Stress Stripes or Breading Stripes

[New2Betas]

What does it mean when a female has several stripes from head to tail (horizontal)?

[dramaqueen]

Those are stress stripes.

[New2Betas]

Okay. When I was at meijer there was one girl that had them really dark. All the others were fine though. It seamed like the darker colored girls were more aggressive then the light Cambodians.

[dramaqueen]

Maybe she was getting picked on.

[doggyhog]

Darker girls show stress stripes more then the lighter ones. Because they have dark bodies and so the stripes are visible. Darker girls do tend to be more aggressive sometimes, although, my little white girl, Angel, is SO aggressive! Ha! her name is very ironic....

Stress stripes will go away once they are settled in.

[New2Betas]

No one seamed to be bugging her, but her stripes were soooo dark!! There were 2 very dark females, almost black but with dark blue fins, and they were flaring at everyone. They were having a little show down between theirself. I thought it was interesting how they didnt pay any attention to the mollies or guppies. I kinda got the impression that the bettas think they are far superior fish to them. lol

I also found that they had a BEAUTIFUL blue VT in a tank with bright yellow male guppies and neons. The betta could have cared less and minded his own biz. I'm thinking that if I can ever find a 20 gallon tank I can use that for my sorority and use the 10 for Master betta and a few other fishies.

[doggyhog]

maybe the two girls with stress stripes were just put in the tank. :)

I would also love to have a community tank! I just can't stop dividing my tanks though. :P

[New2Betas]

I did notice that they had more girls today then yesterday. I'm just glad to see them living with other fish and not in a cup! I still think its funny how they flare at each other! Its interesting to watch.

[lilyrazen]

@doggyhog, Me too! I love large tanks but i started a full ten gallon and now is down to three 3 gallon section. Thats why I'm asking for a 6 gallon for christmas, so Heidi can get sisters in the ten!
And the blue betta sounded REALLY pretty!

[dramaqueen]

I'm going to have to check at my Meijers to see if they have females. If they had a dt I'd grab it right up! lol