I prefer short fin variant (plakat) to long fin one. With long fin ones I always had issues of fin rot and unfortunately they always rip their tail on something because its not easy pulling that huge dress around. Plakats have always been much healthier for me and lived longer. Cheers Irene
I also prefer the short fin bettas, the long fins are a product of lots of artificial breeding which can produce low quality strands of fish. The short fin type is the natural type, causing it to be much more high quality and increases the chances of having a long living, happy betta fish ❤
Personally, after having one, I will always have a female plakat. My current girl seems to be the most active and an absolute derpfish. Felt bad for her in the shop, looked like a little pale worm, stress stripes, but the brightest blue eyes. No price tag. Asked about it, was told she was probably gonna croak on the way home and to take it. Free fish, why not? That was about a year ago, and Lump is still with me and colored up into a beautiful orange, red, black, and white. She's also the only fish I've ever named, so... yeah. Give the females a go, fish fam. I'm really glad I did.
Love this story, especially since I've just come home with a discounted very plain looking dumbo koi plakat betta which I chose over a showy red half moon betta just because I felt bad for him. In my tank, he looks happier and his colours look brighter already.
I stick with plakats now after seeing my first betta grow old many years ago. He grew up in a large community tank, but as he got older, he gradually lost the energy needed to stay at the surface and just rested at the bottom all the time. I moved him to a smaller "retirement home" 5gal tank so he could reach the top more easily but I always felt kind of sad seeing what time had done to him. I prefer plakats now since they can stay so much more mobile, even at an old age, and I feel like they can live a better quality of life for longer than their longer finned counterparts
My last betta, Green Alien named Grr, was very timid. Scared of the 4 endlers in his 10 gallon. Moved him to another 10 with Blue Dream shrimp and he loved those shrimp. Lol, even found a shrimp sitting on him while he was perched on a leaf, so funny to see.
I've always had long-finned bettas but got my first plakat a year ago. It's a lot less stressful and very fun seeing the natural behavior - interacting with plants rather than getting stuck in them.
I got what I thought was a double-tail plakat that turned out to actually be a female, and while she decimates shrimp, she's a great community fish and I love her! She's so pretty and very fun to see being active in the 20 gallon tank. She's very curious exploring the plants and uses every inch of that tank, which is great to see! Definitely a lot more active than the long-finned bettas I've had in the past. She's also a platinum white fish and she looks amazing in the tank, especially when it's darker and she's super bright in comparison. I have her with similar tank mates to you! Neon tetras, kuhlis, and hillstream loaches.
Hi, I got a Blue Plakat Betta on clearance at Petco for $4.99. He was in his tanks here alone for 6 months. Now he is in a tank with Amano shrimp, A cory cat, & an Indonesian loach. The tank is now clean & all of them are still alive!! I do call him Mo, Mo Betta for less money!!! I like them better than the long fin ones!!
If you're worried about getting a betta, and it being aggressive, you could always try to get a young/baby one and raise it with docile fish! I did that with my betta, Tiki. She was a great community fish! I unfortunately lost her to dropsy recently... And I'm upgrading my tank, so hopefully I can get another betta (Preferably white, silver, black, or red so I can name him Kaneki.) I wish you success with your new betta!
I also prefer the short fin variants. I got a galaxy koi betta a year ago, and put him in a community tank with Endlers, embers, guppies and mystery snails. He chased the guppies and they were ultimately removed. I ended up moving him to another aquarium with cardinal tetras and Endlers, and he got along fine with them. He was an active fish and fun to watch, but at some point he became nearly blind. I wasn't aware that this was a problem with galaxy koi bettas, but it apparently is. (Fortunately, I don't think this problem applies to all plakat bettas.) At this point, he required special feeding; basically moving floating pellets in front of him with my finger. Unfortunately, following a tank cleaning, he now appears to be on his last legs. He has a light coloured patch behind his head, and hasn't eaten for five days. I'm afraid I'm going to lose him shortly. I hope your experience is better; it certainly seems that way.
The more manipulation by breeders , for rare colours to make more money, and see if they can do it, the worse off everything seems to become. When you remove colour you also remove other important parts of the genetic structure. Sometimes these things that are now not present in these living animals , cause illness. In Dogs for instance breeding out the black genes and pushing the white and fawn colours , too generations , causes deafness, White Shepherds, Boxers, etc, fawn bred to fawn and reds, no black and tans in generations, comes with the fawn markers, severe skin problems. It’s just biology 🧬. People who do not understand the reproduction at the biological level do not take health into consideration when they are doing all this forced breeding. It applies to humans as well as animals, trees, plants , fish 💡
I agree totally! After I got my first plakat, I never have gone back to long finned bettas. And I've never found them to be more aggressive. I like how chunky they are.
I was secretly hoping you would choose the white plakat - congrats on Ginko! I’ve had the same experience where I’m Team Short Tail now. They’re so lively & fun to watch as they engage with their environment! My male HMPK betta, Floki, does excellent in his community tank with chili’s, yellow neocaridina, and a nerite. I watched a shrimp climb on him this morning. The shrimp definitely think they run the tank.🤣 I do think adding the betta after the other inhabitants have been settled in a while seems to help curb aggression too. In his first tank, he was still okay but would dart at the amano’s time to time when I added them after him. Now he couldn’t care less about anyone else in the tank😃
I recently picked a female betta from a sorority at my local fish store. She looks an awful lot like your plecot, except for the coloration. I tried to introduce her to my community tank and she bit the spine out of two cardinals and cropped the tail of a third. She seemed so well behaved for the first hour or two, but then carnage. She now lives in a 5 gallon aquarium all alone. I do have another female betta that pursued her relentlessly for the half hour they were together, so that one now lives with my flagfish, who pursued her a lot at first, but calmed down after a few days. I think my betta in a community tank experimenting is now over...
I had the opposite experience. My female was fin nipped heaps at the store in her sorority. She was pretty young. When I introduced her to the community she didn’t bother anyone, just seemed glad not to be bullied anymore. She’s more interested in exploring every inch of the tank than her tank mates.
Very cool. I wish my attempts had worked, I felt so bad about the fish she killed. She's really quite beautiful, she just cant play nice with others. Her new home is just getting enough algae going to introduce a few snails. I'll be holding my breath...
I love having a plakat beta compared to the long fin variety. Being able to maneuver at will really brings out their personality. Mine also is a great community tank member :)
What a good timing 🥰 I also added my plakat betta in my community tank (I found it important to add betta after you already add all other fish not before. Mine won't react well to new comers). He is doing well and curious but not aggressive towards other fish or shrimps🥹❤ a bit dominant when i feed blood worms tho but that's a picky note and I love him!
I'm with a lot of the other commenters preferring plakats because they seem to have an easier time moving around. I actually had a giant plakat named Zym who was the gentlest betta I've ever kept. He thought he was a cory catfish. I will say (though you probably know), keep an eye on your snail's antennas for a bit. Even my really gentle betta would go after them, I assume thinking they're worms. Ginko is beautiful!
I totally agree! I used to love long-finned bettas and had a hard time considering short-finned bettas as an option, but after getting a short finned betta I don't think I could ever go back to long fins. They just seem like they struggle more with longer fins and also aren't able to show as much of that personality that they have!
It’s like crippling a person with extra flaps all over the appendages, and then asking why don’t you have better balance and run and jump and dance better ? It’s “Common Sense “❤
My female betta is so good in her community. She’s even in 10 gallons with no problem. She’s super curious and is more interested in exploring every inch of the tank than her tank mates. She does try to steal the Pygmy corys food sometimes but they hold their ground. I think short fined or female is definitely the way to go with a community. You don’t have to be so worried about fin nipping and having a super low flow. It’s nice to watch them zoom around the tank.
Glad to hear Ginko's working out so well for you!^^ I actually plan on getting a plakat myself, and look forward to seeing them in action (though if I can’t find one my second choice would be a solid red veiltail, they’re my absolute favorites and although longfinned I hear they’re one of the hardiest strains, likely because they aren’t as overbred as some of the “fancier” types of betta) And about that aggressive reputation, I think people believe that plakat's are the most aggressive because their shorter fins make it easier for an aggressive individual to go after tankmates (compared to halfmoons with their giant fins, which a lot of people think are the *least* aggressive), which gives that impression Ultimately I think it really does just come down to personality and tail type doesn't effect the likeliness of aggression so much as the effectiveness
I adore plakat bettas! He might change color...Cosmo (a galaxy koi plakat) went from red, white and blue to almost solid blue in less than 2 months! I sure do miss him. ❤
I LOVE my betta King male. I didn't know they had a name (Plakat). I just knew them as King Bettas. Derp is so cool and so mellow, he loves interacting with people and he has a very, very good temperament! You made a great choice!
Literally just got a plakat. Been looking for one for ages. He's a beautiful metallic golden dragon and has happily settled in to eating the plentiful detritus worms. Since Japanese golden dragons are associated with knowledge, I've named him "Our Ken". He lives with a bunch of ottos, a nerite, and a copious metropolis of neocaridina in a 15 gallon heavily planted aquarium. And is constantly on the move at a much faster pace than any of my previous betta (all of which were female). Much prefer the shorter tails to the longer flowing tails.
My pretty candy coloured plakat male is super chill with his tankmates. He was in the same tank as black mollies when I was checking him out so I was fairly sure that he'd be okay with his gold tetra friends, he even ignores my amano shrimps. He now knows two tricks :D
@@GirlTalksFish The first he learned was to jump up and nudge my fingertips in order to get food (Easy, he's veeery food motivated) and now he can also do a circle dance. That one took a bit of work though :)
I think Bettas desperately need a new blood line. Everyone I’ve gotten has been placed in a large, well planted tank, and given all the love one could imagine, and still end up getting dropsy or other illness very easily. They are such a beautiful fish, my last being a Galaxy Koi, but I just can’t put myself through losing another because they have such a cool personality.
I was finally able to watch season 2 recently - it’s sooo good! Plus, Ginko in the anime gets along with almost everyone, so hopefully that will also remain true for Ginko the betta. 🙏
I too have switched to plakat Bettas because they have short fins. I keep both of mine with Coryadoras, Mystery snails, Cherry shrimp, and Ember Tetras and have not had any issues. 🤞 Here’s to your continued good luck.
I started watching your videos since Feb 2021 when I got my first Betta fish. I love how thorough with details and modest at the same time. I picked up my third Betta this week after my 2nd passed on. I had used a lot of your tips on making sure I picked out the most suitable Betta for the tank. I made a mistake on my 2nd Betta fish with the most fluffy and immobile fish you could get. My first Betta who is still alive and healthy is short finned plakat. He was labeled as a Dragon Scale fish. He has dragon scales, but they really shouldn't be labeling fish as such. I had no idea he would really be considered more of a plakat over dragon scale. Like you mentioned, he is very aggressive, fast and I worry a lot less about his fins damaging. I never had an issue with find rot on him. The 2nd betta, who just passed on this week, was a rose tail betta, but he too had dragon scales, but unlike my first betta, his eyes were already partially covered with dragon scales. Over his life of less than 1 year with me, I always worried about him ripping his tail, fin rot, him going completely blind, etc. I did more research AFTER picking him up and felt I understood a lot better after that on how to shop for the best suited betta for the tank he's going in. I replaced him with a small young and active crowntail. Although the pet store must have had 100 bettas to choose from, I had the list of candidates down to 3-4. A lot of what I know on how to pick out the best betta comes directly from you and you sharing your own experience in a modest and candid fashion. Thank you for being such a great contributor to the fish community.
I love plackat and female bettas! My first fish was a double tail half moon and after witnessing all the fin tears and health issues, I've only bought plackats and female since
Ginko is such a great name! One of my favorite anime as well. Your videos have been a great guide in choosing the correct fish, plants, and techniques for our first tank.
Whata coincidence. 9 days ago when you posted this video i got my first koi Plakat Betta. My previous halfmoon unfortunately suffered fin rot for a majority of his life and i didnt want to deal with that experience again. My new betta is such full of personality and energy. He is super friendly and intelligent and loves his big home.
My favorites are plakats and half moon plakats... females. Haven't tried the males yet. Haven't had any aggression issues with any of them so far. Your new one is really pretty and looks like he has a good personality. 😀🍄
Yes, he’s such a good boy! My crowntail betta Darth Vader was also a perfect gentleman, but I owned him near the beginning of my channel so y’all didn’t get to see much of him. 💙
this convinced me to go with the red koi plakat Ive had on hold at work. his name is gonna be Gaara, he has one black eye and a blue one, and is super friendly. I'm so excited 😊
I have a golden plakat dragon betta named Smaug in a planted 10 gallon with 9 pygmy corydoras and a mess of bladder snails. No visible aggression, I target feed the two types so the betta doesn't interfere with the cories, and everyone is happy and healthy.
Koi plakat bettas are my favorite! I think they look charming and comfortable being able to get around easier with less chances for fin injuries. I’m working on my mental wellness to where I can give the quality care aquarium pets deserve. When I’m well, I want to keep a koi plakat betta!
I had a spade tail betta first and then a long fin. And I want to rehome the long fin now. Once you get used to how well the short finned ones can swim, it's really hard to go back to long tail varieties.
I’ve kept a lot of Bettas and I’ve always found that the ones lighter in colour (especially white or iridescent) are far less aggressive than those that are bright red or blue
I had to move my long fin betta into a separate tank as his fins were getting shorter and shorter. I never saw any of the other fish picking on him but he just hid all the time and barely swam around the tank. Also I think the flow of the filter was just too much for him. Since in a separate tank with a VERY slow flow filter, and a week of being treated with Betta Fix he seems so much more relaxed and makes use of the whole tank. Each week I take a pic of him to see the progress of his fins growing. It’s been amazing to see how much he changes in just a weeks time! I got a Giant Plakat Koi Betta for my community tank. I figured a Betta with short fins would do much better than a long fin in my community tank. He is doing wonderful. He flared a bit at first at the fish and at his reflection, but after a day of that he is good. The flow of the filter doesn’t seem to bother him and he makes use of the whole tank. So I now have two happy bettas 😊❤
I had a koi Plakat female betta, she was fantastic over the 3 year I had her. Unfortunately the koi bettas can get tumors more often then other bettas. At first it was just on her fin so I removed it, but it came back and this time it was part of her body. I tried a lot to get her health but she eventually wasn’t able to swim any longer and I put her down. Very sad, but great fish, so when I see koi bettas now I worry that maybe too much inbreeding is cutting the fishes lives short. Hope yours lives a very long and healthy life.
Mushishi is my favourite anime! Ginkgo is such a lovely name. I find plakats easier to care for than the long fin ones and they are very active, it’s a joy to watch them zip around the tank.
I looove my blue/green/red plakat. He’s gorgeous with dragon like scales. I named him Aoko which means blue child in Japanese. He may have ADHD. I’ve never seen such an active betta 😂
He is so beautiful! 😍 I feel it is more ethical with the short-finned versions. I get a bad feeling from breeding that is only for looks, whatever animal it is - dogs, cats, fish etc. The long fins are so heavy and limiting - they dont swim as much or as fast and usually get more health problems. 💔 Could never own one myself.
My first ever betta was a gorgeous green half moon dragon scale. However, i have 3 plakat bettas. A yellow galaxy koi, a blue rim marble, and a king/ giant. Plakats are my absolute favorite betta types. For me its the fact they are the closest the wild as far as fin types. However, i also think they are highly underrated the colors are amazing and the plakats are great swimmers as far as bettas go. As far as aggression, all bettas are different no matter the fin type. That is my personal opinion. I personally fell in love with the plakat typing and only want them now. I have my eyes on a black samurai next.
Haha love that you gave your betta a goofy anime name 😄 I did too. Got an orange, black, & white, maniacal crown tail, so I named him *Yagami* from Death Note 😂
I like the plakat beta and the only kind I would want. I got both Koi types from Petco. My male "Mulder" is in a 5 gallon alone with a couple small ramshorn snails he leaves alone (although I think he may be eating their eggs). The female "Scully" is in my 29 gallon and gets along with all the fish in there. I really enjoy them.
I had a lot of different types of bettas. If you want a real suitable Betta for beginners.. maybe gonna sound strange. But I'll say Smaragdina. They're beautiful, easy to have and breed. And if you know what you're doing, theyre even the only type of betta I've had that can be maintained in groups. Try them out.
I like the plakats. When you get a long tailed betta you know you are signing up for health/well being issues. Especially as they age. With plakats the finnage is modest enough that they don’t have issues moving around. And of course fin damage isn’t really an issue. Wild type bettas are also awesome. The bettas bred for long fins are beautiful, but to me, the health issues aren’t worth it. I like my fish happy and healthy, so I buy the fish that will give me the best chances of that.
The only reason we see a fish’s reflection in the glass is total internal reflection at an angle. They’re looking straight through the glass, so they do not see their own reflection. And yes, it makes sense that betta plakat are more maneuverable than longfin betta, since in the wild they have short fins like any fish, which allows them to hunt and avoid predators. Once you’ve seen how fish with normal fins can move, you’ll never see veiltail fish of any species the same way again.
I have one alien betta and a koi plakat - both in separate community tanks. No issues with the other tank mates. I don't think I'll go back to long fin varieties again.
I used to be a bit of a hater of short finned Bettas, but for my first betta I met the most gorgeous baby crown tail female and I am absolutely bias to short finned Bettas now, absolutely prefer them over the long finned variety. 😂
Watching my aquascape does remind me of the anime so I think the name was a perfect fit, especially with the planted tank. I'm glad you got to keep him :D
Before i gotten a betta, i did some research and long fins betta are prone to fin rot. As a new fish keeper, that seems like abit too much so i gotten plakats. I love to see them swim around following my finger.
He’s so pretty. I love all bettas and absolutely adore plakats. Have had a few and have been very lucky when it comes to aggressive behavior I suppose.
Plakats being aggressive is new information for me! I have a regular veiltail male that I tried to add to my 20L community and he was an absolute a$$hole to my harlequin Rasboras. I then took a chance on a young halfmoon plakat male and he's been a great member of the community!
Looks like you gave him the perfect name, not just for appearance but for his pacifist nature with emphasis on coexistence! 😌🌱 And the rich, verdant planted aquarium with beautiful small lives floating about is perfect for Ginko’s home!!
This was my experience with my female double point crowntail. She looks almost identical to a plakat in shape, but she acts very much the same. 😂 she is in with endlers and kuhli loaches ❤ she's been very helpful in keeping the population under control 😂
My Betta is amazing. I would put food all around him and he would refuse to eat it. He would stare at me until I specifically hand fed him. When another fish steals his food, he just looks up at me and is like yo can I have another piece plz?
A lot of people recommend betta fish for a beginner or first fish, but every time I got one, it’s died :( and they didn’t last long I had a heater and did water check and they looked good! I dont understand After my Berta died I put guppy’s and their really happy and even had babies, do you think you know why betta don’t work for me
I got a male Paradise fish as centerpiece in my tank now and he is doing great too he also is way more bold then my other fish and noticed me from accros the room i named him Cosmo
I've had almost all variations of tails. Honestly I've loved my Plakats probably most. They aren't as super delicate with the shorter fins. Tho I haven't had success keeping Plakats with other fish. They're too mobile for the tank mates I'd tried in the past. 😅
My favourite even since im a child is a halfmoon betta, but betta fish growing so fast that we had like double tail, dumbo ear, veiltail bettas, right now my favourite was dumbo ear betta, but still i prefer halfmoom dumbo ear one rather than plakat dumbo ear, but here in my country PKDEs are more popular so i havent got one any HMDE
Plakat look awsome but I stick with crowntail as I like long fins and I find that crowntails are less likely to rip their fins and their fins seem to be lighter
