Sexing young bettas

[Lindsey88]

I got this little guy at walmart he is not even an inch long. How can you sex young bettas?

[MattD]

At a young age, it's quite difficult to sex bettas for the untrained eye. Here are some tips though.

Males will tend to grow a longer anal fin before any of the other fins get longer iirc. Males have a more pronounced 'beard' (makes them look extra badboy while flaring). Their bodies are less wide and more elongated (similar to yours). Females have 'egg spots' between the ventral and anal fins. This is their ovipositor tube which drops during spawning, so if your betta has no white spot, it should be a male. Also, there are various behavioral differences which are quite prominent. Although I'm not sure if maturity is required before they exhibit a specific behavior - particularly bubble nest making and 'flaring' (females don't do it as much).

I hope that helps! Also, I'm sure the experienced Betta vets will come here and lay the smack down on me for my n00bness and provide much better advice.

Good luck!

[Lindsey88]

Thanks for the responce. Another question, How long does it take these guys to become fully grown. Right now he is really tiny.

[beetlebz]

sexing bettas is really easy. all you need is a bottle of wine and.... wait what was the question?

sorry i have nothing of value to add

[Lindsey88]

lol thanks for the reply. Here are a few more pics of him. Oh i'm pretty sure he is a male because he has a small "beard" and when I held a mirror up to him he flared at it. lol

[Falina]

In terms of sexing I can't say anything that Matt hasn't already said.

Very pretty though, similar colour to the one I just bought today. :)

[Lindsey88]

Originally Posted by Falina

In terms of sexing I can't say anything that Matt hasn't already said.

Very pretty though, similar colour to the one I just bought today. :)

Thank you, it's funny that you said that because my dad made fun of me for getting him and said he was ugly.

[Falina]

Originally Posted by Lindsey88

Thank you, it's funny that you said that because my dad made fun of me for getting him and said he was ugly.

LOL, well I like the colour. Mine is a little different but still similar. Not quite so much colour on his fins and his eyes are totally black. I like to call this colour blonde, LOL, and as such I have named mine Boris Johnson (this will only be amusing to folk in the UK, who either have a remote interest in politics or watch 'Have I Got News For You?').

[Lindsey88]

Thank you. His eyes are also black and he looks to be completely blond. The flash makes him look more colorful than he really is.

[beetlebz]

certainly is a cute little guy hehe how long until they develop their big flashy tails?