'd be fun to find some double tail females around instead of only CT and VT though.


Yeah, you are right. the more interesting ones definitely get picked through the fastest, but if they are all gone within a couple of days within them getting their shipment, they must not ship in that many interesting ones.
I saw this yellow VT sitting on my petsmart shelf for like 2 months though, thats a somewhat interesting color, atleast for my petsmart to carry, I rescued her only after I saw like 10-15 of the other betta's frozen to death and only her and like 3 others left swimming and active. 
Godluck with the MG's!!! and I'd love to find some Dt's girls too, but only 1 store near me even carries HM's!


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Juicebox said:


> im a pals member,i have bought 2 tanks from petco and never got 5 dollar coupons, as far as i know its only for every 100 dollars you spend you get a 5 dollar coupon,thats how my pals works anyways.
> 
> are u sure u did not get the coupons coz u had spent 100 total


Yes, $5 per 100... by the time I bought gravel, replacement filters, 5 real plants, the "Master Test" water quality kit, a glass thermometer, more betta hammocks, salt for water treatment, new tank starting "bio" chemicals, the castle that looks so great, 3 plastic plants to use until the new ones grow, Ph tabs.. cha-CHING...


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Female bettas rock! My sorority tank is my favorite. lots of action and they are definitely not boring at all. The girls are chubby so I put them on a diet and all got very grumpy. To me they are just beautiful. I have an alpha female who looks after the smaller females when they are added to the tank, with her in charge there is peace in the tank. When I took her out for a week to spawn it got nasty in there. My females will eat anything and are much less fussy than the boys. 2 girls do not play well with others and have moved into their own apartment, a divided 10g and they do well there. Love the girl Bettas!


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## CrazyFishDude (Dec 31, 2012)

My stepsister's female betta was very pale pink when we got her at the pet store, now she's hot pink with a purple stripe on her body (no, it's not a stress stripe, it's actually part of her coloring) and some royal blue on her fins. And she's pretty active too. I hate when people say that female betas are ugly, and I hear that a lot...


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## SolomonFinch (Dec 22, 2012)

Pitti- I agree, once you meet that first one (mine was a lil boy), it's love. 
LittleBettaFish...Gorgeous girls you have there!
I am new to female bettas, but mine are just MESMERIZING in their interaction, and so much personality! 
People really do miss out when they pass up a spunky female betta.


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## Vizja13 (Jul 18, 2011)

My most recent betta is a female from Petsmart. I was in there one day, poking around because I had half a tank to fill, and came across her. I was shocked. STUNNING marble female with bright aqua marbleing and red accents on the ends of her crowntail fins. At Petsmart!!! They had her sister there too (or so I assumed, similar coloring. Not quite as vibrant though) and one other red girl. All the males where boring. Blue. Red. Your typical store betta. 

She has just as much personality as my males, and from the start was more friendly than Rory, her tankmate (they have a divided ten). She's tiny, though has grown a bit since her. Hoping to get some female guppies to add some more movement to the tank. Or something. At least she hides less than the males.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

I love my little girl. She is beautiful, her colors are so exotic looking compared to my males and she has such a cute personality. She's bossy and pushy but's she's also possibly one of my 'softest' most caring betta's and SOOOO curious. She's a regular Alice in Wonderland. I would lOVE to have a sorority tank some day but I have yet to find other females who scream to me like Nix did. Phoenix was only a colorless fry when I got her but even being small and colorless she looked me down and said "HEY YOU LADY....you going to take me home or what?" Love her to bits.


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

I lost this beautiful girl a few weeks a go but she left me with about 80 fry that remind me of her every day.

Binky









Here a few other pics of some of my girls.

Mary









Patty









Denim


















The last pic is of Binkys kids fry tank.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

They're gorgeous. I'm sorry about the one you lost.


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## SpeakNow13 (Nov 29, 2012)

I absolutely love my girl! I found her with another betta in the same little cup at wal mart pretty torn apart. The more her fin damage heals the prettier she gets! People are ridiculous!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I love Binky.


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