# Jumping back into the game



## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

So I have decided I want to try to get some show stock for the IBC this fall.So I need some help with who to spawn.

My Royal blue male with a royal blue female.Both are halfmoons and siblings.They have show winning lineage.

Opaque male and steel blue female.As above,siblings to each other and the above pair.The male has a few blue scales.They are both halfmoons,but the female has excellent topline and finnage.She could win shows herself.

Red dragon male and royal blue female.Unrelated pair.He is young but very gentle in nature.Female is the first female.who knows what the fry will look like!

Pictures tomorrow of the fish in question.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Question: Won't breeding siblings cause inbred fish and therefore problems?

I want to vote, but have no clue what they look like. (Can you add pics of each pair? Ex: a pic of the royals, a pic of the halfmoons and a pic of the unrelated pair?)

Also.... why not breed all three?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Well I would breed them all,but no room.Bettas can have 100 fry.If they all had 100,that would be 300.then what if most were males?I would have to jar almost 300 male fish,heh.Not ready for that.

Its called linebreeding,but you only go for a few generations.They are numbered f0,f1,f2 and as far as I go is f3.So basically f0 is an unrelated pair.you breed siblings,thats f1.pick siblings in that spawn,f2.siblings in the next is f3 then you start over or you will get issues.But the line breeding is done to lock in traits you like,and fix those you do not.here is the reason on my choices.

First pair(pic to come)the male is nice and has even finnage(he did until he blew them).His topline is ok but not the best.his sister has perfect finnage and a very straight topline.Also both have perfect coloration.Neither have faults,except his topline.

Pair two(pic to come as well)has a bit of rosetail to his fins,meaning the rays are messed up.he has great topline though and I think he will throw some butterflies my way,or at least marble.The female is a great steel blue and like her sister a smooth topline.However,her fins are shorter and the rays more even which should help fix the rosetail.

The third pair(again,pics tomorrow)are completly unrelated and the chance of show fish are slim.as his genetics is unknown.But the female is the royal from above and is perfect in every way.His anal fin is a bit longer than my liking and it shows he has plakat in his lineage(thats shortfinned BTW)and will take some work.But he has great topline and other than the anal fin,pretty nice finnage.

I would get pics tonight but they would be mad.However you can see the royal a little in this pic:

This also shows his dippy head.

And thats to show his fins a little better.
Here is the best shot I have of the dragon male:

And this is the father of the royals,steel and opaque:


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Wow! Nice fish! I've got to look up what makes them Royal, Dragon, and all that jazz! So, you breed Macros and regular Bettas? How many Bettas (Macs included) do you have?

Also, how does a Betta "blow" a fin? (Sorry for all the questions. There's just so much to learn!)

So far, from what you've described, I'm leaning towards pair #2. I will wait for pics though.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Your fine,Holly I dont mind questions!Ok so all together I have 29 bettas.
6 macrostomas,1 albimarginata,12 mahachais and ten domestis.

Halfmoon is the finnage.You have:
veiltails,the ones found at petstores.Names so as the tail sweeps down like a brides veil.
Delta,because the way it opens is up to 160 degrees(think geometry)Superdelta,the spread is from 161 degrees to 179 degrees.Halfmoon spread is 180(half circle,like a half moon!)Over halfmoon if the spread is over 180 degrees.Plakat is short finned,like my mahachais.Crown tails have extended rays,which gives them the appearance of a kings crown,all spikey and such.HMPK or halfmoon plakat, has the 180 spread of the tail like a halfmoon but short finned.Theres a few more,but these are most common.

colors are every color you can think of.The dragon coloring is because of the scales.Not on my fish he is red.His scales have a pearly like sheen to them.this pearl like sheen is what makes him a dragon.Royal is roya blue.its like a purl=pleish blue in person.Steel is like a blue gray,and the turquoise is like a blue green of course.All three blues can be born in the same batch.Opaque is a white,thats basically see through on the fins.Platinum whites are a powdery white.

When you breed halfmoons for show,you have to get them show ready.When the judges look your fish over he needs to flare out his fins so they can see if the spread is 180 and if they are even,deducting points here and there for things,and giving for others.When you exercise your fish,you make them flare.Either by use of a mirror or female,or another male nearby.If you dont be careful he will flare too far too fast and rip the fins.This is bad as they take points for the ripped fins.People card the show fish,by placing index cards between them so they dont see each other.When they pull the cards,and they see their neighbors they flare out really big,or are supposed to.A fish that wont flare isnt good for show.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Wow. That's so interesting! (So, your male ripped his fins. How do you heal that? Salt and temp' increase as well as 'stress coat'?)


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yep,exactly!Well,minus stress coat.they get the jungle start right,with aloe so it helps.But the warmth and salt,and clean water does the trick.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Here are the two ladies.
First one,royal blue.Pics dont really show the colors right with or without flash.
















I tried with and without flash on them both.here is the first with and without.Her dorsal is more round than her sisters,and the fins more full,just by a little.
Female two.Steel blue though hard to tell in the pics:
















Flash sucks haha.So those are the females.The opaque male is this one:
Flash gives him a blue hue too.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Wow! So pretty! (Love the opaque!) He's one "sexy" fish, lol!


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

LOL,thanks!His fins look rough,but the parts that look ragged,is because they are clear.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I need more votes,lol.Cuurrently I am conditioning them all(takes two weeks)so I have about another week.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Ah,now its a tie,lol

More votes please?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Ok,well the poll has been a tie forever,so I had the Mother in Law chose.She went with the white fellow.I placed them outside,and got two big rains.Yesterday they spawned.I pulled the female and he has a few eggs,though I am not disturbing him,he seems like they are just there.It happens to first time fathers,but I hope he decides to care for them.If not the dragon boy is up next.Pics of the fry if I get some,when the eggs hatch.


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## mec102778 (Feb 17, 2011)

Voted for red dragon cause of the name only.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

So wait, was that pair number 2? (That's the one I voted for - going by your description of the finage and what crossing the two would create and eliminate in finage.)


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yes pair two.Its raining again too,so hope all is well,lol.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

oooOOOOoooo! Sounds like things are moving along and conditions are right! Keep us updated for sure!


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