Help Me! Name That Fish

[molitor75]

Oh dear... Well I had a female siamese fighter sold to me a while back, around 3 months ago I guess. It has been living happily along with some neons for the past month after the male siamese fighter died. I am not sure why he died, he was quite happy then the next day he was at the bottom of the tank. He didn't have any chunks of fins missing etc, I think I might have hurt him when I cleaned the tank but I can't be sure. It certainly didn't look like he had been fighting.

Anyway, I have just decided to introduce a new male fighter and basically as soon as I put him in the tank the 'female' attacked him and he attacked back.... I've put a floating breeding chamber in the water and placed the new male in there so they can't touch each other but they are still trying to have a go although they can't get to each other.

I'm a bit concerned that my female isn't a female and might be a male plakat (having read the threads on this forum) i've taken a couple of photos, they aren't great quality but I hope they are good enough for you to help me out.

The 'female' betta really manages to puff the gills out as much as the male and is just as vicious, if not more so because 'she' is an adult and he is still quite young

Here goes!!

 

[lilfishie]

males and females should not be kept together for this exact reason. as for seeing if its male the link on female tail types in my signature shows how to tell female from male plakat

 

[molitor75]

Just had a look at the link and to me it looks like it might be a male plakat but I just wanted a bit of help from you guys to see what you thought.I've kept males and females together for the past two years with no problems, this is the first time i've experienced problems...Looks like I either have to set up one of my other tanks or take it back... Its definitely got the same fin shape as the blue male plakat you show on the link and its gills puff out just like a male betta. The ventrals aren't quite as long as the blue plakat in your image though but everything else points me in the direction of it being a male plakat...

 

[xweeqtx]

Have you any idea what age "she" is? I would definitely say it was male, apart from what you have said about the ventrils. Depending on the age, I'd also said its a lot larger as well - I've got a pic of a female PK I got from the LFS the other day, and since they typically sell them older I'd say there's a HUGE difference.

Especially with the flaring, I know none of my girls can flare like that. But it may just be down the personality as well. Is this the same fish you kept with you're male betta that died? If so, I would've thought they would have fought as well..

EDIT: had to add, I think another thing that's making me lean more to a male is the fact that "she" has a very vibrant colour - I don't remember females being like that

 

[molitor75]

Thanks for the replies..

Yes I am now 100% certain that its a male plakat. It did live with the male Siamese fighter for about three months and there was never any aggression which is strange.

Just had a friend of ours pop in the take a look and he agrees that it looks very much like a male plakat!

Looks like one of them is going to have to be rehomed!!

 

[xweeqtx]

Need to get some treatment for that boy's fins first!