Female getting vertical stripes from male's water?

[Raechal]

I hear female bettas will get vertical stripes when they are ready to breed or get excited from a male's presence. I didn't have any dechlor and was adding the heater into her tank and the water was a little short of the "line" where you're supposed to fill the water up for the heater to go in. So I scooped a cup out of my male betta's 10 gallon and added it to the female's since the male's tank was very full.

A couple minutes after I added his water, she got these very dark vertical lines. Could it be the male's water that has "triggered" her or something else? His water doesn't have nitrites or ammonia in it as I just did a 50% water change in his 10 gallon the other day. Plus, it is a cycled tank.

 

[aznmidnite]

Maybe it contained some of the male betta's pheromones in the water, that got her excited!

 

[SMSBrunetteGirl]

I think the lady`s tempted

 

[Raechal]

Her stripes went away after about 30 minutes. I guess she figured out there was no male. I am thinking about buying a dark divider and giving her half of the 10 gallon and the other half to the male. Letting them see each other occassionaly. Then once my 120 cycles I will add the female in there along with 5 more females and keep the male in the 10 gallon.

 

[Idolz]

My females have vertical stripes almost always so I wouldn't be able to tell if it works or not but it sounds realistic to me.

 

[littlefishie]

I've had the same thing happen, actually.

Topped up one of my CT female's bowl with some water from a larger bowl containing a CT male.. She was placed next to another CT female, and started getting really vibrant vertical stripes.

I'd say there'd be pheremones in the water or something.. not positive on that, I'll have to check my marine biology books.

 

[cation]

A 120g is awfully big for bettas. Are you planning on filtering it as you normally would a 120?

 

[Raechal]

A 120g is awfully big for bettas. Are you planning on filtering it as you normally would a 120?

yea the filters will be running normal. Will the current be too strong for the 5 or 6 female bettas?