# Permanent stripes?



## SeaCity (Jan 22, 2014)

Is there such a thing as a striped betta? My young female betta has had horizontal stripes since I got her, a month ago. When she was in a floating breeder box in the same tank as my male, while waiting for her own tank, her stripes changed to vertical, but went back to horizontal when she had her own tank.
It doesn't seem to be stress-related since she has them even when she's happy and peaceful - when she is stressed she turns dark.
Oh - I forgot to mention that she got her fins chewed by another female (which I subsequently removed from the tank). But they are growing back.


----------



## Vergil (Nov 10, 2013)

If she's young it may be natural patterns for camouflage. They will gradually vanish as she ages.


----------



## SeaCity (Jan 22, 2014)

*Funny*

She's had stripes all along, so I posted about it. Wouldn't you know it, this morning I took some pictures and she seems to be losing the stripes. LOL


----------



## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

As Vergil has said, if she is young, it is natural for her to display horizontal striping. It doesn't seem to be an indication of stress in younger fish, and is most likely related to camouflage and perhaps a way to show older fish that they are not a threat. 

These should gradually fade over time. 

Also, I find darker substrates show off the colour of fish a lot better than lighter substrates. Lighter substrates can wash the colour out, particularly if there is bright lighting and not much cover in the tank.


----------



## SeaCity (Jan 22, 2014)

LittleBettaFish said:


> As Vergil has said, if she is young, it is natural for her to display horizontal striping. It doesn't seem to be an indication of stress in younger fish, and is most likely related to camouflage and perhaps a way to show older fish that they are not a threat.
> 
> These should gradually fade over time.
> 
> Also, I find darker substrates show off the colour of fish a lot better than lighter substrates. Lighter substrates can wash the colour out, particularly if there is bright lighting and not much cover in the tank.


Thanks


----------

