# Female with ovipositor made a BIG bubble nest, is she really a female?



## BeautifulBubbles (Feb 20, 2011)

Hi everyone, 
I got my supposed little girl I named Fae from petsmart this weekend. I was surprised to see a considerably sized bubble nest when I checked on her tonight. Her anal fin was tattered when I bought her so i have no idea how long it's supposed to be. She has a very clear egg spot. What do you guys think, is she male or female? She looks female to me. 

This is the nest, part of it is covered by the filter.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

It could be a young male but girls can blow bubble nests too. I would isolate until you can tell if she isn't already. also if you can make he/she flare that could help. Females flare barely and males flare big.


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## Setsuna (Sep 5, 2012)

Looks like a long tail female to me


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## sainthogan (Sep 27, 2012)

I have heard of a female that made a bubble nest, released her eggs, then tended them, even though they hadn't been fertilized. I've heard of many other females making nests. Mine doesn't, but she does blow bubbles in one corner of the tank by the heater, just not large nests. Just a few of bubbles at a time.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

That almost looks like a young male to me.


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## BeautifulBubbles (Feb 20, 2011)

HHere is a good pic of the egg spot








AAnd here is Fae flaring


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## BeautifulBubbles (Feb 20, 2011)

Here's another shot of the nest so you can see it better...someone's been busy XD


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## rubinthebetta (Oct 9, 2012)

I have to say in the pic of Fae flaring she looks like a male....but who am I to say this? It may be a gal, I know a gal of epicbetta1224's that blew bubble nests...


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

That's what is confusing in cases like this. Boys can have an ovipositur and girls can build bubble nests. You will prob have to wait til it grows a bit. Best guess I think girl. But I could be wrong.


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## Spencerjunie (Nov 7, 2012)

You definitely have a female


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

Spencerjunie, u never know, I would say wait 4 it to grow a bit…


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## Spencerjunie (Nov 7, 2012)

No, I'm positive. I typed it in to a fish expert that works at the shed aquarium


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Really? Because it looks nothing like my female at that age and it looks JUST like the little boy someone has here around that age. The fins are sooooo long for a girl. I would say if you are thinking of breeding that fish don't put it in with another male. You might end up with a dead little boy.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

How strong is the water coming out of the filter? I've had what I thought was a nesting female. Turned out to be a frothy filter.


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## BeautifulBubbles (Feb 20, 2011)

The water coming out isn't very strong. Actually, there are bubbles in different spots around the tank. There is a small accumulation on the opposite side of the filter and sparse bubbles in other random places. I'm pretty sure I saw her make some bubbles in one of the random places but I can't say for certain, she may have just been taking a breath. 

I don't have any plans to breed Fae, but I did want to start up a sorority. If Fae turns out to be a boy, that's not happening, and that's fine I'm totally in love with whatever he/she is. How much bigger will Fae need to be in order to tell for sure one way or the other?


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## BeautifulBubbles (Feb 20, 2011)

Here you can see the ventral fins. Fae seems to have added even more bubbles now, but in different areas and you can see some of them in the pic.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Still say it looks like a male, something about that tail is not female. I am staring at both mine and another person veiltail female and his tail is longer and it's starting to get the iconic male veiltail look.

See this is a female tail


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## BeautifulBubbles (Feb 20, 2011)

Yup I see that. I'll keep Fae by him/herself and see how he/she grows. Thanks everyone


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

Longer than my females combined


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## vilmarisv (Apr 17, 2010)

Looks like a young male to me. 
The "egg spot" is very confusing because the male's cloaca can protude on well fed fish so it looks like a ovopositor on males. 
My juvies are so well fed I'm having a horrible time sexing 10 week olds!


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## Spencerjunie (Nov 7, 2012)

as ive just found out, let this contunue for maybe a week or 2


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

Yah, I defiantly say male!


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## BeautifulBubbles (Feb 20, 2011)

Thanks again everyone. If anyone is curious I can update with pictures when Fae is bigger.


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

I am


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

My CT female big momma made a bubblenest once


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## BeautifulBubbles (Feb 20, 2011)

UPDATE***
Fae looks exactly the same now. I guess his/her anal fin is deformed because it never grew in, it's still jagged looking. I really want to start a sorority so I'm still trying to figure out what he or she is. No more huge bubble nests but their are sparse random bubbles around the tank. I got a female today and I put her in the 10gal with Fae and watched very closely to see what happened. They didn't react to each other when she was acclimating. So I put her in and they pretty much ignored each other. There was some following and flaring by Fae. Fae would spread out all his/her fins and flared but the beard hardly came out at all. Any ideas as to the sex? They are separated now. Help??


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

If she doesn't have a beard, she isn't a guy


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## GoodMorning (Jan 19, 2013)

It's a girl.


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

Syriiven has a bearded lady, btw. But the shape of the body makes me think girl. I've had a girl blow a nest before too


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

If the fins haven't lengthened at all, and the beard is small to non existent then you definitely have a female!


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