[aBettaNamedRoy]

Meet Roy, a Petco "baby boy" betta. I've had him for around three months now, which should make him between four or five months old total. I've gotten a lot of feedback that he is female, a few comments of him being a plakat, and others of him being a comb-veil tail. Thoughts?
He lacks both an ovipositor and beard, but bears a strangely calm and placid personality; he's never flared, not to his reflection, and not to other male bettas. I can assume that he/she is yet to reach full maturity. I like his color a lot, despite that he is unmistakably a mutt...
What's your ideas/opinions on Roy's variety, finnage, and color?
Thanks!

 

[irishnugget]

interesting... I look forward to other's posts on this.

 

[F8LFighterFish]

Beautiful boy. Looks like a young VT to me. Still a very handsome boy there. Keep spoiling him. 🙂

 

[Queina]

How many/how frequently do you perform water changes on his tank ? They produce an hormone that inhibites growth, so maybe that's why he's still so little and not "mature" yet ?

 

[aBettaNamedRoy]

How many/how frequently do you perform water changes on his tank ? They produce an hormone that inhibites growth, so maybe that's why he's still so little and not "mature" yet ?

@Queina
I do 40% water changes twice weekly along with gravel siphoning. I know for a baby it should be daily, but he is in a filtered 10 gallon tank alone. Could this still be responsible for stunting him? Thanks for the input!

 

[aBettaNamedRoy]

@F8LFighterFish
Thanks so much! He definitely has grown more colorful since I got him!

 

[aBettaNamedRoy]

@HumanArtRebel1020

Thanks!

 

[Queina]

@aBettaNamedRoy If he has a ten gallon all to himself, it should not be this. Food then maybe ? Or temperature ? What is he fed ? How much ? How often ? Is his tank heated ?

 

[aBettaNamedRoy]

@Queina; Roy eats a combination of bloodworms, brine shrimp, and tubeflex worms. I feed him a decent amount typically twice a day, with the exceptions being on days when he appears constipated (it doesn't happen often). His tank has a heater, and is kept at a temperature of around 80 degrees.

As an update, though, he appears to be getting a little bigger since I began this thread! He does look like a veiltail male... just smaller!

 

[LenaBalak]

Hi! I just got one today that looks like yours. His name is "Chocolate." (kids named him) I really like him. I'm feeding him the small pellets per Petco guy's advice. Should I be feeding him the live food instead?

 

[aBettaNamedRoy]

A very handsome fish you have there, @LenaBalak! I'm not quite sure, though I have found the bloodworms, brine shrimp, and tubeflex worms to work for Roy. A live diet may be better than pellets, but I would check other sources as well to confirm. If you decide to continue feeding him primarily pellets, I would add in something with enhanced protein (like small bloodworms), just to give him the protein he will need to grow his fins. With pellets, there's always the concern that they will be too big for a baby, but small pellets are probably okay.

 

[aBettaNamedRoy]

So here's an update on Roy: I think he's grown. I'll attach a pixelated photo for you all to check out- do you see any difference?
I'll also be attaching a link to a video of Roy being feisty... I'd like to think he comes when called, but I highly doubt it...

https://www.wevideo.com/view/1111661699

 

[LeviTheFish]

What a handsome boy he is.