Rapid breathing?

[spunkylildragon]

How can you tell if a betta is rapidly breathing? Is it normal for an orange dalmation betta have black or dark edges around the gills or gill flaps?

[Kld2]

I'm not sure about your betta... but i know mine has dark "gill flap edges" or whatever. I hope that's normal!!

[Bombalurina]

Dark gill flaps are normal and are especially noticeable on paler fish. :)

The rapid breathing could be something or nothing. My boy Apollo was breathing heavily and rapidly before he died, but one of my sorority girls, Thetis, breathes heavily and rapidly all the time and is the picture of health. Sorry I can't be more definite!