Question regarding stripes on Betts Fish!

[PattyCakes81]

Hi guys,

I have a question, I would love for you guys to clarify. Are horizontal stripes always a sign of stress and/or illness?

I know that vertical stripes on female bettas, is a sign of being ready for breeding.

Thank you,
Patty

 

[johnlockedtbh]

To my knowledge, if the betta is suddenly showing stripes it's a sign of stress. This mostly shows in female bettas though! The reason is often a "female betta sorority" where people have 5+ female Bettas in the same tank which causes a lot of stress if there aren't enough hides, plants and if the tank is not big enough!

Hope this helped a bit