Betta Ocellata Sexing

[Mudskipper]

I have a question. I got these betta ocellata pair at Aquarama. I'm wondering if they are a pair or two males. Can someone help me ID? Thanks.

[TanCH]

Wow.. Nice setup. Welcome back! Haha!

[Mudskipper]

Hahah, thanks. Just java ferns and wood lah...working on my rack now.

[TanCH]

i see.. Update more of your pictures soon! haha.

[Mudskipper]

The more I look at them, the more I think they are probably a pair. Caught them rolling around a little.

[Apistoinka]

Nice wild setup bro...

[900801]

In my opinion your post 5, 3rd picture resembles a pair. The female is in the front, the male at the back. The female looks gravid. Nice setup looks quite cosy for them . Good luck in your breeding.

[Mudskipper]

Thanks for the encouragement. Not sure how successful they'll be as there is a huge adult male enisae and a female bellica in there with them. They are a very affectionate pair though, always following each other around and sleeping together. So cute. My unimacs are also starting to do the same...hope they do something.

[Mudskipper]

Well, the vicious cycle repeats itself. The male jumped and is now in fish heaven. This was why I got so discouraged a year ago and gave them all up. I can't figure out where he jumped from as the whole top is covered and there are no holes at all. So discouraging. Another single fish with no mate.

[nature beauty]

don'tbe cause this happen to me today too..... your ocellata does have a patoti to acompany with today... dammm those fish can really find hole sia......

[Mudskipper]

Very sad. I forgot how much stress this can cause. The whole tank is covered so well and yet they can still jump. My female ocellata is so different now, she doesn't swim around and sits in one corner and mopes all day. Makes me even more depressed. I seem to keep having single fish all the time, which is just disappointing.

Male Enisae
Female Bellica
Female Ocellata
Male Patoti
Female Mandor

I hope that my unimac male recovers from his head injury or the female will be solo too.

And the young enisae pair I bought at Aquarama may actually turn out to be two more males...every time I put them together, they fight like mad and the "female" starts to show really blue markings all over like the male. UGH!

On a better note, my channoides is brooding...on his 3rd day now. There may be a little glimmer of hope down the road.

*sigh*

[nature beauty]

Well like that say for all the bad there must be some good in it hahaha

[exotic_idiot]

Don't worry you can get replacement easily..
Just order back from the same supplier whom you got it from..
If not sell away the singles?

[Mudskipper]

Not sure if it's easy to get replacements. I waited for almost 2 years to get these two young enisaes at Aquarama. Don't want to breed the mandor, patoti or bellica so it's not an issue.

My main priority is to find a new sized male ocellata so that this widow can be happy again. She's really very sad lately, not even coming out unless I feed her. She then look right at me as if to ask where he husband went. Breaks my heart.

[exotic_idiot]

Never try never know...
Give your supplier a call first?
Still doesn't work out, can try ordering from LFS...

[RonWill]

I seem to keep having single fish all the time, which is just disappointing...

Looking at your images, there is not a single floating plant in sight.

Have you considered having floaters; frogbits (Limnobium laevigatum), Salvinia natans, water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), etc, to cover about 90% of water surface? IMHE, floaters allow fishes to feel more secure and less skittish. Other than the obvious benefit of biological filtration that plants provide, the less time fishes glance upwards towards fish heaven, the less likely they'd want to jump.

I'm not a big fan of dried specimens and it is ok to discard free advice but if you do try, please update.

[900801]

@mudskipper Any pics of your enisae? Also what's the size?

[Mudskipper]

Hey 900801...waiting for your baby female to grow up...hahaha. I will try to get photos of the ones I got at Aquarama this weekend. They are small compared to my adult, 1.5 - 2 year old male. About an inch or so each, maybe an inch and a half. But the male is really gorgeous. Am trying to pump them both up.

My adult male is between 3-4 inches but very shy in the comm tank. He comes out to eat and when I am in front of the tank to say hello but is always hiding other than that. Hard to get a shot of him.

By the way, do you have any ocelattas?

[Mudskipper]

Looking at your images, there is not a single floating plant in sight.

Have you considered having floaters; frogbits (Limnobium laevigatum), Salvinia natans, water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), etc, to cover about 90% of water surface? IMHE, floaters allow fishes to feel more secure and less skittish. Other than the obvious benefit of biological filtration that plants provide, the less time fishes glance upwards towards fish heaven, the less likely they'd want to jump.

I used to have tons of floating plants but my tanks are really very low light tanks and they rotted away. Kinda sad. I'm going to have an acrylic top custom made for my cabinet tank so this doesn't happen again...then I will actively look for a husband for the widow.

[900801]

Hmm if they are 2 males i dont mind trading with you the female for a male. Yup my adult pair are quite shy constantly hiding but quite active during feeding time. Maybe they require more plants.
Yea I have ocelleta but it's a trio 1 male 2 female.