# HMPK vs HM preference?



## Skarlath (Oct 16, 2015)

Just curious to see what people prefer between the two - I currently have 2 HM males and my first HMPK male will be arriving next week, and I have a mix of HM & HMPK females. Initially I wasn't fond of PKs because they aren't quite as flashy, but the more I watch them swim, the more they grow on me.

I think I appreciate how... I guess elegant in a sharp/clean way... they look - for example when a HM turns around they end up with their fins in their face and have to work hard to finish the turn off, and they can look very messy at times. PKs do the same movement with much more grace. I think for me it's the difference between a fish that has moments of looking utterly gorgeous (when they flare) vs a fish that looks good through the way they move.

This is the boy I will be getting next week, he's a copper blue dragon.


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

He is a nice boy.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I strongly prefer HMPK to HM. 

Reason being it's not really all that modified from the original PK form, and as such, doesn't inhibit the mobility of the fish in any way. HMPK are also much less likely to fin bite than longer finned males, and I find that as they age, HM males can lose their form.


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## SusieG (Oct 19, 2015)

I'm a PK lover all the way  I only have a few other random's besides them. A MG HM female, a steal crown tail female and a HMDT, my first long fin


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

Yeah hmpk all the way. They have been and always will be my fave, they still look like fish and have the grace that hm can never have. 
I have mostly hm at the moment and Im warming up to them but yeah nothing can beat a pk

Your new boy is stunning btw!!


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## Kaxen (Mar 3, 2013)

I've always gone for the longer fins with the exception of my now-deceased veiltail female.

>_> But after having sensitive boys who chew themselves (Thomas is a HM but chewed himself down to plakat shape....), I'm gonna give the plakat types a try once the boys I got live out their lives.


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## Olivia27 (Nov 26, 2015)

Always been the one against the trend LOL for some reason I don't like the look of plakats.


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## Zhylis (Nov 4, 2014)

I also made the switch to HMPK and what a relief it was! With HMs, it's a struggle to get their form up to par, then it's a struggle to keep their form, and then they end up losing their form usually past the 1-1.5 yr mark. Plus, trying to get a fin-biter to stop biting is an exercise in frustration. 

I like the agility of the HMPKs. They're very strong and active swimmers while still having all the color variation of the long fin HMs. (Without the neuroses.)


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I prefer hmpk but I only have 3 (all bought from aquabid and shipped from thailand), I have 4 other tail types- an hm elephant ear, veil tail, delta tail, and hm double tail.
After a few tail disasters and my double tail destroying his fins I'll only get pk bettas now as I prefer shorter fins.. less chance of damage.


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## Tourmaline (Nov 23, 2015)

I personally have 3 HMs and 1 PK. I love the look of HMs, but they do have some mobility issues sometimes, and the fact that all of mine are Elephant Ears too doesn't help much. I didn't like PKs too much, I thought they looked plain, until I finally got one. Now I love them, they move so much more gracefully, and they still have all the beautiful color of a Betta with bigger fins. A movement that would have been cumbersome for a HM is effortless for my PK. I think I've turned myself into a PK fan.


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## Skarlath (Oct 16, 2015)

It's very interesting to see that it's as much of a welfare factor as it is aesthetics! And that so many switched away from HMs to PKs, I initially had the impression that HMs were more popular. Maybe it's the difference between a casual one-off fish owner vs those of us that have the opportunity to keep multiple fish?

I definitely agree on the difficulty of keeping HMs looking tidy - of my current fish, the yellow male has a kink in his fins from shipping (in a place that wouldn't have occurred had he been PK), and my blue-faded red bicolour has one particular split in his fin that just won't heal. 

And thank you Trilobite and NickAu! It should be a fun experience then with my first PK boy from the comments here. I mostly bought him for colour & body shape rather than fin type, as I own a samurai copper girl that would be an excellent breeding partner for him later on. He should be here tomorrow!

Haha Seren - totally understand, I see so many people going mad over crowntails but it's one tail type that I would never want to own.


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## Olivia27 (Nov 26, 2015)

Personally I pick HM *because* they're less active. I have had nothing but energetic little crazies so far and I thought I deserve a change of pace!

As for CTs, I'm not having them either. I'm too afraid I won't notice if they start tail biting


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## Tourmaline (Nov 23, 2015)

I don't like CTs much either. I wouldn't get one unless he was really good quality.

One of my HMs is actually more active than my PK. He's a crazy, hyperactive, angry little thing. Flares at everyone and everything, swims laps around his tank and through his plants whenever the lights are on.


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## Gariana (Jul 22, 2015)

I have nothing against longer tails, but - plakats are definitely my favorites.


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## magrathea (Dec 15, 2015)

I prefer HMPK, if only because I like how sharp and no-nonsense their fins are. HMs are lovely and beautiful, but HMPK is where the heart is.


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## magpie (Nov 7, 2011)

I have had long tailed types (actually currently have a HM) and though I think they're beautiful, I am now a huge HMPK fan (currently have two, though one is an EE). They honestly can just swim better and that makes me happy. I like to see them super active. And I actually love the look of them! I think I am also now always going to do HMPK / females from now on.


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## jess32247 (Jul 24, 2015)

magrathea said:


> I prefer HMPK, if only because I like how sharp and no-nonsense their fins are. HMs are lovely and beautiful, but HMPK is where the heart is.


agree with this completely ^

HM's fins are quite beautiful and stunning, but i also like how active and sharp PK's are. not sure i could pick a favorite but PK's are really up there.


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## TripleP (Aug 7, 2015)

I love HM but I really want a HMPK and have for a while now. I almost bid on one a few weeks ago but with the the cold weather here now I am a bit scared to have one shipped to me. Maybe come spring I will get one.

It's funny, I also said the same about CT as others have mentioned, that they were the one type I didn't like all that much and then I fell head over heels for one in PetSmart. I actually do love his look and esp. his coloring but I have to admit it was mainly his personality that won me over.


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## BettaStarter24 (Mar 24, 2014)

I absolutely adore my plakats. I have five HMPK's (4 males, 1 female) 3 long finned boys (1 CT, 2 VT) and then 2 "long finned" females (1 CT, 1 VT). I notice my long finned boys aren't as active as my HMPK's for the most part. I still love the flashiness of long finned fish, and I appreciate their beauty. 

HMPK's are more fiesty from what I can tell comparing my fish to each other, my HMPK's definitely have more anger in their little bodies. Each fish is going to be different though. 

I've had HM's before and near the end of their lives their fins were so heavy and large I was begging them to bite. Dean did bite at the end, he bit his entire tail of practically. Oliver never did bite and he was a rose tail so his fins never quite stopped growing. 

It's up to personal preference if you're trying to choose between them, I would choose HMPK or PK over the long finned varieties but I will go for a long finned boy if they speak to me. Go for a fish that speaks to you.


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## BettaStarter24 (Mar 24, 2014)

Seren27 said:


> Personally I pick HM *because* they're less active. I have had nothing but energetic little crazies so far and I thought I deserve a change of pace!
> 
> As for CTs, I'm not having them either. I'm too afraid I won't notice if they start tail biting


I was wary on CT's as well for the reason of worrying about not being able to tell rot or biting. I have never had an issue with my CT boys biting. Crowley (SIP) never bit or really got rot at all though yes he gave me heart attacks thinking he bit. My current CT male Haku bit one ray (I think) he is confusing for me because he's a mustard gas so he has the blue band around his fins and in some areas they are darker. If you ever do fall in love with a CT and get one, the best advice I can give is be familiar with the length of the rays.


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## Olivia27 (Nov 26, 2015)

BettaStarter24 said:


> I was wary on CT's as well for the reason of worrying about not being able to tell rot or biting. I have never had an issue with my CT boys biting. Crowley (SIP) never bit or really got rot at all though yes he gave me heart attacks thinking he bit. My current CT male Haku bit one ray (I think) he is confusing for me because he's a mustard gas so he has the blue band around his fins and in some areas they are darker. If you ever do fall in love with a CT and get one, the best advice I can give is be familiar with the length of the rays.


Aaaand I just won a CT boy on eBay LOL as you already know from my other thread. Next time I panic about whether or not Volga is tail-biting I may bombard your inbox >


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## BettaStarter24 (Mar 24, 2014)

Seren27 said:


> Aaaand I just won a CT boy on eBay LOL as you already know from my other thread. Next time I panic about whether or not Volga is tail-biting I may bombard your inbox >


lol please do, I like seeing pretty pictures


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## Crash (Jul 19, 2015)

I used to be all about the big, flashy fins. That is until I got my first pk...my hm has a really hard time moving around, especially when turning. The pk is just so graceful and never seems to struggle, not to mention the fins always look super sharp and clean. I also love love love the thick bodies on most pks, just gorgeous!

The only problem I have with pks is that they're more likely to try to jump in my experience, my pk is the main reason I no longer do divided tanks :lol:


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## dieselthedemon (May 1, 2014)

I'm personally partial to HM, but i think both are beutiful. Five is young, his fins havent grown out on him just yet.

I've never expirienced the "grace problem" with Suess, my now passed HM, he turned slower but for the most part he was very gracful, so i suppose it all depends on the fish and how they accept their fins. He did have a tail biting problem in his younger days but it was no where close to how bad Diesels fin biting was.

I personally love both, but like i said, partial to HM


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

I definitely like HMPK the best.


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