Just got given a heap of betta females need advice!!!

[Biggles]

Hello I just got given about 20 female bettas of variuos sizes,my father-in-law breeds them,and had too many in a community tank so he gave me a couple of scoops.Anyway I have no idea what type they are he says "they are the original betta" whatever that means,also how can I tell if they are all female as now he says it is possible some of the babaies may be boys.I have just read that if they have horizontal stripes they are stressed is that both for females and males or just females,as some of these smaller ones have stripes and are very pale.They seem very timid and are hanging out under the duckweed,behind rocks ontop of the filter,heater etc ,one has decidied it likes to sit ontop of the thermometer! is this normal?

 

[rubysoho]

give them to me

fins are the only way I know to separate young males and females... maybe check bettatalk.com for some more information? The horizontal stripes are signs of stress. The ones showing signs of stress are probably just scared from the move and are only getting use to their new home. The hiding and sitting on top of the thermometer seems pretty normal to me.

What size tank do you have them all in?

 

[Hrafnkel]

I thought vertical lines were stress? Maybe not... I dunno. >.> I've never actually had a female betta.

 

[Puriti]

you can tell if they're female because they'll have a little white dot on the bottom of their abdomen. Vertical lines mean "Look at me....I'm so hot!" lol Horizontals are stress or mood swings >_<