# Turquoise Betta - Good Form?



## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

I just picked up this boy. Could you give me your opinions on this young man  Also I am trying to get his sister. If I am not able to get the sibling what color/pattern combinations do you think would be great to breed with him. I have my ideas but I would like to hear yours  Thank you.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Actually his top line doesn't look great. Looks like he might have a DT parent with the lumpy topline and curved spine. Also Rose tails are very tricky to work with and ontop of that he's an OHM which is actually worse. In terms of length though his fins look great, they all meet and the caudal is shorter than the anal. Can't see if ventrals are split or not, but looks good.


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## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

I appreciate your honesty and explanation. Do you think he is a fish worth working with and breeding or not?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I personally don't think he is because of his form, but his colors are beautiful. I haven't seen a nice clean DS deep blue like that is a while. Perhaps if you find the perfect female it would work out. She'd need to have a pristine top line (no curves, bumps or bends) and I'm not sure how the tail types would work to get away from the dangerous side of RT but I'm assuming then, no OHM's or HM girls. I'm thinking maybe a VT would help reduce the ray count but I'm honestly not certain about that either since I'm not an actual breeder. This is just stuff that I've read and attained for the past few months since I am interested myself in breeding!


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## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

Thanks again for your opinion. I am learning myself also and I loved his color but unless the perfect female came along... mmmm.... Im not interested in showing, but I don't want to breed and put out a low quality Betta either.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Right! Yeah it's easier to sell fish that look nice and have good form even if they aren't being shown. But it just makes for a healthier fish too 

As long as you don't breed him to a DT or another HM he should be fine. If you want to keep the dragon scaling you should breed him to another dragon girl as well, same goes for color. If you want to keep that color then breed to a girl with a deep blue dragon scaling, otherwise you can mix and match to see what you get  Of course you won't get all Dragons or the same color if you breed two like fish unless the sister he has has great form because you can end up with grandparent fish genes and stuff.

Breeding and genetics are so intriguing :-D


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## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

Yeah I would think if I bred him with his sister the chance of the faults still being there would be high instead of breeding him with a female who has great form and breeding out the bad and more of something good, like trying to keep his beautiful color. Genetics has always intrigued me and drove me crazy at the same time trying to wrap my head around it no matter how much I read. lol


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Haha exactly, intriguing but also headache worthy XD

I hope you can find a great girl for him though, he'd certainly have beautiful babies with the perfect girl!


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## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

Thank you  I hope so too. So I think I am going to look for a good form VT female with dragon scaling and in a deep blue. That might be the way to go with him. Your opinion is greatly appreciated.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yep I think so! You might want to post that specific question again to see what others might say about it too. But I'm pretty sure that's what you're looking for. Even if it's not a deep blue, a regular blue may work as well so you get a sort of half and half. Although with genetics it would be 1/4 deep blue 1/4 lighter blue with the female and then 1/2 whatever else is in their bloodlines I believe.


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## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

Yes you sound absolutely correct to me. Someone is kidding themselves if they think that they are going to get fry all the same color, form. Lol! It's a grab bag really and you are lucky you get a couple that you think wow there it is when you are trying to correct the genetics and make it better


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Lol glad I make sense at least haha It's funny because when I explain it that way it seems so simple but I know there's so much more to it ^_^


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## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

Yes but sometimes the simple explanation is better  You know when people say explain that to me in layman's terms... then it clicks. If I get a pic of his sibling I will post it on here so we can take a look and go... hmmmm.... maybe that will give some insight as to how he got his form and color... Who knows? Or she might be perfect and that will just throw everything right out the window! lol!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Haha yup! I usually read things over 4 times and then posts questions on here to get it ingrained in my brain lol

Sure! I'd love to see the sister!


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## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

Lol! Well I don't have a pic of the sis yet but I am also in contact with a show breeder that says she's got a female she thinks will go great with him. She said he has a bit too much branching. She is going to get back with me later after she studies him again and wants to make a good guess of his size. Can't wait to see what these females look like


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yup, rose tailing is just over branching or too much branching. Same goes for feather tails which are just more branching than RT!

So I did learn that you can breed him to another HM girl but just not one with 6-8 ray's or more branching. Something like a 4 ray would be ideal to reduce the rays and then 2 ray being a VT could work but you wouldn't get all or most HM's at that point.


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## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

She mentioned breeding him with a nice irid female also. I will have to look at the boards and figure out what's the best section to put the post on and ask for opinions.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Probably the "Breeding Betta's" section  that or "Betta Chat"


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## kbraucci (Jun 13, 2013)

Already one step ahead. Lol I just posted it in the breeding Bettas section. Thank you for all your help


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Np and I just commented on it haha


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