# What is Freddy DOING?



## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Long story short, Freddy's my MG VT boy I got back in August. He's going through some changes lately, I didn't expect it really...

The other day I noticed a spot on his gill, so I PM'd Sakura. We were thinking either a slow acting columnaris or flukes but Freddy was acting normal and eating great.









_*4 days ago, notice the yellow on his side*_

I decided to watch him before treating. Its been crazy here lately with the cat rescue and the feral foster so I didn't stop to look at him until tonight and I was horrified. The top/side of his head and left side is covered... I took him out for better inspection and to go into a 2g set up for treatment and this is what I saw 




























This is when Freddy first came home...









So Sakura, looks like there's nothing really wrong with Freddy! 

Has anyone else seen such a quick transformation? Is he still a MG? What is he now? Is this normal or a reason for concern?


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## JBosley (Jan 28, 2012)

That is insane! :shock: So it's just a color change?


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Just color! he started getting a yellow dorsal fin about a month ago, and the whole fin turned yellow. Thought it was cool! But now I see it's going and going and it looks like the yellow is taking over his whole body. Nothing else wrong with him, he acts and eats normal.


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## Zappity (Oct 15, 2011)

Oh my God! Color change, much?  
He's very pretty, I guess he just wants to be yellow now...?


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Maybe it's from living beside Twitch? Every since I put him in the divided tank, with Twitch beside him... he's been changing lol *silly I know*

Twitch:


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## JBosley (Jan 28, 2012)

I want him! Haha, I would kill for a Yellow Betta


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Pitluvs, ohmigosh! :shock: :shock: I can't believe that change! And the yellow is so iridescent and shiny! Oh, wow, I'm so glad it's not a slow-moving columnaris. Phew! Now he's definitely the most unique betta I've ever seen. :shock:


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Imagine the shock when I looked at him and I saw all this over his face and head, after you mentioning columnaris lol I was like O_O <-- 

He's one weird ticket!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

As long as he's eating and acting normally, I guess we have nothing to worry about. But wow. He looks so totally . . . astonishing. He positively shimmers though. I don't think columnaris fuzz would look half as pretty as that. XD


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## peachesxo (Jan 20, 2011)

Wow! Your betta is a shape shifter! xD


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

That is so wild Pit! It's almost like he lost his dark pigmentation in areas.


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## 1fishBlueFish (Feb 6, 2012)

WOW!!! That is amazing!! Freddy is one gorgeous fishy!!


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

So weird.. the only thing that pops into my head is a bacteria infection as that can cause rapid color change- marbling or color changing in the fish on the normal scale doesn't change that quickly, that drastically that I am aware of or heard of..

Glad he is healthy in every way, but would keep an eye on him. Silly little guy..


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Myates, need info on that one! He's been changing since he was in a divided tank, slowly at first but the yellows really taken over the last few weeks.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I'll see if I can get together some info, double check things and send to you.. have to get daughter ready for school tomorrow first.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Okay, I'm at a loss- some bacterial infections have color loss, and grey patches.. 
Something is either up with his genes (as that isn't really a "normal" color for bettas.. at least how it looks in the pictures.
Do you see red streaks/lines? Septicemia can cause color loss, but unsure if to that degree.. and stress doesn't cause it to form that way, usually it's even over the body, or going from head to tail in intensity. 

What I am looking at is the Rl, Red-loss gene, and how it affects other colors. 
The red-loss trait will cause the red color in young bettas to disappear when it matures. When the fish ages or due to fin damage, the red color sometimes returns. 

It is thought that the red-loss mutation was introduced together with the marble mutation, because most marbles do not show any red pigment . The red-loss trait is caused by distinct gene than the marble gene (which affects the black coloration), the red-loss (Rl) gene. The red-loss mutation is extremely variable in its expression and is dominant over all other Red genes, except extended red.

According to Dr. Gene Lucas, yellow colored bettas do not result from the action of a single gene. There is no such thing as a yellow gene that produces a yellow phenotype in Bettas. Yellow Betta are phenotypes. The yellow color itself was designated as 'non-red' by Lucas. This 'non-red' recessive gene caused bettas to be yellow where they would normally be red.

Okay, I'm at a loss here, and out of time- spent the last hour trying to get info, but not a lot out there with his symptoms.. I'll continue looking when I can. If it's just his genes and body going nuts, at least it's doing it in a unique kind of way.
I'd PM Darkmoon or OFL just in case they ran across this at some point.


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

Wow that's a shocking color change! No wonder you were worried...


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## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

oh my glob he's gorgeous!


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## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

There is a strange phenomenon--seen in almost all animals(humans, snakes, dogs, birds) where for no apparent reason, color seems to just..go away. A green animal turns yellow, a yellow animal turns white, a brown animal turns a bright silver or peach! There are a lot of reasons for when this happens, sometimes it's genetics, sometimes it's something to do with the food, but other times it seems to have no cause at all and is just a 'fluke'! 

Hopefully he is just a fluke and is healthy!  Sometimes the lack of color stays this way, sometimes it goes back to normal..sometimes it goes through other weird changes before it finally settles down!


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Could the fact that there was marbles in his spawn have anything to do with it? Could it be a hidden gene that's coming out now that he's older? I would say he's just about a year old. I bought him in August of last year but he didn't seem to be a full grown Betta then. Sadly, I'm not up and up on genes. Myates, I'll read all that in a minute and try to make heads or tails of it. Honestly... the yellow on his is a beautiful gold and it's still spreading. I'll post pictures tomorrow, the side of his face is nearly all yellow now.

I'm really confused as well, as he's acting fine and normal. Still his spunky old self and eating great. His two room mates are not effected at all (Nixon and Twitch).


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Since there are marbles in his spawn, that does seem like it could be playing a factor. It's really a gorgeous yellow, not sickly at all.


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## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

Strange though, as he doesn't show any other signs of being a marble. Looks like a form of hypopigmentation(think like vitiligo in humans, but for a fish) but he could just be a weird marble! Maybe it was caused by just some dumb luck and part of the gene for marble just activated. It's strange!


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Pet store Bettas.. never a dull moment lol


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Amen to that, Pitluvs.


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

Wow... what an interesting change... hopefully its just genetics making a call to remind us how random it can be... fingers crossed


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## cjayBetta (Jan 18, 2011)

woooow thats crrrrrrazy


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Update on Freddy


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## styggian (Dec 13, 2011)

That is ridiculously neat, and now he definitely does look marble!


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## pasoindy (Feb 19, 2012)

That is incredibly cool. I thought it was neat when mine changed from turquoise to blue, but yours is wild. I love his new look!


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I've had others slightly change, but Freddy takes the cake!


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## styggian (Dec 13, 2011)

Pitluvs said:


> I've had others slightly change, but Freddy takes the cake!


I'm excited to see if Duckie changes. He already looks interesting, has a couple tiger stripes on his back, but if he decides he wants to look different, that'll be fun too!


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

holy... carp!

Freddy is bleached blonde!!


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## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

dude, this is Uber awesome..... i wish my fish changed colors... :/ lame fish of mine cant even change colors, jk ll, but it''d be awesome.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Bleach blonde!! hahaha Awesome Silver!! 

You never know what you'll get with these pet store Bettas


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Freddy positively shimmers! That is the most amazing, complete color change I've ever seen in a betta. Freddy, you are awesome!

Haha, now that's he's "blonde," he reminds me of Fred in Scooby Doo.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

I'd steal him


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

*arm wrestles Silverfang for the bleached blond betta boy*


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

*throws a handful of duckweed to distract*


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

:rofl:


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I gosh Freddy, I hope you're done! Gives me a heart attack, every time I see Freddy at the tank I jump thinking Twitch is in Freddy's spot LOL


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## BetterBetta (Jun 13, 2011)

Sooo... before:









And AFTER: 








Thats so spiffy and cool


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

He turned out so beautiful! :O


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Thanks for putting the pictures together.. what a crazy monkey he is. I always said all my Bettas have something interesting about them but Freddy was always plain. I guess he fixed that.

It's funny, you can see the same patterns in his fins, even though he's all yellow. Compare the two pics and you can see where his original yellow (MG) was LOL


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## Leeniex (Aug 14, 2011)

Holy cow! Freddy wanted to be a blonde. Whatch him start to change back now, lol.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

THAT would be cool.


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## Hollythebetta (Mar 5, 2012)

Wow, that is an incredible transformation! I read this page the other week which intrigued me too... 

http://bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=1114

Edited to put the right link in...


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Kony and a fish changing colour are related? o-O


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## Hollythebetta (Mar 5, 2012)

Not that I'm aware of!  I'm on my phone, and strange things happen with iPhones....

I fixed the link....


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Wow! That is incredible. I'm glad he's okay and hope his good health continues - what a transformation.


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## MollyJean (Dec 29, 2009)

Did his frill change as well? I've never seen anything like that, but it brings to mind the old stories of people's hair turning white because they where scared half to death.


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## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

He's just gorgeous before and after!


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## LionCalie (Sep 24, 2011)

Wow, Freddy is amazing! I can honestly say he made the most drastic color change I have ever seen.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Molly, his frill?

Holly, thanks for the link! That was amazing to watch, reminds me so much of Freddy lol


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## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

i think they meant beard....


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

MistersMom said:


> i think they meant beard....


Actually, now that I'm looking at them... Twitch's beard is black but Freddy's is yellow...


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

wow. he's amazing!

i hope that's whats going on with Swish, and that he's not actually sick >.<

looking closer, i'd say Swish is a similar color to Freddy's before. Swish started out pretty dark blue, then his dorsal, fins, and tail have been changing to that greenish color like your fish before. wow, that'd be insane if he's changing color too. i sincerely hope that's what is happening!


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

I still wanna steal him


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## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

Silverfang said:


> I still wanna steal him


+1

and its ironic that your originally yellow fish has a black beard and your originally black fish has a yellow beard  lol


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Pitluvs, my eyes just boggle every time i see Freddy now. He was handsome before but now he is positively dazzling. You truly take the prize for having the most unusual betta on the forum. 

*challenges Silverfang to a duel for Freddy and vows not to be distracted by handfiuls of duckweed*


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

*distracts with a mailing envelope addressed to Sakura.... with DUCKWEED! filling it!*


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Uhh duckweed, my 29g is taken over by it. I have to sell some LOL


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

Haha, they're just jealous since it's illegal to import.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

wish I could find duckweed. :/ :lol:


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Sena Hansler said:


> wish I could find duckweed. :/ :lol:


When it warms up some, I can send you duckweed  I'll just toss some in a bag, pack it up in a small box and send. Shouldn't be more than $10 to ship a small box  Or I could just place it in wet newpaper and seal it in a baggie and send that way


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

sweet =D lol now it isn't so bad being in canada :lol: ... ... when it is warmer. I mean.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Woohoo, duckweed! I mean, wait, where'd Freddy go?!


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

That is amazing, Pitluvs. 

But I wanted to compliment you on your photography. Those are clean, well-focused shots. Ought to put Freddy in the contest.


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## Ramble (Mar 13, 2012)

Amazing! It's a Houdini fish! He turned out beautiful, though.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I will say. I totally love your fish o_o I've never seen that fast of a color change - fastest was a few days, for Crayola... that was it!


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Well this took about 2 months to complete, but it's a huge change. Everyday the yellow would creep more and more lol

Hallyx, it's actually a $50 point and shoot Kodak. But I know how my camera works. Basically, I stand back, take a HUGE MP picture, put it on picasa and crop it down to just Freddy. Comes out nice! I also take it on a bit of an angle so I don't get a glare


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

All I can find are cameras without cords, or film cameras  I want a canon or sony (or kodak) camera :lol: If I can find one. With cords.


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## OMGemily (Feb 28, 2012)

oh my that is INSANE! hes so pretty though! your fish and that link about marbles makes me want to go buy one right now! haha the most Antione has changed is just showing his yellow/green a little brighter


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Sena Hansler said:


> All I can find are cameras without cords, or film cameras  I want a canon or sony (or kodak) camera :lol: If I can find one. With cords.


I lose all my cords lol What I did was buy a memory card reader at WalMart for $10, and I take the card out of my camera and plug it into my computer. Much faster too. My camera takes AA's, so I bought Kodak rechargable ones that come with a charger. So really, I only have the camera myself, and I bought the batteries and the memory card reader  

Now my other Fuji camera, it has a square battery and I can't find the charger. PAIN!!



OMGemily said:


> oh my that is INSANE! hes so pretty though! your fish and that link about marbles makes me want to go buy one right now! haha the most Antione has changed is just showing his yellow/green a little brighter


I have a marble here, and 2 others with the marble gene and none of them have changed really. But yet, Freddy does this LOL I wonder if he'll change back!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I found some film cameras. and by some I mean tons :lol: minota or something brand, and fujifilm.


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## inareverie85 (Apr 18, 2008)

I just have to say that I am SO jealous. O_O He looks amazing


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Sena Hansler said:


> I found some film cameras. and by some I mean tons :lol: minota or something brand, and fujifilm.


Minolta... ewwwww.


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## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

That is awesome! :0 I have a marble that is doing something very similar and I was really worried but now not so much.. he's also very happy/active and buliding bubble nests. It's just he's got this patch on the back of his head and around his face that keeps spreading.. Hope he ends up as neat as yours!


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Dude...:shock:

Is that the jumping gene I heard about??


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

It's the jumping gene, it has to be!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

ok minolta it isn't then :lol: nah I found a good cheap but great starter photogrsphy camera, Canon, which I may get in April ;-) we get a 700.00 bonus so I can use half....


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I want my red fish to turn yellow. How does one breed for that?


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

good question hehe that would be neat to see


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

I do not think Swish is doing the color change thing like Freddy- his weird yellow headband thing is fading, and is getting closer to his normal blue. I still adore Freddy. My dream betta is yellow.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I love yellow ones


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

Oh man Tiki, i am in love with Chulinda_99's "Quality HM no, 9" on Aquabid. he's a yellow HM butterfly. SO LOVELY.

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwbettashm&1332379911



i will have a yellow fish one day xD


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I don't think you can have red/yellow on the same fish, correct me if I'm wrong? I think it's the same chromosome or something like that? LOL All I know is someone said on here before that they wanted a yellow/red betta like Iron man and someone said it can't be done.. but gold/red can. I wonder if that would even be possible for a betta to go from red to yellow.

The jumping gene must have attached to his blue gene on the color chromosome, which null and voided it letting his yellow (in the mustard gas pattern) take over the whole body.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I think I remember that thread... and they said it was not possible for a yellow/red to be together on the same fish because it is the same "color" technically, but yellow is the mutation of red.

I have an El Dorado yellow betta =D love him. THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE AT THE PET STORE!!! (so tempted... soooo tempted....)


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## Bettas Rule (Aug 18, 2011)

That's the coolest transformation that I have seen so far...


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Sena Hansler said:


> I found a good cheap but great starter photogrsphy camera, Canon, which I may get in


And if it has a viewscreen that pivots and twists, that would be a wonderful bonus. My Canon A610 has that feature; I'll never have another camera without it.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I'll see what there is  most of my tanks are in natural light now o.o so I won't need to use other lights ;-) and it'll look nicer haha.


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## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

Well you can have a red and gold... I know I had one.. and I've seen them with more balanced colors.. I don't know about red and yellow.. you can have pink/peach and yellow..


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

You can certainly have gold and red, but I know it's hard to get red and yellow. When that person was looking for a fish that looked like Iron Man, I suggested gold and red  So purdy!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

well iron man is gold and red o.o Not yellow =D costumes are yellow and red, though :lol:

Dally is yellow and orange. closest I've gotten


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Twitch was yellow, then he went all turquoise on me lol My first male Betta, Joey, back in 2005 was a pure yellow Betta. Last one our WalMart ever sold, they were going to throw him out  I just adore Eldo


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

they were going to throw him out??? D: I would be hurt if someone threw El Dorado out xD he lives up to his name! And I love him. -grumble-although he is a tail-biter if I don't pay attention to him-grumble-


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## kfish (Oct 5, 2010)

!!! I WANT a color changer! Freddy is gorgeous!


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Yes, they were going to toss him out since he was sick, grey and sunk to the bottom of the cup. They were not getting any more Bettas in. Thankfully I was there buying a full 29g set up and fish, so I asked for him for free. He ended up being an amazing fish. He lived in the 29g with 5 silver dollars and a pleco


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

kfish said:


> !!! I WANT a color changer! Freddy is gorgeous!


Thanks! All I ever wanted at the time was a mustard gas Betta, and I figured Freddy was it. Fooled me lol


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

well lucky fish to have you then lol.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

Freddy is amazing Pit.

Oh, and your niece has a touch of blue on the edges of her fins now, very mustardy looking


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