# Baby Betta



## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Hello. New to the site and just getting acclimated here. I currently have 4 pet store Bettas - B, a male veiltail. Blu, a female crowntail and Storm, an elephant ear/dumbo. The fourth doesn't have a name yet. While at the store a few days ago, I noticed two cups labeled "baby betta." One was dead and the other was well on it's way - so I bought it to try to save it and hopefully give it a better chance to survive and have a good life. 

I believe it is a female veiltail. It is very small. I'm guessing around 4-5 weeks old. Cannon believe they would sell it that young. 

Over the course of the last couple days, she (?) has grown and is actually getting a pinch of color in her dorsal fin. 

However, I think she is deformed. One side of her face seems flat and not well formed, including the eye. While not surprised given the store it came from, and the fact that they were selling it so young, I am a bit concerned for this little gal. 

I have included the best pictures I was able to get - from both sides and above. 

Any suggestions or comments on this? Could she still be "forming" or is this something that should have been formed and in good shape long ago in her development?

Thanks!


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Her "good side."


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

From in front to view both sides.


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## Kaffrin (Apr 1, 2014)

I hear deformed babies can sometimes work out their kinks as they grow- I haven't seen that happen to me  I bought a baby betta with a kink in his tail- it's been there for months! I don't ever think it'll disappear. I'd say as long as there's no problem moving around etc its fine!

She does look veeery skinny though.Try to fatten her up with some quality food! I stuffed my lil' ones with 3x a day feedings until their bellies looked round. 

I love the colors on her!


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## sharkettelaw1 (Mar 6, 2013)

that baby isnt 3-4 weeks. It looks 6 weeks to me. Its big and got some colour already. At 3 weeks, babies only begin to grow their fins and thats still tiny. 4 weeks they start getting color and their fins are still very, very small. Also, her face looks like its been injured..i dunno what can be done for that since salt is very bad for baby bettas


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Kaffrin said:


> I hear deformed babies can sometimes work out their kinks as they grow- I haven't seen that happen to me  I bought a baby betta with a kink in his tail- it's been there for months! I don't ever think it'll disappear. I'd say as long as there's no problem moving around etc its fine!
> 
> She does look veeery skinny though.Try to fatten her up with some quality food! I stuffed my lil' ones with 3x a day feedings until their bellies looked round.
> 
> I love the colors on her!


Thanks! I'm hoping the tiny bit of greenish blue that's showing will increase but we will see. I'm feeding her bloodworms, crushed omega one pellets and first bites. I'm going to go get frozen brine shrimp today. I don't really trust the live brine shrimp my fish store has, as it made my other betta sick the time I tried with him. Any other suggestions on food?

Sorry to hear about your guys tail. I'm glad he can swim okay and it doesn't impact him!


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

sharkettelaw1 said:


> that baby isnt 3-4 weeks. It looks 6 weeks to me. Its big and got some colour already. At 3 weeks, babies only begin to grow their fins and thats still tiny. 4 weeks they start getting color and their fins are still very, very small. Also, her face looks like its been injured..i dunno what can be done for that since salt is very bad for baby bettas


I was thinking 4-5 weeks originally. Now that you've described the ages, I agree with 6. 

Interesting point with her being injured. I never thought about that. I guess I assumed being in her pet store cup alone would prevent that, but never considered what could have happened prior to making it to the pet store. 

She does seem to be impacted sight wise on the bad side, as I often see her turn around the opposite way to see things from that side. 

I have about 1/4 of the regular dose of aquarium
Salt in her tank, with about 40-60% water changes every other day so far. Would you suggest that I stop replacing the salt I'm taking out?


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## Kaffrin (Apr 1, 2014)

I personally use new life spectrum's all purpose  The ingredients in them are high quality, but the price reflects upon that. Not that I mind since I'll be using the same food for 2-3 years. Plus, they come in a variety of sizes! I often see people recommending New Life Spectrum Grow .5mm pellets (Suuuuper tiny- perfect for babies!) It's basically just contains more protein/vitamins than the normal NLS pellets.

There's another one called Omega One Betta Buffet I see people using, the containers are much smaller and the pellets bigger. It's easier on the wallet short term because it comes in a smaller container at 4$ for .61 oz in my area. However, I can buy 2.1 oz of NLS for $8. I can't really argue on the ingredients for Omega One since I've never personally used it. But I can say that I'm not too much of a fan for them using wheat twice in the first couple of ingredients.

Overall - NLS wins for me because I have had success with it personally/good pricing for the amount I get x3


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## CNDBETTAS (Jun 21, 2014)

Glad you rescued her! Ive also heard that Betta babies can outgrow their issues given they are kept in optimal conditions. You seem to have her in a great setup and im hoping she will outgrow her issue and live a long happy life!! She has a much better chance at survival with you. At the very least she will have a better quality of life with you than at at the petstore! Even if she doesnt outgrow her deformities, she is MUCH better off with you than in a tiny cup on the perstore shelf! Congrats on the new addition! Looking forward to seeing pics of her progress and seeing how much she grows!!!


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Kaffrin said:


> I personally use new life spectrum's all purpose  The ingredients in them are high quality, but the price reflects upon that. Not that I mind since I'll be using the same food for 2-3 years. Plus, they come in a variety of sizes! I often see people recommending New Life Spectrum Grow .5mm pellets (Suuuuper tiny- perfect for babies!) It's basically just contains more protein/vitamins than the normal NLS pellets.
> 
> There's another one called Omega One Betta Buffet I see people using, the containers are much smaller and the pellets bigger. It's easier on the wallet short term because it comes in a smaller container at 4$ for .61 oz in my area. However, I can buy 2.1 oz of NLS for $8. I can't really argue on the ingredients for Omega One since I've never personally used it. But I can say that I'm not too much of a fan for them using wheat twice in the first couple of ingredients.
> 
> Overall - NLS wins for me because I have had success with it personally/good pricing for the amount I get x3



I picked up some NLS but not the Grow. They were out. However the type I got is 5mm. She seems to prefer live food, but what betta doesn't lol. I'll post a pic or two in a few days to update on her growth/progress.


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## BettaLover1999 (Jun 30, 2014)

She looks fine too me.


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

CNDBETTAS said:


> Glad you rescued her! Ive also heard that Betta babies can outgrow their issues given they are kept in optimal conditions. You seem to have her in a great setup and im hoping she will outgrow her issue and live a long happy life!! She has a much better chance at survival with you. At the very least she will have a better quality of life with you than at at the petstore! Even if she doesnt outgrow her deformities, she is MUCH better off with you than in a tiny cup on the perstore shelf! Congrats on the new addition! Looking forward to seeing pics of her progress and seeing how much she grows!!!



Thanks! I'm changing the water every other day. She has a sponge filter in there too. I questioned the "natural" sand substrate but it hasn't posed and issue yet. My fingers are crossed that it's something she can grow out of but as another poster mentioned, it could be an injury as well. Either way, she's improved since I got her, so that's a good thing!


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Okay so here is an update on this girl. 

I decided to get rid of the sand on the last water change. 

She has since grown and bursted with color. It literally came on very quickly after the last water change. I was afraid something might be wrong but she's doing great! I have attached pics. 

Still trying to come up with a name for her...


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Another view


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

This is her deformed/injured side.


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

*Update*

She has grown so much! Her fins are very long now, but clear except for a pastel like metallic green streak on her caudal and ventrals. 

The bright red has turned into more of a brown color now, but the main color on her body is still that salmon/light or pale pink color. 

I will try to get a pic up soon. She's really fast!

Also saw her flare yesterday and she attacked her poor snail friend today. She's getting feisty.


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Here are a couple of pics from just a minute ago


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Another view


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

This one is blurry but it captures that green color I mentioned.


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

*Original Picture on First Day*

And here is the original picture from the first day or two that I got her. Big transformation! I'm glad she survived and seems to be flourishing now!


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

She is looking great! Can't wait to see how she will turn out.


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## Logical Zebra (Jul 12, 2014)

She's freaking adorable! I think you should name her "Ruby."


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

So she's going through another color change now lol. She cannot make up her mind!


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## Fawnleaf (Aug 31, 2010)

She looks kind of like a male to me  Maybe I'm crazy, but her tail is looking long, and so are her ventrals  Does anyone else think she looks like a male, or am I wrong?

either way, she's gorgeous, and going so much! I've never had much success with baby bettas, but yours looks amazing! Keep it up! Congrats!!


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Fawnleaf said:


> She looks kind of like a male to me  Maybe I'm crazy, but her tail is looking long, and so are her ventrals  Does anyone else think she looks like a male, or am I wrong?
> 
> either way, she's gorgeous, and going so much! I've never had much success with baby bettas, but yours looks amazing! Keep it up! Congrats!!


Thanks! I'm happy with how well she's doing too and glad she/he pulled through. He/she was in pretty rough shape at the store and was really young. I've since seen more baby bettas at Petco and every single one I've noticed has been much bigger than her/him. 

As far as sexing - I am starting to question it being a female lately as well. The fins were my first flag. They really went through a growth spurt and were initially clear. They have since had a mint green color and now currently they are changing to black - more and more by the day. The other indication is that about a few days ago, flaring and aggression started big time. I know that females flare and can be aggressive, but it wasn't a behavior this fish had until very recently and suddenly. She/he attacked the poor snail that's in there. None of my other bettas have even payed attention to their snails, including my super aggressive male!

I will attempt to get better pictures, especially of the belly area to see what opinions you guys have. She's a quick little thing!


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

I dont think i see overies but i could be wrong on that.
Either way he/she is beautifull


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Here are a few pics to help. She might just be a he lol.


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Another..


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Trying to get the belly area in focus


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Last one


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Eggspots aren't that reliable when it comes to determining gender in bettas. Since a young male can also have a false egg spot.
The more I look at the first photo (the one before the new ones) the more I want to say Male

I wish I was better at this, so I could give you a definite answer


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## Fawnleaf (Aug 31, 2010)

The more pics I see, the more I say male  Ventrals like that don't come on females haha He's gorgeous though!!!


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

So that's 3 votes male so far lol. 

Anyone else think it's a male too? Are there any female votes out there at all anymore!?


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## tp0214 (Feb 2, 2013)

i say male. i went through the same thing with a tiny baby i bought. almost all white with transparent fins when i bought "her". ended up being a male with long fins and body a nice metallic blue. so cool watching them change. enjoy!


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## Alaura123 (Jul 4, 2014)

It does look so much like a male, maybe his/her fins will grow even more for it to be certain, but Im still new to bettas so I cant give an answer 

My petco has quite a number of baby bettas, maybe I should try saving them when I have the right materials, and when I'm more experienced


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

*Name?*

So in reading a few other threads, I saw name suggestions for a few fish. I noticed the standard names and then one commenter stayed that the specific fish on that thread should have a Japanese name. I did a quick translation for one of the name suggestions and then the idea to name my little guy/girl with a Japanese name also!

I think I've come up with the perfect name! Since he's growing and changing colors like crazy as he ages, I wanted his name to reflect that in some way. After doing some loose translations I've come up with this: SABI

See the attached pic for meaning. What are your thoughts, anyone!?

I'll get a few updated pics of him up soon. Maybe later today after work.


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## amphirion (Jan 15, 2014)

she's a he...
raising my fair share of male bettas from egg to adult, i would argue that an ovipositor is a 100% sure way of determining sex. a false ovipositor on males are no where near as white in comparison to a female's, nor are they as distended.


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

amphirion said:


> she's a he...
> raising my fair share of male bettas from egg to adult, i would argue that an ovipositor is a 100% sure way of determining sex. a false ovipositor on males are no where near as white in comparison to a female's, nor are they as distended.


Thanks, Amphirion. I'm not sure what led me to think he was a she when I got him. I cannot remember if it was on the cup (I want to say it just said "baby betta") or if someone made the comment that it was female at the store. I do remember how small he was and that he did not have the horizontal stress stripe. 

I'm happy with the new name. I'll be cleaning his tank today, so I'll get more pics then.


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## bettafishfins (Apr 19, 2013)

Will a false eggspot eventually disappear, and how long does it usually take to disappear. I really need to know as I am also questioning whether or not my betta is a boy or girl.


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

*New Pics*

Here are some pics after today's water change. I think you guys will be amazed at how he continues to change!


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

He was swimming around quickly, pausing for just a second here and there, so these are the best ones I could get...


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Last one for this update...


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Woow, he's gorgeous. I love how his coloration is turning out so far. Especially the contrast between the black and the red.
Good job with him thus far im glad he's growing up well for you


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

*Update*

More color change! Now red on fins.

Not a great pic but I wanted to post one before I ran out the door. I'll try to get better ones a bit later.


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## zenwolf474 (Jul 22, 2014)

It's so cool to see color changes like these!


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

Sabina88 said:


> Woow, he's gorgeous. I love how his coloration is turning out so far. Especially the contrast between the black and the red.
> Good job with him thus far im glad he's growing up well for you


Thanks! He has come a long way from the tiny little skinny thing that was half dead in a cup! It is amazing what nice clean water and good food will do, huh!? ;-)

I like the contrast of the blue and black.

In the latest picture, you can see more red starting into the fins as well.

He is always changing, thats for sure.


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## Enzenga21 (Jun 29, 2014)

zenwolf474 said:


> It's so cool to see color changes like these!


I agree! He sure has changed too lol


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