betta babies

[FlaNatural]

My betta babies are about 6 weeks old now. 5 out of 50 of them have underdeveloped tail fins, where the tail is fused instead of fan like. Is this a normal birth defect? Is there any thing I can do about it? Thanks

[Little-Fizz]

I don't know if this is a 'normal' birth defect. But I would think if it is effecting their quality of life, then I would euthanize them. Good to hear most of them turned out good though! Can you post any pics?

[tmz]

yay babies!

[d-gage]

if you breed the velvet type, then it's alright! :D

[FlaNatural]

I am not sure if I can post pics or not-I might be able to get my hands on a digital camera. Thank you all for your knowledge. I am not sure if they are the velvet kind or not. Daddy and mommy are the common kind in the pet store, I got them at Petsmart, and they were both very healthy when I bought them. Its so sad when you see some of the betta fish at like walmart or somewhere where they are all bottled up in those tiny cups and just miserable. The petsmart I went to really took care of their fish and they are all healthy.
When i take pictures, how do I post them to this forum? This is my first conversation here. :)

[FlaNatural]

Also, it does not appear to me that the fish with the fused tails are in any pain, but I am watching closely; I will not hesitate to put any creature out of misery and pain through euthanization. They eat, swim, and are developing colors just like the rest of them.

[FlaNatural]

Wow- its now two weeks later since I asked the question about the fused tails, and now a few with the fused tails are beginning to feather out! They still don't look as good as the others, but with time I think they will be just fine! Aren't bettas remarkable!

[dramaqueen]

Maybe they'll all be alright. Maybe they are just a bit slower than the others in developing. Good luck with them.

[Kim]

Pics??? I love pictures!!! :D

[okiemavis]

Glad to hear! Petstore bettas tend to have very mixed lineage, so it's likely the offspring have some different types of tails mixed in. You never know what'll pop up! :P