Betta fish have a variety of tail types. One simple way to identify a Betta fish is by the length of its tail. Short tails are common in wild type Bettas, as well as Bettas that are bred to fight.  Short-finned Bettas, which are also called Plakats, are sometimes bred to have D-shaped tails.  Since female Bettas typically have shorter tails than male Bettas, it can be challenging to determine the sex of short-finned Bettas. Some Betta fishes will have long and flowing tails, which can be beautiful to look at. Long tails come in different shapes, such as veiled, halfmoon, and delta. Veiltail Betta are one of the most common types of Betta fish, and one of the most popular types of pet fish.  The veiltail is long and flowing. It arches up and over the body, resembling a veil. The tail is usually asymmetric and broad at its base, and more pointed at its outer edge. The halfmoon tail looks like a half circle, or a capital ‘D.’ The perfect halfmoon shape has a spread of exactly 180° between the top and bottom tail rays. Sometimes, the half-moon shape can only be seen when the betta flares.  Halfmoon tails are usually very fragile. There are also ‘over half-moon’ tails, which extend beyond a 180° tail spread angle.  Delta tails are in the shape of a D, but do not achieve a 180° tail spread angle. Delta tails are sometimes called ‘Super Deltas,’ with a tail spread angle of 160° to 179°. The Delta tail usually has rounded edges, but the Super Delta tail tends to have a broad base and a wide end. As the name suggests, Double Tail Bettas have two distinct tails due to a genetic mutation. They also have shorter bodies, making them prone th swim bladder disorder Ideally, the two tails are clearly split at the tail base. Double Tail Betta fish usually have a doubling and/or widening of their unpaired fins (dorsal and anal fins).  With an even split at the tail base, the tail and unpaired fins should be mirror images of each other.  The double tail is sometimes called a ‘full-moon’ tail. The crown tail has reduced webbing and individual tail rays that extend out. Crown tails come in a variety of colors and can be quite striking to observe. Crown Tail Bettas are becoming increasingly popular in pet stores.  The rays of a crown tail are typically long and straight, but may start to curl in response to unfavorable water conditions.  Crown tails may be long or short. They are typically shorter on female Bettas than male Bettas.

Summary: Examine the short length a Betta fish’s tail. Identify a long tail length. Determine if a Betta fish has a double tail. Identify a crown tail.


To prevent freezer burn, prepare and package the meat before putting it in the freezer.  Meat and poultry can be frozen in the store packaging but it is advisable to over-wrap the packaging to make sure no air can enter the package. Use plastic bags and heavy duty aluminum foil specially designed for freezer use (the label will tell you) to over-wrap.  Use a home vacuum sealer to remove air from packaging. Vacuum sealers come in a variety of models and prices and use special bags (sold separately) to store food.  Use air-tight containers such as plastic or freezer safe jars and  cans.  Use wraps such as heavy weight aluminum foil, plastic freezer bags or polyethylene  wrap and bags.  Remove as many bones as possible before freezing as bones take up space and can contribute to freezer burn.  Place freezer paper or wrap between slices or patties of meat to make separation easier after freezing. Meat will not keep forever in a freezer.  Uncooked meat (such as steaks or chops) can be kept frozen safely for 4-12 months. Uncooked ground meat can only be kept safely for 3-4 months. Cooked meat can be stored for 2-3 months.  Hotdogs, ham and lunch meats can be frozen for 1-2 months. Poultry (cooked and uncooked) can be kept for 3-12 months. Wild game can be kept for 8-12 months. Make sure to maintain a freezer or cooler temperature of 0 °F (−18 °C) or below. You need to know what is in the freezer and how old it is.  The label should contain the type of meat (chicken breast, steak, ground beef, etc.), whether it is raw or cooked, and the date it was frozen. To help you find things later, it is a good idea to group like items together. For example, put all the chicken together, all the beef together, all the pork together. Use the oldest items first to avoid having to discard out of date or freezer-burned food. This is one of the easiest ways to preserve meat.  You can use the freezer compartment that is attached to your refrigerator or use a stand-alone freezer. Stand-alone freezers are larger than the compartment on a refrigerator. Be aware that a freezer does use electricity so your energy bills will be higher if you use a stand-alone freezer in addition to your refrigerator. The cost increase will depend on the size of the freezer and how energy-efficient the model is. Coolers can be used anywhere as they do not require electricity.  You can use a cooler if you are camping or if you need to store meat during an electrical outage. You will need to fill the cooler with ice to make it cold.  Place some ice on the bottom of the cooler, put in the meat, then cover the meat with more ice. Make sure the meat is surrounded by ice to ensure complete and even freezing. If you use a cooler you will need to replace the ice as it melts to make sure the meat does not thaw before you are ready to use it. Thawing properly will help reduce the chance of food-borne illness.  Thaw meat in the refrigerator. Plan ahead as large items such as turkeys will take about 24 hours to thaw this way.  Thaw by submerging the meat (in air-tight packaging) in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until completely thawed.  You can thaw meat in a microwave but be sure to cook it immediately. Microwaves thaw unevenly and may start to cook parts of the meat.  Before cooking, look for freezer burn. Freezer burn is the discoloration of meat due to freezing and does not necessarily make the meat inedible. Cut off freezer burned portions before consuming.  Use common sense. If the meat or poultry looks or smells “off” do not eat it.
Summary: Prepare meat before freezing. Know how long you can safely store frozen meat. Be sure to label all containers and packages. Use an electric freezer to store meat. Use a cooler if you do not have an electric freezer. Know how to thaw meat.