First Time Betta Keeper!

[x_leanne_x]

Hi guys! I got a beautiful blue betta last week, very peaceful, can't get him to flare at all, doesn't flare at other fish and doesn't flare at the mirror! He's called Simon! Would like to know what type of betta he is, i'm sure he's a veiltail but would like confirmation!

Today I went to the LFS to get some beautiful red/pink guppies i'd seen in there last week for my 2nd tank which has just finished its long old cycle lol! However, they had none in, and instead I fell in love with, and bought, another gorgeous betta, called Freddie!! He's red and blue and he's a fiesty bugger! If I turn the bedroom light off he flares, constantly til I turn it back on, tis gonna cost me a fortune in electricity if he doesn't learn to behave haha! Also think he's a veiltail, have got pics of him flared and just being peaceful, would like confirmation on his type as well! Freddie's tank is needing a good clean on the outside! glass is covered in watermarks!

This is Freddie!
Being peaceful!

Flaring!

and this is Simon!

 

[ibbledibble]

aww two lovely boys you have there

freddie definitely looks like a veiltail. apparently the way to tell is, when he flares, imagine a line drawn down the centre of his tail. if the two sides are not symmetrical then its a veiltail. also someone said if the tail ends in a point its a veiltail. so both options point to yes
simon looks like he might be a veiltail too, but its harder to tell with no flaring pics. (i'm still new to this myself! so maybe someone else can tell you for sure)

anyway congrats on your new additions

 

[x_leanne_x]

thanks! Yeah I haven't seen Simon flare at all, tried to put a mirror up to the tank to see if he would flare but he swam away from me lol!

 

[ibbledibble]

yeah some bettas have really placid temperaments. but then again my dazzle did that yesterday, either swam away or played dead! he had a beautiful flare today for me to get some pics though. so maybe he just wasn't in the mood?

 

[x_leanne_x]

i've turned all the lights off now, my room light and freddie's tank light and he's just swimming around, no flaring! woohoo!

 

[ibbledibble]

yeah apparently if the room is dark but the tank light is on, it shows his reflection (like if you look at a window from in a lit room at night) but if the tank lights off too you can see out. no reflection, so no flaring.