betta fish?

Question
Hi, I've had my betta for about 6 months now. My friends bought it for me for my b-day so I have no idea if it's a boy or girl. About 3 weeks ago my betta's belly started to get bigger. Now it's belly is bigger that it's body. I thought it may be pregnant, but I'm not sure. My betta is dark red, almost purple and it's belly is white with what looks like tiny circles inside. Can you tell me what's going on with my fish? Thanks, J

Answer
Hi Janae,
 Unfortunately that doesn't sound good.  If it has long fins, it is a boy.  Girl bettas have short fins and are generally much less colorful than males.  You don't see female bettas in most fish stores because most people want the colorful males.

 Given that your fish is a male, it can't be full of eggs so the swelling has nothing to do with reproduction and most likely has to do with an intestinal infection. Sadly, that sort of thing is very difficult to treat.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>