# Orange VT x Yellow HM



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

It's funny how a spawn can be more or less interesting to me, depending on my goal for that particular spawn. I have a hard time being excited about my HM spawn, even though I should be excited, but here I am with my silly orange VTs and I love their little eyeballs.

Cygnus (Orange male VT) has been paired with Nimbus (Yellow HM) in the hopes of creating orange and yellow VTs. Nimbus should give the fry improved body form and start to clean up that black scale edging Cygnus has. I'm hoping she'll reduce the iridescence in the fry, as well.

It's going to take quite a while to "clean up" these fish for show. I'm breeding for color over form, right now, although I am not ignoring form. It's just tremendously difficult to find a good orange.

Here's Cygnus:


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

And here's Nimbus:


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

I'll DEFINITELY keep an eye out on this spawn. Both parents have such little irid, and you'll likely get a few DeT out of it, even if Nimbus is only a 4-ray female.

I find it a REALLY pretty thought to have a fish that would look like my Angostura, but with that lovely Tangerine orange, or perhaps a deep yellow in the fins, rather than red. Subbing.


----------



## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

I call a fish from this spawn lol! I *looooove* orange and yellow bettas!
the parents are beautiful!


----------



## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

I new spawn to follow! Very exciting!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Pair spawned on 12/27/14 for a hatch date on 12/29/14. Daddy's out, and I'm thinking there's somewhere between 30 and 50 fry in there. They are eating vinegar eels at the moment.

Today I started dripping new water into their 2.5 gallon. In a week, I'll transfer them to a 10 gallon, where they will grow out.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Oh, along with dripping water in, I also just put a ramshorn in there for clean-up duty.


----------



## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

how exciting!!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Nimble said:


> I'll DEFINITELY keep an eye out on this spawn. Both parents have such little irid, and you'll likely get a few DeT out of it, even if Nimbus is only a 4-ray female.
> 
> I find it a REALLY pretty thought to have a fish that would look like my Angostura, but with that lovely Tangerine orange, or perhaps a deep yellow in the fins, rather than red. Subbing.


She's 8-ray. There ought to be some deltas in this, with any kind of reasonable luck.


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

Even better! Hopefully there's a good one in there, either male or female, for my project. Because while Angostura is a 4-ray Plakat, it's hard to say what genes Smirnoff has, being a CT(albeit a high-quality CT). I could use another 4-ray or even an 8-ray female to improve the finnage later on down the line.

If it weren't for how heavily iridescent the Primus x Nimbus spawn was, I'd be looking at those kids as well. I'll still keep my eye out, however.


----------



## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

Cygnus is goooorgeous! <3 

I always love reading your spawn logs, Hrutan. They're so informative and just plain awesome.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Cygnus is looking great, how is he feeling?

And I agree with Schmoo, your spawn logs are highly educational


----------



## cheekysquirrel (Jan 7, 2014)

I couldn't see the photo of Nimbus, but Cygnus is very pretty


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

She's gorgeous! I'm a sucker for yellows 

I'm going to have to keep an eye on these guys! Hopefully you'll get some really nice yellows and oranges, but considering how pretty the parents are, I'm sure the fry will look fantastic


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Cygnus is feeling better. He seems to have made a full recovery from his bout of SBD, and I am grateful that I chose to gamble on him at the pet shop. 

It took a full week for him to get off his fins and start swimming. Since he was pooping, I fed him but kept him on a half-ration diet, and otherwise treated it like a bacterial infection - frequent water changes, and a slightly elevated water temperature. The improvement was gradual, but distinct. I suspect he was actually ill rather than suffering from overeating as a fry.


----------



## aselvarial (Feb 21, 2014)

He is a pretty boy! I love orange VT.


----------



## PancakeTheBetta (Jul 7, 2014)

Spawned on my birthday! I can't wait to see these kids, I'd probably have to buy one or two  gorgeous fish!!


----------



## BettaBoy51 (Nov 13, 2013)

hrutan can i just give you my wallet and you send me all you fish  if all your spawns are this nice im gonna have debt but the end of the year... IM ONLY 13 AND IM GONNA HAVE DEBT lol cant wait to see how they turn out! love the dad!



oh forgot to add this. how did the 2.5 work? think im gonna try with my next pair?


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

The 2.5 worked very well. Neither fish suffered any damage, which suggests that getting torn up by breeding is more of a personality conflict than a space constraint. I filled the tank to just above the heater (about 3 to 3.5 inches), floated IAL in the tank, and then left Nimbus in her cup in the tank and went to work. Some time during the day, she jumped out and they spawned.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I need to know about all your spawns. I want my next betta to be from you, even if it is a "special care" betta. Your spawns are gorgeous.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Major death event - there are still fry swimming around there, although I am not sure how many. Removed what bodies I could find with a turkey baster, and hoping Ms. Snail can take care of the rest. Took out the IAL. I _must_ remember to use only extract on the next spawn; I can't stand the debris the IAL leaves in the bottom of the tank.

Note: This is almost exactly the same age as the death event in the Primus x Elizabeth spawn. I suspect these are fry that poppa would have eaten before I saw, if he'd been left in.


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

So, you had a major die-off at 10-14 days old in the Primus x Elizabeth spawn, as well as in this one? What variables are the same that were in both?


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Well, I think the die-off started at around 8-10 days in the Primus x Elizabeth spawn. Variables that were the same? Temperature, presence of IAL, food type, source water. There was a die-off in the Primus x Elizabeth in both the artificial hatchery with no IAL and the typical tank with IAL, although the tank with IAL lost more fry. But it may have had more fry to begin with.

I'll be breeding Cygnus again as soon as I have a 10 gallon tank free for him, since I'd like more than a handful of his offspring.


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

Maybe it's just something that tends to happen? Fry who either don't figure out how to eat, or just aren't fit for survival die off? I'll keep an eye out when I start my spawn.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

I'm thinking it could be something like that, or an issue of water quality at that point in time. Since Cygnus was still suffering from swim bladder issues around then, he got bred in a little 2.5, and in the primus x elizabeth, I didn't know you could turn the sponge filters on safely at that age. I'll have to move these fry tonight into a 10g and see if that makes a difference.


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

Good luck, regardless! I'm looking forward to seeing another happy, healthy spawn from you!

So many baby fish, how do you find the time, or not get attached?


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

There are only 3-5 little babies in there. The water quality isn't bad, and I'm going to nurse the little dudes along, but Cygnus DEFINITELY needs to get back in a spawn tub with one of two girls. I'm thinking of trying my other yellow, since this is the second time Nimbus has given me a small amount of fry. Catherine might do better.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Nimble said:


> Good luck, regardless! I'm looking forward to seeing another happy, healthy spawn from you!
> 
> So many baby fish, how do you find the time, or not get attached?


I don't sleep as much as I need to, and while I wasn't raised on a farm, we did have animals that we raised and ate. It gives a certain perspective. But I do get attached to some of them, haha.


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

Holy crap, really? Better be careful with those babies. Make sure not a single one left dies.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

OK, fry count is confirmed as 4. They had their first tiny meal of BBS tonight, and ate eagerly. It's quite difficult to feed so few.


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

Difficult to feed without overfeeding? Or difficult to find and feed?

Did you spawn Cygnus again, this time to Catherine, or did you cancel that one? I think you mentioned something about torn fins?


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

They are difficult to feed without overfeeding. 4 fry don't eat very much.

Cygnus and Catherine are wrapping right now, but I think I'll wait to start a spawn log until that dreaded 8 day milestone has been passed.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

To my frustration, I can only find one little fry in there. Nimbus is going to be re-homed (I am trading her for an Aquastar female!!!), but depending on the timing, I may try to get another spawn out of her first. The recipient has her hands full with quite a few spawns at the moment. I'm doing what I can to nurse this little dude along, but it is difficult. Pondering catching it up in a cup and trying to raise it that way, since this tub clearly isn't working. It would be easier to target him for feeding that way, anyway.


----------



## aselvarial (Feb 21, 2014)

I'd definitely cup him. It seems at this point it would be far easier.


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

Still keep your eye out for the other three. Sucks to hear about it. I was really looking forward to watching them grow.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Unless they are Ninjas, there are only two chubby little fry in there. VERY full from eating BBS, silly guys. They weren't obliging for a picture, but hopefully I'll be able to get one of them soon. They still look more like an eyeball-tummy-tail assembly than fish.


----------



## aselvarial (Feb 21, 2014)

Hey but 2 is still better than just 1! Maybe at this age cup them together? I have no idea if They get depressed if alone at this age


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

After seeking the advice of someone who's been in my boat, keeping them in the little tank is safer. Too many temp fluctuations in a cup, and too hard to keep the water clean.


----------



## aselvarial (Feb 21, 2014)

Oh good that you asked someone who knows.  and that they aren't alone yet


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Two fry, still present and accounted for. I want to improve their home, soon. There's a spare 5 gallon floating around somewhere in my house that ought to be usable instead of the 2.5, if I can find a place for it. Then I can add a sponge filter and improve their water quality, and let them grow out without need of paranoia.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

They are still alive, still swimming around, and both have ventrals. No color yet...they are growing SO SLOW and I have no idea why. My spawns two weeks younger than them have caught up, and they may get combined just to make feeding and care a bit simpler.


----------



## mashp (Feb 24, 2015)

awesome, keeping an eye on this spawn beautiful dad


----------



## fishtankwatcher (Feb 5, 2015)

Did they grow anymore?


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

One of the two that are left finally reached cupping size. He's about as big as a small-ish Petco Baby Betta. I left the other in their little 2.5 gallon, the extra room maybe will help him catch up. Both of them are eating well, I am giving them grindal worms. I think they'll be orange - there's hints of color on the fins, now.


----------

