# Betta Spawn log, maybe? :)



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Meet the maybe daddy:









Meet the maybe mamma: {the stress stripe is significantly reduced since I bought her yesterday, and I don't intend to start courting attempts for a couple days yet.  }










Meet the blog where I hope to document it all:
http://ncpanthersgurl.tumblr.com/


Tomorrow, or saturday, I plan to hit up Petco for some plants, hiding spaces, and some frozen BBS. The water is being conditioned, and mamma and papa are being fed nomlicious foods. :3

I haven't heard much about egg yolk, success or otherwise, so I'm going to give it a try. I'll record my results, and of course, it won't be the only food offered. 

And I also have several potential homes lined up.

I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was itty bitty. It would make my heart squeal with joy to raise such fascinating fishes into "adulthood". I hope this works well for me.


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

ffsh. i adore the daddy so much, i may want a baby from him. x: i dunno what your outcome would be. pet store bettas are hard to determine, since you don't know the parents, or grandparents. the outcome will be pretty hard to figure out. you may end up with common colors, you may end up with rare, unusual colors. :3


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Luimeril said:


> ffsh. i adore the daddy so much, i may want a baby from him. x: i dunno what your outcome would be. pet store bettas are hard to determine, since you don't know the parents, or grandparents. the outcome will be pretty hard to figure out. you may end up with common colors, you may end up with rare, unusual colors. :3


By the time I get the babies, I'll be too excited to see them all wiggling around to care what color they turn out!  But I am curious. I've heard purple is a hard color to pass, so I wonder what she'll "donate". And he's so unique with his pink. It gets a little brighter every day...and they both eat like little piggies, and are picky, so I'm betting the babies will be too. >.< I've heard about the low success rate of getting fry to adults, which worries me, but I've done a ton of reading. I'm also trying to use non-live foods, though I will probably incorporate some of the MW's that I'm generously being given. I have egg yolk, frozen brine, frozen daphnia, flakes, freeze dried shrimp and bloodworms.....I think I literally bought a little of everything >.< My tank is set up, the temperature is about 75 right now, I'm letting it go up a few more degrees before I release Jazz in there. {I've been gradually adding and conditioning the water}

I'm trying to do this as perfect as possible, lol. >.< And again trying to keep some more natural elements, because I feel like in nature they do it fine so I just need to make sure the proper nutrients and environment are available and they'll do their own thing.

I have water lettuce for the bubble nest... I'm still looking for a filter, but since I won't need that til they're free swimming I have a few days at least....I have a cave for her to hide in, and a soft fabric plant...I'm trying to keep the water kinda open, but provide hiding spots...I've been feeding both of them nommy foods, Jazz is learning that when I come to the tank he'll usually at least get a bloodworm >.< 

Worse case I have another male. But I hope these two work together. I think they'd make beautiful babies.


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

K so here's a newer picture of mamma. She's doing a lot better than when I bought her! Even better than that first picture. No more stress stripe!

I can't wait to see these two's babies. >.<


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

I'm having a difficult time getting her to stay still with him in there >.<

But seriously, vertical stripes? They've been in the "same" tank for five minutes! She wants loose, badddd. And he's flaring a bit.


----------



## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Very cool, from my reading that happens occasionally. You still don't want to release her just yet though.


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Shimizoki said:


> Very cool, from my reading that happens occasionally. You still don't want to release her just yet though.


Nope. Not until she's a bit rounder, and he's started building a nest. I'm keeping an eye on them. To be honest, I was worried she wouldn't take to this very well cause she's been kinda skiddish. But everywhere he goes, she follows in her little jar watching him. He comes over every few minutes and flares up, circles a bit.

I think it helps that I added a couple drops of his old water to hers. I read that it would. Maybe?


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

purple is nearly impossible. it's more often blue with red wash, like my boy, Purple:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1664257692819&set=a.1498800956504.2065711.1428554713&type=1

if he has pink, he's probably got red wash. which means, many, if not all of, the fry will have it. x: may churn out some unique babies!

it's normal to lose some fry. it's part of nature. x: but, with the help of the expert breeders here, you can maximize the number of fry who survive. :d


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Luimeril said:


> purple is nearly impossible. it's more often blue with red wash, like my boy, Purple:
> http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1664257692819&set=a.1498800956504.2065711.1428554713&type=1
> 
> if he has pink, he's probably got red wash. which means, many, if not all of, the fry will have it. x: may churn out some unique babies!
> ...


Well the second pic I took shows it better but she has some beautiful purple to her. And it's just becoming more and more enhanced the longer they're around each other. Which I also read would happen. And I'm starting to see a bit of red in his fins, so I'm sure he has red in him. So if he has red, and say she has red and blue....maybe something unique will come of it. Or maybe just bright bright beautiful reds. I can't wait to see.


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

hopefully, by the time the fry are ready, i'll be able to pay ya to ship me one. >w< i call dibs on the 2nd most unique one that survives. xD

you never know what you will get by crossing colors like you are, and with pet store bettas it's even more of a surprise. :d they may throw you something truly amazing!


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

I even researched how to ship, so I can do that too ^.^ Maybe they'll be the secret combination to purple? A reddish translucent and a purple? Make purple? I told my boyfriend I'd laugh if all the fry ended up green or orange cause that just wouldn't make much sense. >.<

I think I will always prefer breeding petshop Betta's. The surprise is half the fun, right?


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

well, many try their hardest to improve the betta lines. that's why they say not to breed pet store bettas. you don't know the genetics. for all you know, you could pass on horrid deformities to the fry. x: but, i've seen the most amazing fry, bred from a breeder female and a pet store male. they were amazing marbles. <3


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

That's my way of thinking. How will I know if I don't try? And maybe I'll have one perfect {or you know, really awesome} fry that grows up into a betta that I would breed out again. Never know. We have another male, he's red and purple and blue. But his colors are so...common...that I figured breeding him would just lead to more red and purple and blue for sure. Where as Jazz here might give me something different. I could be totally off...but it's worth a shot.


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

well, i eagerly await the results. i LOVED raising chappy belle, from a month-old speck with eyes, to the beautiful pain in my butt she is now. x:


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

I'm excited. I have a mild concern that now he seems bored of her... >.>


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i don't think it's suggested you show them each other during conditioning. x: you'll have to ask around.


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Hmm. Perhaps. Or perhaps it's a bit cold; I checked the water temp and it's down to 75 again. I turned off the ac and put plastic wrap over the tank to see if that's it. I know they get "more lethargic" in different temperature water. Then again, this is {to the best of my knowledge since they're both petshop babies} their first spawn. He's been building bubblenests for days though sooo. I'll just have to wait and see.


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

you need to get them heaters. x: i know they raise the temps when spawning bettas. x:


----------



## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

I think I read they try to breed at 82 degrees, I may be mistaken though.


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Mmhmm, I have a heater in there. I had a different one but the light in it flickered...I'm getting it replaced. -_- Whether it's just the light or no, I'm taking no risks.


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

So. Bought a new heater last night, set it to 82, and...during the night it jumped my tank to 90. -_- 
Jazz is in a bit of shock, he's lethargic and swims pretty much only for air. I did a 100% water change and left the heater off for now, he seems to be perking up.
Note to self, under compensate with this heater.

For now I'm going to work on reconditioning him, in the breeder tank so he becomes comfortable in it. The female is away too, but she's doing phenomenal today; not skiddish like she's been, very vibrant. I love that the small interaction she had yesterday brought out her colors so well.

I also got curious and put her next to Riot for a couple minutes. They both flared, and he danced around the side of his tank at her. So if things don't work out with Jazz, I do have another very eager male. I put him in Jazz's 2gal for now, after a 100% water change yesterday, and I'm going to begin conditioning him just in case. 

Update when things start happening. >.<


----------



## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i usually put the heater in, set it as low as it'll go, then slowly, every hour, bump it up a bit till it reaches the temp i want. that's how i did it for Chappy, when she was a baby. x: poor Jazz! get better, beautiful boy! :O i want your babies.


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Lol, trust me, I do too! But he seems to be starting to get a bit better. He's moving a bit more. Still hasn't eaten that I noticed, but he's started picking at some bloodworms.

I left the heater off for a couple hours, and just turned it on about half an hour ago to a reasonably low setting. Tank seems to be settled at 76, I think I'll leave it for a while before I bump it up though. Help him settle easier.


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Small update; Jazz is doing super better and is now more vibrant and active than before. I'm thinking the brine shrimp I added to his conditioning diet helped.  So, pressing forward with breeding plans.


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Also, here's an updated pic of Jazz...trying to not let me have a pic....


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Everything looked ready. Jazz has been blowing sporadic bubbles, Alma is flaring her stripes, I release them together AND...nothing. Absolutely nothing. They're acting like best friends. Sigh. Imma wait though, give it a few days and maybe something will happen. If not, I'm just going to have to find Jazz another female.


----------



## Punki (Apr 30, 2011)

Aw, well hopefully she makes a wrong move and he nips her to put her in her place and things get going soon! If it doesnt work out id seperate them from any other betta mass feed them mosquito larvae if you have it, then re-introduce. Mine started spawning at 82 degrees 24 hours after releasing her, but my male showed his dominance right away.


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Yeah see mine's not aggressive basically at all...he flares occasionally, but basically never, and even when she follows him everywhere he just moves around her or pretends she's not there. I feel like I may need another male to make this happen. *sigh* I want Jazz babies but I feel like he's maybe not the fathering type. I guess I just have to wait and see. Meanwhile she's all plump with eggs. >.<


----------



## Punki (Apr 30, 2011)

When electra was ready she would swim up and rub against oldman trying to get him to wrap, he didnt feel like his bubblenest was up to par so he would scare her off, but maybe your girl will get impatient and nudge him. I hope so!


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

I hope so too! She's round and striped and is trying but he's just not interested. I can't get any form of aggression from him, even when I try to instigate by dropping food between them. Nothing. I'm thinking about buying her a new male tomorrow if there's no improvement by the time I run to Petco...


----------



## Punki (Apr 30, 2011)

I read that if you show him another male it will sometimes make him start trying, so the "other guy" doesnt get her first. lol


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Hmm. My only other male is in the ten gallon and sick, or I'd consider trying to breed him. I can't really move him. But if I buy a new male tomorrow I could try that before just switching everything out....


----------



## Punki (Apr 30, 2011)

How about a mirror?


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Tried. He'll flare like crazy at it, but nothing else. :/ Sigh, maybe he's just not a breeder? Is that possible?


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Tried the mirror again, it's been like an hour, and now he won't even flare at it. Imma say that he's just not aggressive enough for this.


----------



## Punki (Apr 30, 2011)

If you realllly want him, try putting him alone and covering his tank for a couple days then re-introduce? hopefully someone with this problem comes along soon!


----------



## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

I know, I'm going crazy trying to figure out what's up with him >.<


----------

