I think he's a she, but it's a little... complicated.

[indjo]

No, that was 2 different comments -
1. about albino's - your guy
2. about breeding blind bettas.

I don't have an albino, well not one with red eyes. I only have colorless (totally flesh color - fins are rather transparent). She's only 2 months old.

The half blind girl is a different fish - yellow. I tried to breed her 3 times but had to call it off because she was always getting badly hurt. I might have had a spawn if I went on. But I fear of losing her the long run due to infections in.

[finney]

Originally Posted by DarkMoon17

I agree with male. He's probably underdeveloped since he couldn't find food well or compete with his siblings and etc.. He's really cute.
I'd be careful breeding him though. His blindness is likely due to genetics which means he'll pass it on to his fry. Albino is cool and all but albino animals (no matter the species) are more prone to illnesses, blindness and unhealthy recessive traits. Let's just say, they are generally unhealthy compared to their pigmented counterparts... There are reasons that there aren't any albino betta strains out there atm...

I agree with this. As an angel breeder, there's a reason nobody has albino angels anymore. Several reasons.

But albinism is autosomal recessive. Which means if bred to a non-albino fish of the opposite sex, the fry will CARRY the albino gene, but not express it. And if the fish in question is not true albino, who knows?

[Sena Hansler]

Red eyes usually are the sure sign of an albino. I've seen some albino bettas :) then ther are just white bettas, or white with other color. I'd say wait a month and with good care he/she should sprout awesomely. My "little" ladies did that within a week! doubled in size :)

[finney]

Originally Posted by Sena Hansler

Red eyes usually are the sure sign of an albino.

Not necessarily, especially with fish and herps. A lot of leucistic fish (gold neons, gold pristellas, chocolate albino plecos) are leucistic but have red eyes. They're not albinos - although they generally look just as cool. :)

FWIW, all the leucistic fish I've ever had have been sighted. I had a 15 year old chocolate pleco and then got another just a few months ago, I've had gold pristellas, and my old roomie had gold neons. All those fish could see. Oddly, albino angels are sighted, as are albino tinfoil barbs.

It just seems to be the bettas that are blind when albino/red eyed.

Also, my pure white cat... is deaf.

Blind fish. Deaf cats. ALL I WANT ARE SOME PETS THAT WORK RIGHT!!! (I kid, of course. I'd literally die for my kittyboy.)

[Sena Hansler]

hahaha :) most bettas I know with red eyes are blind... not all! some. I know blind cave tetras never had a reason to see (hence name!) xD so they are naturally that way. I always wanted a white betta anyways though :)

[Luimeril]

albino, doesn't always mean blind.

personally, i wouldn't breed a blind, or even partly blind betta. so, if that were my fish, gender wouldn't matter. i'd give it a unisex name, and keep it as a pet.

[finney]

Originally Posted by Luimeril

albino, doesn't always mean blind.

personally, i wouldn't breed a blind, or even partly blind betta. so, if that were my fish, gender wouldn't matter. i'd give it a unisex name, and keep it as a pet.

I understand what you're saying, but the only reason I'm considering it is because his/her daughters and sons likely wouldn't be albino or blind. Of course any brother/sister or child/parent matings to the albino fish would be, but inbreeding is never a good idea anyway.

[MrVampire181]

male, yup no doubt male. the body and fins suggest it. watch for fin lengthening.

[GreenTea]

Also lyretail bettas do not exist! Pretty fish.

[finney]

http://bettatalk.com/betta_finnage.htm

Scroll to the bottom. Tanaka is also the guy who bred the albino is 1994.