# Droopy betta normal?



## gasteriaphile (Nov 25, 2008)

This might be a strange question but what the heck.

I have a Veil Tail type of _Betta splendens_. The typical type you often see in the big box stores. I have had him for a couple of months now and gotten him fairly healthy after his ordeal in the little glass cups the stores keep them in. And yet, his fins are still droopy. Especially noticeable is the dorsal.

Now in all of the photos one sees of _B. splendens _males, the dorsal is usually erect or nearly so, and the others are extended and make him look nice and full. Are these photos simply taken to show the male at best advantage? Or are these males always looking that way? Mine is usually not like that at all.

Since all I know of bettas first hand is my own plus the pitiful creatures in the big box stores, and all I know of them second hand is the photos, I don't know what they look like or are supposed to look like! I hope I have made myself understood.

Thanks, g


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## Sunstar (Sep 17, 2008)

Mine have dropy tails and fins too. they flare it gets erect. Show him a mirror from time to time. he'lll flare at it and enjoy making postures at his image.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

I think you've just got a fish with that type of finnage. Check out aquabid.com and all the betta varieties. Imagine that variety and the types you see in a store. The bettas you're going to find in box stores are mass-produced and or are the "culls". In order to get the varieties, you have to breed breed breed and cull out the ones without the ideal traits (color, fins, etc). Nothing wrong with the fish, it just doesn't have the traits that a breeder may want, perhaps including droopy fins.

Just to clarify, bettas flare at eachother or their own image as a territorail display. It can become stressful to the animal (sure, not like we feel stress, but still stress) if this occurs all t he time. He thinks he must expend a lot of energy warding off the "intruder". Any organsim displaying a response to stimuli for a long duration will become lethargic, stressed, or sometimes sick. I don't want to be picky, but it's a myth that they "like" to flare. It's just beautiful to see and often used to showcase the traits of the fish.

HTH


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## Sunstar (Sep 17, 2008)

by liking or enjoying I meant I do it as an occasionall excersise to get the body movin'


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