By 2 Betta fish

Question
Hi there,

I have a 2 gallon tank with two female betta fish, at least I think their both female. My first one (Sassy) is very aggressive. She chases "Sissy" around the tank all the time. Usually sissy hides under the bridge or behind the plant and the chasing stops for a while. Also the recently both seem to have developed red gills. It doesn't seem to be affecting anything, they are both still very fistey and eat a lot. When I first got the fish they both seemed to be differnt colors, they seem to change slightly.

So my questions are this:
How do i tell if a betta fish is a Male?
Are the red gills something to worry about?
If they are both females, is there anything I can do to make them stop fighting?

Thanks a lot
Sarah

Answer
Hello Sarah!

You know, I just bought a second female myself and now the two will not stop bickering. I finally just separated them. If you want the two to stop fighting, I would recommend purchasing a third female (or a larger tank.) The red gills and color changes may be natural (most bettas change color as they grow) but they may be from fighting and flaring. If your little gals seem to be 'gasping' for air, I would recommend a few weeks apart. Or, you can opt to divide the tank in half. To tell the difference between a short-tailed male and a real female, look at the belly. Females have fat bellies, whereas males are more streamlined. Also, if you want to get really close, look for an egg-spot. It's a white spot about the size of a food pellet on the underside of her belly. Males do not have one.

Hope this is helpful!
-Amber Worman