# Betta Personalities



## VetTechGirl (Jan 4, 2019)

Hello folks!

I'm really curious what kinds of personality types different breeds of Bettas have. I have only ever had VT's and that was MANY years ago. I just got a male DT and he's been a _really_ nice little fellow in just the 2 weeks I've had him!

Are some generally more feisty than others? Do some make better parents? Tank-mates? Are some more difficult to keep than others? etc.

I know that every fish is an individual, but I don't know if it's like dog breeds where certain breeds have certain temperament tendencies? 

Thanks for indulging my curiosity!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

IME, fin configuration makes no more difference in Betta than eye color does in humans. It is the individual. Some say Plakats are more active than long fins because they do not have all that finnage to carry around. However, I have had fast long fins and slow Plakats.  So I cannot say one way or the other on that issue.

Addendum...Do not know about breeding or which make better parents.


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## Ratvan (Oct 31, 2018)

VetTechGirl said:


> Hello folks!
> 
> I'm really curious what kinds of personality types different breeds of Bettas have. I have only ever had VT's and that was MANY years ago. I just got a male DT and he's been a _really_ nice little fellow in just the 2 weeks I've had him!
> 
> ...


It's not breed specific as far as I can see, I have two Male Crown Tails. Kojin is very aggressive and I can only keep a Nerite with him (who still occasionally gets body slammed). Ouro however is completely different, very placid and only flares at a mirror he is in a community tank with RCS, Amano and Corys. 

Interestingly I can get Ouro to jump for food and swim through hoops, Kojin...nope he just wants food and a fight won't even follow a finger


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## BetterGetABetta (Jan 17, 2019)

*Personalities*



VetTechGirl said:


> Hello folks!
> 
> I'm really curious what kinds of personality types different breeds of Bettas have. I have only ever had VT's and that was MANY years ago. I just got a male DT and he's been a _really_ nice little fellow in just the 2 weeks I've had him!
> 
> ...


Hi there - good question! In my many years of having all types of Betta’s, my advice would be to choose the one that get’s excited when they see you! Walk away, then go back to it and see if it get’s excited to see you again. I’ve found that the more attention I give to them, the more their personality comes out. But, the only consistency in breed that I have found, and this is my own personal experience, my VT’s were always lacking personality they would just kinda “be there”. I’ve had two CT’s and they coincidentally were both “bored” too, despite my attempts to act the fool for them. But, my experiences doesn’t make it so. I currently have a dumbo who craves attention and loves to play. He gets excited when I walk into the room, he acts like a new puppy. I have a large HM, he’s very active. I have a hmpk and he’s active but he also likes to chill when I sit next to him.

So, the moral of my rant is, forget tails - go for love and attention.


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## Ratvan (Oct 31, 2018)

RNHime said:


> *Here's a myth (??) I've heard before:* crowntails are more aggressive. Anyone else heard this? Anyone know why it started??
> 
> My crowntails never showed more aggression than any other type. I've owned gorgeous, fancy bettas with almost zero personality. I've own gimpy/pitiful bettas with tons of personality. I've had fussy eaters, lazy loungers, little hunters, placid wallflowers, shy bettas that would never flare and turn away from their own reflection... bettas that enjoyed having a neighbor (in another tank) and got depressed and sulked after said neighbor passed... the whole gamut.


I admit I had not heard of this until after I picked up my second CT, they could not be more different. Kojin is very aggressive, I cannot keep anything with him and cannot feed by hand. Ouro is different completely, he reminds me of a puppy and is always seemingly happy to see me and will do anything for food or treat (jump for food, take from finger tip, swim through hoops) It's not a case of my preferences as i have owned Kojin for the longest and he gets most of my attention as he is my desk mate at work.


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## VetTechGirl (Jan 4, 2019)

It's interesting that a few of you say to look for personality and if they are paying attention to you even in their little bowl . . . That's exactly what drew me to Fin!!!

The little guy was handsome, but not the most beautiful fish available so he didn't catch my eye at first. He was just so curious about me and would try to "follow" me as I checked out the bettas around him. When I finally saw that he was curious about me I gave him my undivided attention and he gave me "The Look" and I was smitten. 

Now that he's in his brand new 5gal on my desk at work, he is SO ACTIVE that I've actually wondered if it might be detrimental to his health (I don't think it is, but I'm feeding him a little more to meet his energy requirements)! He greets me in the morning, constantly swims back and forth where he can see me, and flares at me and at his own reflection all day long! If he were a person, I'd imagine him as a 4-year-old pestering his mom ("Hey Mom! Mom! MOM! What are you doing? Mommy watch me! I can do THIS! WATCH ME MOM!!") LOL!


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

I have two boys, a HMDT and a young male I believe might be a HM, OHM, or delta tail. 

My HM, Salem, is a very feisty boi. He flares almost constantly which has led to a bad habit of tail biting. He often flares at me when I'm late to feeding or if the light is on too late. He is very territorial and flares at the young male through their divider. However, he loves showing off his iridescent scales and tail color when he greets me after class. He also likes playing peeko-a-boo with his silk plants and heater. He will often sit on a leaf and watch me do my work.

The young male, Fawkes, is much more friendly. He did charge Salem when he was still small enough to slip through the holes in the divider (oops) but I've only seen him flare a few times. He creates mass bubble nests and wriggles around until I check them out. He loves to jump and will try to nip my finger every chance he gets. He also plays tag with my finger where he doesn't only follow it but zooms away once he "tags" it.


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## AetherTheBetta (Mar 30, 2018)

VetTechGirl said:


> Hello folks!
> 
> I'm really curious what kinds of personality types different breeds of Bettas have. I have only ever had VT's and that was MANY years ago. I just got a male DT and he's been a _really_ nice little fellow in just the 2 weeks I've had him!
> 
> ...




My current fish, Romeo, is very feisty and kinda lazy (Don't tell him shh). My previous betta was extremely shy and never flared or followed my finger like Romeo has. Romeo is a delta tail and my previous betta was a dragon scale.


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