# Blue struggle



## dcg

Male: SD blue red wash, age unknown, unknown breeder.









Female: masked royal blue superdelta, age 3 months, bred by me (his daughter also). The spawn log is here. 









Note: I used a son of that male to build the nest. The male was old and not too enthusiastic about building nests.

Introduced: 30 January 2016









Mating began in the same day. For whatever reason, even he's an experienced male, they couldn't embrace.

































Try 1 failed.


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## dcg

*Try 2*

Male: royal blue red wash superdelta, age 3 months, bred by me. Spawn log is here.









female: masked metallic blue superdelta, age 3 months, bred by me (his sister). Spawn log in the link above.









He is a prodigious nest builder. He thought that it is a good idea to build and maintain 2 nests 80 centimeters apart.









She's not impressed.









She will suffer the consequences. Ungrateful beach gets what she deserves. :-?









Time to break the party. Try 2 failed.


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## dcg

Third female: masked royal blue superdelta, age 3 months, bred by me. Spawn log in the link above.









It was o shot in the dark. That particular female is very shy. The moment she have seen the male (the brother), she put on the stress stripes and stayed that way. I didn't bother to release her to the male. Later she was sold as a pet.

Next female: blue metallic superdelta, age 3 months, bred by me. Spawn log in the link above.









She's a bit of a runt. She was the opposite of the royal one. She chased both males like a maniac. They were funny to observe: first flaring and running form that pushy ugly one, than swallowing their pride and just running for their life. That were tries 3, 4 and 5 failed.

One more try and I'll call the matting season off.


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## dcg

Just playing around with a royal blue male that was not indented for breeding.









Bad call. I left them unsupervised for a few hours, thinking that a 80cm long tank full of plants will provide cover for girl. She didn't need protection. He was the one that I found hiding, being practically totaled by the girl. Try 6 failed.


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## dcg

OK, one last try for February. Father and daughter.

Male: SD blue red wash, age unknown, unknown breeder. 









Female: this time I'm using the metallic one, not the royal blue that he almost convinced.









She accepted him on 12 February.









Again, he couldn't embrace. Try 7 failed.


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## dcg

February conclusions.

3 males and 4 females were used. Zero eggs. 1 male was retired and 1 was badly hurt. That lives me with only one male. Out of the 4 females, 1 was improper for breeding (too shy), so 3 girls are still available. 

He is the only male that can push my oldest line ahead.


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## dcg

March campaign.

Male: blue red wash superdelta, age 4 months, bred by me.









Female: masked metallic blue superdelta, age 4 months, bred by me (his sister).










He's overdoing this.









Female impressed. Finally mating.

























She's even fainting.









But guess what? No embrace.

13 March 2016, the aftermath. He's not only a incredible nest builder, but also a competent wife beater. 









Season over for her. Try 8 failed.


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## dcg

Same male, the royal blue female.









That didn't went well.









She also made him pay. Try 9 failed. March season over.


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## dcg

*The Question*

March conclusions.

I'm getting tired of this batsh*t crazy male. My oldest line is on the line and he doesn't deliver. But, somewhere, kept for a friend as a pet, but being rejected by his little daughter on the grounds he's "too blue", there is another brother of him. Ripped apart by a female and, as a consequence, being eaten alive by rampart fin rot going straight to the body, he's hanging on refusing to succumb to his wounds. If he overcomes this, he will have a go. The question is... will he?


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## liamthen

your photo's comments crack me up :lol::lol::lol:, that male that build 2 nest far apart omg :lol:, i shouldn't laugh so much but i can't help it, sorry for the misfortune 9 failed try in a row is damn rare, better luck next time man, may betta god give a nod for you next try


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## AzureMyst

I read your other spawn log with the reds and blues... I love how many pictures you post. I really hope that fish makes it, it'd be great to have another spawn log from you!


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## dcg

liamthen said:


> that male that build 2 nest far apart omg :lol:, i shouldn't laugh so much but i can't help it


Liam, he built and maintained those two nests for about 2 days, not moved from one location to another. :-D

I've had another crackhead that decided to build a second nest 80 cm far from the first *while having fry*. Till free swimming stage, he kept on running from one to another nest with fry in his mouth. :lol:

Pictures from a year ago.

















He was that wise guy.


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## dcg

AzureMyst said:


> it'd be great to have another spawn log from you!


AzureMyst, tonight I'll update the spawn log right to the present day.


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## dcg

May Campaign.

Male: masked royal blue superdelta, age 5 months (2 months in the picture), bred by me. This is a studio picture  taken before cataclysmic events. 









Female: masked royal blue superdelta, age 5 months, bred by me (his sister).










Parents and spawn log of these fishes is here (blue team): http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=622530

Late April. After overcoming fin rot, he spend most of April fighting velvet. No wonder he's looking like a swimming nightmare. 









He's not building a nest. I released the dame anyway.

























They mated 1 May 2016, while I was away. Lousy nest, unfortunate placement (next to the female's cage).









I took out the female, enough reason for him to panic and promptly eat the eggs, right in front of my horrified eyes. I have never ever actually witnessed that. Eggs were pilled in one spot in the nest. Three bites and he was belly full. I guess he had his share of eggs on Orthodox Easter. Look at his belly.









Try 10 failed. :-?


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## dcg

Male: masked royal blue superdelta, age 5 months (2 months in the picture), bred by me.









Female: metallic blue superdelta, age 5 months, bred by me (his sister).









That's the female that chased two males in February. I don't like her, but the other available female grew since March and she is now bigger and heavier than the male. Unlike last time, now she was the one scared. Stress stripes and no sweet eyes to the male. I released her just to see her trying to jump out of the breeding tank. Time for the heavyweight. :shock:

Female: metallic blue superdelta, age 5 months, bred by me (his sister). Recent picture.









Released her on May 4 praying for the male integrity.

































She pushed the male into submission the same day.  Lousy picture because I caught them on the last moments and there was no time for more tries.










She exited the breeding tank untouched. I guess the male was a bit afraid to upset her. ))

Age: - 2 days.









Age: - 1 day.


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## dcg

Age: zero days.










I cannot directly see the nest. I have to make blind pictures and check them to see what is happening. As you can see, there are about 4 fry. :|

I've been there before. Remember the lonely fry? Rising 1 fry in 80 cm long tank: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=653170

I will not call try 12 a fail, but this is far from success.


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## dcg

Age: 1 day.









I also add this picture. Notice the male's belly. I didn't fed him, but he clearly ate something. Maybe fry, maybe unhatched eggs.


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## dcg

Age: 2 days.

Male left the nest. No fry there. After looking long and hard, I noticed a fry. 8 May, free swimming stage.


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## dcg

Age: 3 days.









So there are at least two of them, not counting the one the failed to proceed to the free swimming stage . Usually I stare at an empty tank. 

Also, to make thing more confusing, after trying the halfmoon brother to see him failing again a few days ago (count it try 13), I'm clearing the way for the the royal blue male.


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## dcg

Age: 4 days.

10 May 2016 (yesterday).


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## dcg

Age: 5 days (today). From now on we are real time.



















Also, someone is guarding something.


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## Engel

Laughing at the two nests built very far apart, and the gigantic nest :lol:


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## liamthen

yes finally, betta god finally smile at you dcg, female is super fine , i see she has long outer caudal rays


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## dcg

I'll see about that, right now there are only eggs. Hopefully they are properly fertilized, the female was the more slander royal blue one.

She.









He.


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## AzureMyst

Well, at least you got eggs this time around, lol!


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## dcg

He came back from the grave with a vengeance. Stallion style. :lol:









I started a not so confusing spawn log here for these guys: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=691385

Age 6 days.


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## dcg

Age: 1 week.









Really hard to catch them on camera, being so few and there in the woods.


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## dcg

Age: 8 days.

He's having issues, too short bodied, but that's the only one a could grab a closeup pic.

















Little brothers are 1 week younger. They look like a different species.


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## dcg

Temperature.


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## dcg

Age: 9 days.

Irid is like irid does.  First hint of color on his anal fin.









Rare occurrence: 2 fry in 1 photo. I'll have to do something about this.









New grow out. Now hide from me if you can. 









I moved all of them. By "all" I mean 4 of them.  2 out of 4 are little balloons, their swim bladder projecting them upwards, glued to the surface.

A hint of horizontal stripe on the eye, some irid on the back.









Mr. Thermometer, the official size reference. 









Looking like betta alright.


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## dcg

Age: 10 days.

The metallic trait inherited from mom is showing.









The vents are were they should be.









Breading from atmosphere. 










Versus Mr. Thermometer.


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## dcg

Age: 11 days.

























Also, the parents of these 4 fry re-spawned today, to add little brothers to the mix. Like last three times, the male convinced female to surrender a few hours after introduction, practically he begins to build nest while spawning because those pushy girls can't wait. I witnessed last 30 minutes of mating and I never saw one successful embrace. The female is a bit bigger but that didn't seem to be the issue here. When beginning to embrace, she released eggs like some weird premature ejaculation or ante portas case, she even fainted, and the male interrupted the embrace to gather the infertile eggs. Curious thing, he still guards some eggs, so maybe some are fertile and this could explain the only 4 fry thing going here.


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## MysticSky22301

This is so frustrating I'm begging that I don't have this kind of trouble


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## dcg

It was my fault putting my back in the corner by keeping only one stallion male for the whole "line", that proved to be unfit for the job. Luckily there was another male, that missed the first trip to the pet-shop because I switched him last moment with o more of a HM brother, keeping instead the superdelta as a pet because I favored more his balanced look (a thing of the past that look ). Than a kid of a friend didn't adopted him and chose another male that had the quality of not being so blue (LOL), than he was beat up by a female and missed the second trip to the pet-shop because he was tremendously ill and here we are now, with him ending up as the unlikely stallion male.


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## dcg

Last spawn and end of the breading season. 

As I was saying earlier, the parents were in the nuptial tank trying to add brothers to those 4 fry. They didn't embrace, but after the male chased away the female, he began to guard the unfertilized eggs that female kept on dropping in a weird way. Maybe he knew better than me, but I was guessing if there will be any hatching, there will be only a few fry again.

Male.









Female.









Introduced: 16 May 2016.









Spawned: 17 May 2016.









Searching for eggs.









Frustration under the nest (eggs are visible).

















Age: - 2 days.









Age: -1 days.









Hatched 19 May 2016 (today).

Age: 0 days.









As expected, only several fry.


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## dcg

Age: 12 days.

















Not everyone is so shiny.









One of the fry had the adventure of his life. I changed water and, the first stupid thing I did, was sucking one of the fry into the bucket. Of course, that not a rare occurrence, but it should be when you only have 4 fry to protect. I didn't even saw when I sucked him, but luckily I noticed him into the bucket, so I took note not to throw him with the water. Next stupid thing was putting the bucket on an unstable chair, and it crashed with much noise in the middle of the room. Water everywhere and one needle fry in the haystack for me to find. He landed on a brownish carpet but I did found him. Jumping like crazy helped a lot to make him visible. I tried to grab him only to find out I cannot do it with my hands without squashing the fry. Next thing was running to the kitchen for "something" and returning with a tea spoon hoping the fry didn't hide meanwhile. Thankfully, he was still dancing like there was no tomorrow, and maybe he was right if I didn't succeed with my spoon and rusty surgeon skills. The rescue operation went better than expected and somehow I made him stay a second on the spoon to cover it with my hands. Next thing I was washing my apparently empty hands into the fry's tank, drooping there the spoon too. Of course I could count only 3 fry to my despair, and after dying inside a little, I count them again to find 4 fry. None looked freaked or touched in any way, so that's a good sign.


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## MysticSky22301

Poor little fishy!


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## dcg

Everybody is ok. 

Little brothers, age zero days (later into the day).

The male let the nest fell apart.

















I guess he dosen't need too much of a nest when he has only 4 fry. That's right, again 4 fry. 









Overnight he did build another fresh little nest though.


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## dcg

Age: 13 days.

They sometimes fight.

Right attacks left. Left is like "Are ya talkin' to me?"









Left mounts a quick counterattack.









Left pushes on.









Right realizes he messed with the wrong guy.









Right runs in shame. 









Colors.

























Mr. Thermo.


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## MysticSky22301

Aww!


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## dcg

Age: 2 weeks.

























Age: 1 day (little brothers). 20 May 2016, first day of free swimming stage.


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## dcg

Age: 15 days.

Two couples.









The aggressor is probably a male.











Age: 2 days (little brothers).


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## dcg

Age: 16 days.









Age: 3 days (little brothers).


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## dcg

Age: 17 days.

Like a boss.









Age: 4 days (little brothers). You can see artemia in his belly.


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## dcg

Age: 18 days.

Little gem.









Hello runt!









Age: 5 days (little brothers)


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## dcg

Age: 19 days.

Eating frozen food.

















Age: 6 days (little brothers).


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## MysticSky22301

The few you have look great!


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## dual700

So, they are that big on day 19???
I must be doing something wrong. I have 10 batches, some are 2 months, the youngest one are 17 days, none of them are that big.
I feed them microworms 2x a day and change water regularly..
Wow!


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## dcg

dual700 said:


> So, they are that big on day 19???
> I must be doing something wrong.Wow!


Actually I am doing something wrong and I know it. I have some personal issues and I must quit the betta hobby because I don't have time for it anymore. Last Friday I sold all my adult bettas but the fry cannot be sold so it comes to two chooses: throw them or grow them. I'll take the later but the fry will not enjoy the best care I could do.

Bye-bye adults, please find skilled fish keepers.









You can check my other spawn logs if you want to see good (and complete) results.


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## dcg

Age: 20 days.
Age: 20 days.

This looks like a non red to my eyes. The expected 25% non red (the parents had a non red mother) is full-filled. I have 3 males and an unsexed runt that will not make it.









Age: 1 week (little brothers)


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## dcg

Age: 3 weeks.









All of them: 3 males and 1 runt.









The runt. Look at his gills.









Age: 8 days (little brothers).


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## dcg

Age: 22 days.

The nonred is below.









Little betta face.









Age: 9 days (little brothers).


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## dcg

Age: 23 days.









Age: 10 days (little brothers).


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## dcg

Age: 24 days.









The nonred. You can see his yellowish tail.









Age: 11 days (little brothers).


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## dual700

dcg said:


> Actually I am doing something wrong and I know it. I have some personal issues and I must quit the betta hobby because I don't have time for it anymore. Last Friday I sold all my adult bettas but the fry cannot be sold so it comes to two chooses: throw them or grow them. I'll take the later but the fry will not enjoy the best care I could do.
> 
> Bye-bye adults, please find skilled fish keepers.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You can check my other spawn logs if you want to see good (and complete) results.


That's too bad..I hope you come back!!
I saw some of your logs, great job!!


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## dcg

Dual700, thank you for your words.


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## MysticSky22301

I wish I could take a few ^^ they are beautiful


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## dcg

Haha, I see what you did here. :laugh:

Age: 25 days. 

My metallic boys, last days of friendship.

































Age: 12 days (little brothers). The days of brownish tadpole life are over for him.


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## MysticSky22301

Did you get any girls? I can't really tell at this size


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## dcg

No, I have 3 boys and 1 runt that will never develop enough to be sexed. The parents of the fry come from a spawn of over 130+ fry consisting in 100+ males and about 20 females. It must run in their blood. ) My former red line was the other way around: 100 fry and only 4 males. 

This means that this spawn could be full of males: http://www.bettafish.com/148-betta-...erdelta-x-royal-blue-superdelta-siblings.html

I guess we will see in 1 week or so.


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## MysticSky22301

Poor little runt lol I'm SO close to getting everything together to spawn... I'm actually tempted to take them outside but night time temperature would probably cause problems


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## dcg

So get them outside with a heater.


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## MysticSky22301

That's one of the things I'm missing actually and my cultures bleh... I wish my guppies would grow faster because I sell the ones I don't keep for more fish and supplies lol


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## Fenghuang

Amazing. I'm not understanding how your fry grow so quickly though. My 2 week old fry look like your fry at 1 week.


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## kitkat67

Fenghuang said:


> Amazing. I'm not understanding how your fry grow so quickly though. My 2 week old fry look like your fry at 1 week.


Holy crap! My fry are at week 7 and change, and they look like your 3-week olds! Good job on the growth!


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## MysticSky22301

I brought in some mosquito larvae for my baby Betta red he's LOVING them ^^ the little girl we bought at the same time has totally out paced him in growth


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## dual700

When you feed them that much, you don't get swim bladder disease issue?
I can see that some of mine are laying sideways 

Do you get disease on your frys often?
I have to fight diseases constantly..


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## dcg

kitkat67 said:


> Holy crap! My fry are at week 7 and change, and they look like your 3-week olds! Good job on the growth!


At 5 weeks of age, for me, it is game over. Male building nests in grow-out and girls being moved with adult females. See here: http://www.bettafish.com/148-betta-spawn-logs/653002-red-vt-x-red-pk-10.html#post7203066


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## dcg

dual700 said:


> When you feed them that much, you don't get swim bladder disease issue?
> I can see that some of mine are laying sideways


Yes I do. At about 2 weeks of age some of the fry are entering an awkward stage, the swim bladder acting on them and not keeping the pace with the body growth. In the red spawn (link above) ALL of the fry had issues, and they needed to reach 5 week of age to regain stability. But, before reaching 6 week of age ALL of the fry (by then young adults) were completely cleared of swim bladder issues and to stayed that way though their lives (as much as I could witness). I noticed that using bad body form parents (reds were pet shop fishes, even veiltails) yields high percentage of bent spines and swim bladder problems, but even nice fishes can have struggling fry. If it happens, do NOT stop feeding, this tactic only applies to adults. If you are starving fry to clear issues you will only freeze them in that stage. They need to grow to stretch that swim bladder. 



dual700 said:


> Do you get disease on your frys often?
> I have to fight diseases constantly..


I only had one problem with my first spawn (over a year ago), when I was inexperienced and wondered if 10 dead fry every day is normal or not. When I decided f*ck that, I medicated (for fungus) and treated successfully. The rest of the spawns were disease free and I believe that high temperatures (28-29C) and daily water changes discourage parasites (ich, velvet) to gain and hold terrain. But I can imagine that contagious diseases are terrible news in grow-outs. :surprise:


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## dcg

Age: 26 days.

They are play fighting. This looks like a big waste of time from where I'm standing, because there are no girls to appreciate their efforts. 

Right charges.









Left (non red) fights back.









Non red chases away the loser. 









Here is the runt. He is constantly harassed by the bigger brothers.









Age: 13 days (little brothers).

You are quite metallic, aren't ya? 

















That dorsal is coming seemingly from nowhere. He apparently remembers that 3 generations in the past he had double tail siblings. 









With a brother (or sister).


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## liamthen

i read someone quitting but i am not sure, i hope isn't you dcg


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## dcg

For now the fry are holding me their prisoner.  There's less fun when you grow them without scoping for the next breeders.


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## dcg

Age: 27 days.

This is their real color, without flash.









Here's the mom, see the family resemblance? 









The runt compared with a normal brother.









The non-red.









This one seems to win all the fights, despite being the most inspiring. Alfa male.









Playing chicken.









Attacking.









Age: 2 weeks (little brothers).

Size vs Mr. Thermo.









The bluest of them.









They found each other.









So there are 4 of them, like in the case of the older brothers, and there is also one the seems to be left behind playing the runt part.


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## MysticSky22301

They are turning out so pretty!


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## liamthen

i think there's something wicked about your location's water quality, there's no way anyone can do that size in only 27 days


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## dcg

Or not, according with the findings of the other betta breeders from Bucharest, with whom I'm sharing the water source. If not, I'm quitting my job to make a fortune selling water to hobbyists from my magic spring. You can be my subsidiary for your part of the world.


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## dual700

Please breed giants :grin2:


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## dcg

dual700 said:


> Please breed giants :grin2:





liamthen said:


> dude, please breed giant :grin: , it will be a big show for us with how you raise those fry size so quickly


Great minds think alike. :wink3:


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## dcg

Age: 4 weeks.

When hungry, they are begging and pretty much ignore each other.









It's a matter of seconds to full their bellies.

















When full, they can dedicate time for other activities.









































Age: 15 days (little brothers).


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## dcg

Age: 29 days.

The runt having a hard time.









Age: 16 days (little brothers).

There are 5 of them after all.


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## dcg

Age: 30 days.

































Age: 17 days (little brothers).


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## MysticSky22301

They are beautiful! That poor runt


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## dcg

Age: 31 days.

Quarreling as usual.

































3 way duel.









Age: 18 days (little brothers).

This one is a big male, bigger them most of this stepbrothers 6 days older. He also bullies the other 4 fry in his tank.









The metallic one.









Group photo.


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## dcg

Age: 32 days.

Left corner, the Alfa male. It took me 5 generations to achieve a true full mask. 









Him again. I'm beginning to like him. 









He really blossomed, that's how the ugly duckling looked 5 days earlier (age 27 days).









Leave him alone, he only tries to take food from surface.









Age: 19 days (little brothers).

This is the satrap and also a heavyweight.









I tried to convince him to go near Mr. Thermo for a size hint, but this is the best I could do.









The metallic. Being a non red helps his golden appearance.


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## dcg

Age: 33 days.


















Age: 20 days (little brothers).

























If you noticed that things are looking different, that's because I moved the big brothers and the little brothers together in a new clean tank. 









The numbers: 

First spawn: 4 fry, all males (1 runt)
Second spawn: 5 fry, all males. ))

While moving the 9 fry into the new tank, I did a unscheduled measuring session. See next post for that one.


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## dcg

Betta male 33 days old (4 weeks + 5 days). Those are centimeters.









I would say 3.3 centimeters (1.3 inches) for that 33 days old one.









Let's see the full masked, 33 days old.









Again, 3.3 cm (1.3 inches) at age 33 days.









Now, let's measure a little betta brother, *age 20 days* (2 weeks + 6 days).









A closer look. He's just shy of 3 centimeters, or about 2.9 centimeters (1.14 inches). For a fry 20 days old, I declare myself impressed.


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## liamthen

its a shame that you should quit breeding after this spawn , especially looking on those promising fry plus not many persistent and stubborn breeder to be found around lately :laugh::laugh:, 11 fail consecutive failed spawn if i count it right? i hope your leave will be just temporary dude.


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## MysticSky22301

I REALLY like that non red metallic boy oh my!

I can't really see the mask though on the big one


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## dual700

:surprise::surprise::surprise:

Holy moly!!


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## dcg

Age: 34 days.

















Age: 3 weeks (little brothers).









Both ages.


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## dcg

Age: 5 weeks.

No fry.









Free fry.









The struggle is over.


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