What's your secret?

[Loboto-Me]

As much as I examine those little cups of bettas at the LFS, I have no idea how to identify them.

Their fins are clumped together because of the small living quarters making it nearly impossible for me to know if it's a crowntail, delta, half-moon... whatever. What's your secret? How is it I can't make them out one from another and you can?

 

[freshwatergal]

Well, I know for me I go for unusual color patterns. Once in a while I luck out and get a crowntail, but mostly I got for color. Of course the color changes a little when I get them home because they are happy with their new home.

Sometimes though, if you catch them just right, they have enough room in their cups to flare at another betta.

Tiff

 

[White Whale]

Find a really active betta who seems to be flaring at his neighbor. Use him as your 'trigger'. Then place each cup one by one next to the trigger and you can see them flare most of the time.

If you have no trigger, I go by the following when they are 'relaxed':
-- the crowntails will usually have obvious extensions on all their non-paired fins
-- veiltails will have a long curved droopy tail
-- deltas & halfmoons will have a tail that looks like a broom when closed

 

[Loboto-Me]

Excellent! Thanks for the tips. Now I know what to look for to at least get a CHANCE at nabbing a "specialty" betta.

PS: This advice goes in my "fishy files" on my desktop

 

[bkk_group]

Find a really active betta who seems to be flaring at his neighbor. Use him as your 'trigger'. Then place each cup one by one next to the trigger and you can see them flare most of the time.

If you have no trigger, I go by the following when they are 'relaxed':
-- the crowntails will usually have obvious extensions on all their non-paired fins
-- veiltails will have a long curved droopy tail
-- deltas & halfmoons will have a tail that looks like a broom when closed

good luck finding a true halfmoon in a little cup at your LFS.

 

[White Whale]

Tenx, BKK! But I know where to get halfmoons now. If I want one, I just gotta take Mondays off when they get delivered because they sell out by 3PM.

 

[Loveless]

what's the normal, the most common, the most undesired one called?

 

[White Whale]

what's the normal, the most common, the most undesired one called?

The one that was never bought.

 

[Redmalebetta]

>what's the normal, the most common, the most undesired one called?


Veiltails--but to most of us Betta lovers, they're beautiful in their own right.

 

[bkk_group]

Tenx, BKK! But I know where to get halfmoons now. If I want one, I just gotta take Mondays off when they get delivered because they sell out by 3PM.

wow, that's great if you can find them to qoute from a site -
"This tail is one of the most sought after tail shape. No breeder knows the exact genealogy of the Half Moon, and if they do, they are good at keeping a secret. A Half Moon is a Delta Tail with a full 180° spread. There are a few characteristics that also must be met to be considered a True Half Moon. The first and the last rays of the caudal fin must be straight. They must also be as long as the other rays of the other rays. A true Half Moon is indeed rare, and hard to come by. If you were to breed a male Half moon to a female Half Moon, you still might only get a very small handful of true Half Moons in the spawn. You will get a nice spawn of Deltas or ultra deltas. Also, there are many Half Moon "genos" floating around out there. Please be aware that no one really knows how to create a Half Moon." the super-breeder in town had a few halfmoons for sale but she wanted $80 for one. these were show quality mind you but i was kind of taken aback by the price, i was expecting around the $20 i usually pay for my fish from her.