Help identifying betta gender

[fluxion]

Just set up our first 15g tank with my girlfriend, and we're excited to have it heavily planted. We recently picked up four 'female' Bettas from PetsAtHome in the UK, but I've got some doubts about one of them.

I've been reading similar threads, and I think one of our Bettas might be a PK male. I'd really appreciate some opinions from more experienced folks.

A photo will probably help the most, but here are some things that have got me wondering:
- Regular flaring and occasional chasing of the other Bettas - I know females can do this too, and they've got plenty of places to hide, so it doesn't last long.
- The gill covers seem quite large and appear to curve under slightly - not sure if that's a beard or not.
- Long, pointed anal fin, which seems longer than the others.
- Long pectoral fins - I couldn't get a good photo of these, but one's slightly shorter, possibly damaged before we got it.
- And the strangest thing: today, some white spots showed up on the glass - they look a bit like eggs. The Betta in question is hanging around them but doesn't eat them, and the others keep trying to eat them but get chased off.

Would really appreciate your help with this - if it is a male, we'll probably need to take him back.

[earthie_9]

I think it's probably a male plakat, the behavior you described sounds about right for one. A photo of it flaring would be really helpful, if you can get one.

As for those white spots on the glass, I'm pretty sure they're not eggs. I mean, eggs are usually in a bubble nest floating on the water, not stuck to the glass underwater.

[coltin]

To confirm the betta's sex, take a look underneath its belly - females typically have a white ovipositor, or egg-laying tube, while males have a darker one.

As for the white spots on the glass, they might be planaria, but a photo and more details would be helpful for a more accurate identification.

[fluxion]

Thanks so much for the quick and helpful responses, it's fantastic to be part of this community.

The fish Nick posted does look similar to ours, which is helpful to see.

I'll try to get a closer look at the ovipositor to confirm the sex, as well as a photo of it flaring, just to be certain.

I'll also attempt to get a picture of the white spots on the glass, and I appreciate the suggestion that they might be planaria - that's a new one for me.

[goldminer]

We've recently set up our very first tank, a lovely 15g that's lush with plants.

[viewfinder]

Just set up our first 15g tank with my girlfriend, and we're excited to have it heavily planted. We recently picked up four 'female' Bettas from PetsAtHome in the UK, but I've got some doubts about one of them.

I've been reading similar threads, and I think one of our Bettas might be a PK male. I'd really appreciate some opinions from more experienced folks.

A photo will probably help the most, but here are some things that have got me wondering:
- Regular flaring and occasional chasing of the other Bettas - I know females can do this too, and they've got plenty of places to hide, so it doesn't last long.
- The gill covers seem quite large and appear to curve under slightly - not sure if that's a beard or not.
- Long, pointed anal fin, which seems longer than the others.
- Long pectoral fins - I couldn't get a good photo of these, but one's slightly shorter, possibly damaged before we got it.
- And the strangest thing: today, some white spots showed up on the glass - they look a bit like eggs. The Betta in question is hanging around them but doesn't eat them, and the others keep trying to eat them but get chased off.

Would really appreciate your help with this - if it is a male, we'll probably need to take him back.

I'd say those white spots are probably snail eggs. You might have gotten some snails in with the plants, even if you didn't think you had any.

[fabledark]

I'm still a bit unsure about the sex of our betta, so I was hoping for some more opinions. I've read that even experienced people can struggle to tell with young PKs, and some males get sold as females.

I've noticed a few things that make me wonder if it's a male - it flares quite regularly and sometimes chases the other bettas, although I know females can do this too. Its gill covers seem quite large and they might be rounded underneath, but I'm not sure if that's a beard. The anal fin is longer and more pointed than the others, and the pectoral fins are long too, although one is a bit shorter.

We also found some white spots on the glass that look a bit like eggs, but the betta in question just hangs around them and doesn't eat them. The other bettas try to eat the spots but get chased off. I'm not sure what these spots are, but I'll try to get a better picture of them.

[fluxion]

Thanks to everyone who chimed in, we've decided to go with the majority - he's probably a male. Given we can't risk any issues with the other girls, and we don't have space for a separate tank, we took him back to the store. Luckily, they were happy to take him back, agreed he could be a male, and gave us a refund.

The tank's definitely more peaceful now. Appreciate all your help!