Vertical stripes

[Mirage23]

I have a male double halfmoon betta that I got on Saturday. I just noticed that he has vertical stripes! When we first put him in his new bowl after we bought him he had the stripes so I was worried it was a girl but the fins are too long. I just did a water change and he has them again. He is also acting jumpy which is sorta normal for him since I got him but I don't know if its something to worry about. You can barely see the stripes but its the best I could do since he's so jumpy.

[eatmice2010]

Those usually mean there ready to mate :D

[Mirage23]

He looks really angry and if I put my hand next to the tank he swims around everywhere

[Mirage23]

But I thought that was only on girls?

[Myates]

Usually you do see those in females, but I don't believe it's impossible for males to have them.. they use their stripes for different communication other than breeding, such as being submissive. He may just show them after the water changes, will probably just need to get used to them before he stops being jumpy.

Who knows with him, but he isn't paler and his "stress stripes" aren't showing (more noticeable in the head of the darker fish).

[Mirage23]

I worried he's upset I destroyed his bubble nest. When I put him in his new tank he started flaring at the lady next door. Sweetie is her name. She also watched him. He waved around and several hours later boom! Bubble nest. I had only had him for about 20 hours! But he had those same stripes. Sweetie isn't next to him anymore (she was in a hospital tank but is now with her sorority in a breeders net) and like I said seems jumpy which makes him look angry.

[aemaki09]

Vertical stripes are breeding stripes.
Can he see any other fish where he is?
Males dont normally get them, but I have a black orchid boy that does occasionally, when he see's a female (or what he thinks could be a female)
Sometimes he even gets them when I move him into area or after a water change.

[eatmice2010]

ya then i think more than likely hes in heat.

[Mirage23]

Yeah he may not be able to see sweetie specifically but he's next to the sorority tank

[aemaki09]

oh yeah, he probably see's them swimming around and wants to breed. Be expecting a lot of bubble nests in the near future!! :D

Also -- Eatmice -- males dont go in heat. Only females do