# Macrostomas



## majerah1

I guess they like the filter!Spawning right now.Lesse how he does.Also showing flirting in the other tank as well.


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## majerah1

This is quite funny.Most male macrostomas will hide once done spawning.Mine is not.He is hanging about the back of the tank,lol.He has a mouthful as does the female.which is also strange,as she is sposed to pass them to him.I think hios mouth is so full he cant hold any more.She keeps tracking him down to pass off to him but he wont do it,lol.

I honestly have no clue how long he will hold.


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## laxforlife

Goodluck! I love those fish they look so beautiful. :betta:


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## majerah1

Thanks!I hope to have fry so I can get more of these fish in the hobby.Right now theres not alot of people who know about them and they are quite pricey.Ima sell em for alot less,lol.


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## laxforlife

If you sell them for alot less i would probably buy some. I saw some on aqua bid for 40$ and was like no way.


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## majerah1

$40.00 is much cheaper than many places.I have seen a pr go for about $180.00.

But I will be selling them most likely $30 a pr plus shipping.Thats not bad seeing as many halfmoons go for the same.That of course depends on if Mr.fish decides to hold this time.He was still cheeky when the lights went of,so we will see in the morning.


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## laxforlife

Mr. Fish better be a superb father. I would deff buy a pair for 30$. How are you keeping them? Do you have peat too soften the water?

DJ


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## majerah1

They are kept in a 29 gallon tank,filtered by a canister filter.The substrate is peat with gravel over it.It doesnt really soften the water too much as I do too many changes,haha.They get weekly 50% waterchanges because the EI dosing.Tap water,no RO.I intend for these guys to be pretty easy to keep so I am not jumping through hoops.The parents of my pair were wild caught but they were slowlyy acclimated to tap wter and these guys were brooded and raised in PH 7.5.My PH is 6.5 naturally.

So far the male and female are still both holding,lol.Not sure how long she will hold as most females wont.Im surprised she has held this long and she isnt trying to pass to the male anymore.

I have been reading more and more on these.They say if they pass day six,then the chances to hold full term are about 90%.Soooo,he has four days to go!

He keeps coming to the glass watching me,and I talk to him.he seems ok with it,like hes saying"looky what I have,is it ok?"I tell him hes a good fishy and Im proud of him,lol.

Wonder,do pep talks work with fish?


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## laxforlife

Ohhh cool so your trying to make them hardy for the hobby. That's really cool. Lol watch in 10 years we find out fish can understand our language lol. Mr. Fish : Hey Maj remember my first brood I really liked the pep talk lol


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## majerah1

Hahaha!It would not surprise me in the least.
I have got two different bloodlines,from two different people.One was raised in ten gallon tanks with a sponge filter(the pair that I am spawning)and one was raised in a plastic strarlite container full of plants and basically left alone for days on end.I think the main issue is wild caught are handled roughly.They are already kinda weak from parasites found naturally in their waters,and the addition of being caught in a net and thrown in a bag with tons of other fish,then carted to a mart and such.They basically have the same tank needs as any other fish in the hobby.

Also being illegal to own or catch in Brunei add to the rarity,lol


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## laxforlife

Lol Maj has illegal fish . Well honestly goodluck, i hope the best for your beautiful pair.

DJ


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## majerah1

Thanks!

 These are Sarawak strains,so Im good.Brunei have more intricate tail patterns,and more black on the body.


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## laxforlife

Pheww thought the Brunei secret service were going to kill you over a fish lol


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## majerah1

Hahahaha!

I just saw a very strange thing.The male has been hanging out close to me,but I have seen him a few times swim off,then come back.Wll, this time I watched him to see what saw up.First it started with him by me,swishing the eggs.i could kinda see one in his mouth,how cool!

Well then he went over to the driftwood and spat out all the eggs.He then started to pick them back up,lol.I wounder if he is weeding out the bad or what?Anyhow the female is also trying to pick up some of the fallen eggs.Who knows with these fish.

Ive never heard of them doing this so It will be interesting to see the outcome.

Anyone know if cichlids do this?


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## holly12

Maybe he's aerating them? I know that cherry shrimp hold the eggs under their tails with their swimmerette legs, and use them so swoosh water over the eggs to keep them aerated and clean from debris?

Maybe he was giving his jaw a rest? Maybe he needed to swallow some fish spit and didn't want to swallow the eggs? (And the female was like, "Ugh! Men!" and went around catching up the strays?)

*just teasing you by the way.... except for the aeration part... I'm serious about that!


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## majerah1

HAhaha,Holly!I have found out they hold a bubble in their mouths and swoosh the eggs over them.

This morning,I awoke to two fat fish,so no go.I think they got way too hot last night.Seems they are trying harder though so no worries.Ill fatten them up and try again.


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## laxforlife

Parents in the making, tisk tisk lol. Better luck next time Bev.

DJ


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## majerah1

Thanks,DJ!

Hopefully soon.I do have a juvinile male and a sister of the pr who just bred.He is young but learning.And i have two more young ones who will be mature in about six months.

They grow slow.


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## holly12

Aw. Sorry to hear that. Good luck with the next batch!


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## laxforlife

Bev, i know all to well how you feel my juvie clown plecs are 2 in. and i have to wait at least 7 months before they can reach their max size (4in.) =(. But waiting just gives you more time to read and learn more! *w3

DJ


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## holly12

I was looking up pics of Macrotomas and found this one: Google Image Result for http://www.betta4ever.com/media/gallery/Macrostoma/01BigMouth800.jpg Ahhhh! Scary! Didn't know any betta could get its mouth open that wide!


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## Lil Gashog

Hey when you breed your macs are you going to change your avy to "Official" Betta Breeder 8D


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## majerah1

Hahaha,Holly!Yes their name literally means Macro=Big Stoma=Mouth.You should see them going after each other with them mouths.

Well,Ive had many spawns,I just dont sell or show,so Im not an official breeder,lol.But I suppose I could one day


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## holly12

Well that 'aint right! No little fish should have a mouth that big! LOL! (Seriously weirded me out! Can't look at the picture with out being a little freaked out, lol.)

Do they nip fingers like normal bettas do? I've been bitten by a few - it doesn't hurt of course. But, with mouths like THAT I'd think they could suction to your finger!


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## majerah1

Lesson Learned - UltimateBettas
All I can say to that,Holly,is read that thread,lol.Look at the pic.May kinda tell you about how big them mouths really are!


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## holly12

I'm going to have nightmares! Lol!

Is a Unimac the same kind of fish?


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## majerah1

In a sense yes.They are the same complex but different colored.Same size though.They can interbreed.

Never look at a betta the same way now huh!


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## holly12

Nope! Still very beautiful fish though!


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## majerah1

Thanks  Maybe one day you will decide to try some.They are very entertaining to say the least.


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## holly12

My husband was actually asking about how to get some of them. (Pretty sure it's not easy because they are endangered.) And, I think if you _do_ have them, you're pretty much expected to breed them since they _are_ endangered right?

Maybe once we move and have the space to keep the 10g up, I'll get a pair and see how breeding goes. How do you go about getting them? (From what I've heard, a pair is uber expensive.)


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## majerah1

The macs will need more than a ten.Honestly your not really expected to breed,just a wonderful thing if you do!They are becoming more common in the hobby,so the prices are much lower.When I first looked into them a single male was $180.00.My first three unsexed cost me shipping,because it was the shippers first time shipping fish.So i paid $65.00 for them.The last three had two known males and was supposed to be three,but sometimes on juveniles its hard to tell.I paid $50.00 for all three with the shipping included.So they are going down in price.

If i can find the ins and outs,I can send you some when mine breed.Not sure if I have to go through a transhipper or how that works.But usually you can look on aquabid for some,and I think there are some betta people in Canada who have some.If you want I can ask for you?

Or just move in across from me,hahaha!


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## holly12

I would move - we LOVED Virginia Beach (on our honey moon), but my husband says no, lol. 

I'll look around. Once we move maybe I can get a set up for some.


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## majerah1

Pshhht,hes just scared Ill fuel your aquatic addiction.


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## holly12

LOL! Maybe! Hahahaha!


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## majerah1

Wow,I guess the macs heard me thinking of breeding the other bettas.The new boy,and Bertha are going at it!This is his first spawn ever(or with me,so)so I dont expect him to hold,but wow,I feel special!


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## holly12

Cool! *Fingers crossed!


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