# Long lasting vertical stripes on female betta



## bellabetta (Jan 17, 2007)

Hi everyone, 

I have a healthy and VERY active female betta who is about 5 months old. She has always had a very clean body without any striping, but for the past week she has displayed dark, vertical stripes. I have read that this means that either she is ready to mate or that she is feeling aggressive. She hasn't acted any different, and has no body shape changes. She lives in a filtered 2 gallon tank by herself (no exposure to any other fish), has a plastic plant, her tank temperature ranges from 74-76 degrees F, is fed 2 pellets twice a day, and is always extremely active and has vibrant coloration. I should mention that I recently travelled with her (she has a travel tank that is about a 1/2 gallon) back and forth to college, and I just put her back into her 2 gallon aquarium about 9 days ago. Any ideas about why this striping is present and why it would last for such a long period of time? Any ideas would be appreciated!! Thanks so much


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## fraser27 (Jan 14, 2007)

it might be stress from moving back and forward, or it could just be her maturing!


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

vertical barring doens't usually occur unless she can see a male. If she can't see a male and is still barring up them it may just be her growing and becoming sexually mature. I wouldn't worry about it unless it's horizontal strips and it's constantly there. That would mean she's stressed and you need to give her a little TLC. Good luck


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

Some bettas are just floozys  truthfully!


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

hahaha I agree with that Christine..My new CT female constantly shows slight barring and is always swollen with eggs and the only betta she can see near by is a 7 week old fry (sex of which is unknown)!!!


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

the sex of it might be unknown to you, but maybe she knows and she likes younger men:mrgreen: 


RC


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

Yeah well I did figure it might be male... Time will tell.


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## gemjunkie (Jan 20, 2005)

Females will bar up when they see their own reflection if they are mature, heck, some will even if they ARE NOT mature. They will bar up at other females. Some are 'floozys' for sure and will bar up when they are doing NOTHING.... 

Some, will even build their own nest and spawn themselves... I have pics somewhere of more than one doing that... 

What sucks, is coming in to see the female you planned on throwing in the spawning tank with a 1/4 inch of eggs on the bottom of their beanie container and looking quite wrung out (or is that relief you see? LOL).


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## bellabetta (Jan 17, 2007)

Thanks for the info guys...


I guess she's either just a "floozy" or she's really attracted to herself....lol. Maybe I need to get her a boyfriend Thanks again!!


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