# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Anabantoids >  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.

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## TanCH

Wow.. Nice setup. Welcome back! Haha!

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## Mudskipper

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

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## TanCH

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

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## Mudskipper

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

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## Apistoinka

Nice wild setup bro...

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## 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.

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## 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.

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## 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.

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## 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......

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## 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*

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## nature beauty

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

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## 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?

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## 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.

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## exotic_idiot

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

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## 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.

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## 900801

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

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## 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?

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## 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.

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## 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.

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## Mudskipper

> 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.


Aiyah...why not 2 males and 1 female? hahahaha. Anyone have a male? Anyone?

I will try to get photos this weekend. Alternatively, I will see if Johannes can help me ID. *hint*hint*

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## nature beauty

I have a pc but if Patoti can join in? hahaha

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## Mudskipper

LOL! Bro, you Patoti that jumped, was it male or female? I wonder..is it males that jump more? 

I did try to get photos of the enisae this weekend but wasn't quite able to...too much reflection. I think they are a pair lah, the male has a lot of blue and the black bar on the tail and the lower fin (what do you call it?) is very dark and thick. The female has much less blue and the bar on the tail is very thin. She does have blue sparkles on her entire body though, which makes me wonder. 

Anyhoo...I am going to try to get in touch with Hermanus in Jakarta to order stuff. Hope I hear from him soon, I sent an email via his website already.

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## StillLearning

I heard that unimaculata complex betta are very good jumpers.. they will jumps out from any part of the tanks. So usually the tanks will be covered fully with netting.

For Enisae, the best bet is still ask the seller how to sex them.

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## Emokidz

Hi mudskipper, I know someone who has a few pieces of ocellata available. Will pm you his contact if you're interested : )

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## nature beauty

Hey Bro count me in for another pair of Mac and unimac if you are placing an order.... let see if we can get a better price for this....

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## Emokidz

Oh I tried emailing hermanus last month through his website for some species from the coccina group. No reply as of yet.. If you do get through and going ahead with the order, could i place an order with you guys? Definitely willing to share the freight costs etc.  :Very Happy:

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## Mudskipper

> Hi mudskipper, I know someone who has a few pieces of ocellata available. Will pm you his contact if you're interested : )


OH MAH GAWD! PLEASE PLEASE do pm me his contact!!

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## Mudskipper

> Hey Bro count me in for another pair of Mac and unimac if you are placing an order.... let see if we can get a better price for this....


If you want a pair of Macs, Johannes has some for sale at a really good price. I'm more than likely getting a pair from him too if he has any left when I'm ready. You might want to PM him.

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## Mudskipper

Got a list of what's available from Hermanus. No prices though. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll ask him for prices.

Here's what he said he has:


Albimarginata
Chanoides
Unimaculata
Compuncta
Patoti
Ideii
Ocellata temp. n/a
Strohii (limited)
Edithae (limited)
Rubra
Krataios
Enisae
Balunga (limited)
Brownorum
Persephone (Limited)
Rutillans
Wajok sp
Uberis
Burdigala
Bellica
Smaragdina
Imbellis
Mahachai

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## Emokidz

Hi Bro Mudskipper, PMed you regarding the Ocellata. And this list looks great!
I'd like to get 2 pairs of persephone (or a trio if he sells in trios) if we go ahead with the order.

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## Mudskipper

You know what, I think we should start a new thread. Let me get that going tomorrow...have to run out for dinner now.

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## 900801

Sexing enisae is quite simple. Female is usually more drab not as colorful as the male. Could be a female just wait and see how it turns out.

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## TanCH

o.O Faster start a new thread. I am interested in that list already! LOL!

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## Mudskipper

> Sexing enisae is quite simple. Female is usually more drab not as colorful as the male. Could be a female just wait and see how it turns out.


Thanks, bro. I think it is a female. She is much more drab than the male and only colours up when I put them together. She's very aggressive though.

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## johannes

Nice set up bro Mudskipper!
Good looking_ B. ocellatas_ there. Next time get more than one pair as back up la... they look nice in comm tank too!! haha

By the way, post your _B. enisae_ pictures in another thread la...  :Razz:

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## Mudskipper

Thanks, Johannes. I miss the male, man. He was so docile and beautiful. I bought the only pair they had left at Aquarama. I should have bought both pairs of unimacs and enisae. But I know 900801 has a female enisae...must find a way to get him to sell her to me! HAHAHA! Maybe take him to dim sum. 

Will try to get the enisae pics and post them in a different thread. Don't worry, lol. 

BTW...do you have lobang for 2 ocellata males?

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## nature beauty

[email protected] I think i can grab your Patoti Male, My Seen to be a girl^^ Also had talk to Johannes but currently no more left liao......

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## johannes

I am pretty sure Hermanus is able to sell you 2 males. He is quite flexible.
I am going back to Jakarta end of July, i can help you all bring back the fishes. Let me know..

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## Mudskipper

WOO HOO!!!!!! Happy Birthday to me!!!!! My birthday month and new fishes!!! WOW! Thanks, Bro. You're the man!

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