# Platinum Red Dragon HMPK male and Fancy HMPK female



## alunjai

Tank set up: 5g glass tank with sides covered with paper (I found that this helped the pair to focus on spawning – Similar principal to Thai breeding but the advantage is that you can remove the paper to see the eggs/fry after spawning. It’s also easier on cleaning). 

I also have some live plants, IAL, half polystyrene cup for the nest and plastic wrap to keep the heat and moist inside.

Male (Top) and Female (Bottom)


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## RainbowhLizzie

The mama is so pretty! And daddy isn't so bad looking himself. 
Subscribed!

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## alunjai

Thurs 14/11/13: The pair was placed into the spawn tank at the same time.

Friday 15/11/13: The pair spawned in the evening. Around 70-100 eggs. 

Sunday 17/11/13: Eggs hatched and dad was busy tending the nest.


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## alunjai

Day 3, 19/11/13: Fry started free swimming and dad was taken out. Gave them their first meal of boiled egg/water mixture. 

Please note that I took some of the tank water (same temp and PH) to make the egg mixture. In my previous spawn, I took the egg mixture straight from the fridge and added straight into the spawn tank (WRONG MOVE!!!). This killed off pretty much my entire spawn because of the temperature difference.


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## alunjai

Day 8, 25/11/13: 

I did my first 50% water change and sucking out most of the gunk at the bottom. Most of the fry hang out at top which makes it easier. The water was replaced with fresh water with IAL, using the drip method over night. 

Around 70% of the fry are around 4-5mm long and the rest looks like they just hatched.

Can actually see the fry chasing/following BBS and eating them.


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## alunjai

Thanks Rainbow!! I hope to get some females looking like mum


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## TruongLN

Mom looks gorgeous.


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## Crowntails

Love the dad. He's stunning.


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## alunjai

Thanks guys!! Can't wait to see them grow up and see what I get!! Will keep you guys posted


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## PetMania

subscribed


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## dramaqueen

The parents are beautiful!


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## alunjai

Day 14, 1/12/13:

The fry are doing well but around 20-30 fry seem to be growing very slowly. They still look about 4-5 days old. I also noticed one or two of the smaller ones with crooked bodies. The rest seem to be growing well and some even reaching 9-10mm long. I'm doing 25-30% WC every 2-3 days, removing all the gunk at the bottom. 

I'm having some problems hatching my BBS (never had problems in my previous spawn) so having to buy live BBS from LFS, which cost around $1.5 USD per small bag. I've already bought 2 new cans of BBS eggs for around $10 USD each but they're still not hatching. Not sure why  

Anyway here are some picture updates:

View attachment 254522


Feeding time!
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One of the larger fry feeding on BBS.
View attachment 254538


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## dramaqueen

Aww, cute babies!


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## alunjai

Thanks DQ! I roughly have 90-100 of them.... and they're growing quickly each day. Can't wait to see what I end up with... male or females... colours... etc..


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## alunjai

Day 24: 11.12.13

Some photo update of the fry at 3.5 weeks old. The majority are growing and eating well. Some reaching around 12mm long. There are about 10-15 fry that look like they're still 1 week old. 

Some of the larger ones are starting to show some colour and really tiny ventrals


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## TruongLN

They're so tiny!!! 
I bet seeing them swim around is just the best thing ever.


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## alunjai

It is the best thing, especially knowing I helped to bring them into this world!! I can't stop popping into the tank room to watch them swim and eat. Watching them hunt for BBS is such an awesome sight. Just the way they turn their tiny bodies and pounce on those BBS. 

Can't wait for them to get the stage when they start to have colour and finding out the sex


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## DalphiaRose

Super cute!


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## Mahsfish

good luck, hopefully the marble gene is passed on


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## alunjai

Thanks Mahs. I hope to get a few marbles but was wondering if I would get Koi? I heard that if you breed a solid with marble there's a chance you can get Koi? Koi is something I want to achieve.


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## dramaqueen

They're looking great! Good job!


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## alunjai

Finally got round to move the fry into an 8 gallon grow out tank. Hopefully they will start to grow faster with the extra space. I also did a count and there's 180 fry. I initially estimated 100-120. I'm actually quite surprised how many there are. 

There's still around 30 fry that looks less than a week old. They just don't grow at all. 

The larger ones are starting to show colours on the fins and body. 

Hope to post a few pictures up soon


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## dramaqueen

Wow, 180 is a lot!


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## alunjai

Ha ha.. Yeh it is a crazy amount! I hope to sell some locally and keep some for myself. I might have to cull some of the deformed babies but I will feel bad doing it


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## alunjai

A couple of pics of the fry at 7 weeks old. They are eating like pigs lol and growing up fast. They seem to know its feeding time as soon as I walk into the room - They would dart to the surface (usually in one corner).


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## dramaqueen

Lol. They're pretty smart, aren't they? They're so cute!!


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## Ceruleanblue

Wow! Those are some gorgeous fish!!! And so many too, that's a great spawn. Thanks for posting a spawn log!


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## Rauddys809

awesome!! remember to sell some to us i would buy one and help you out  just let us know when they are ready for sale!!


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## TruongLN

They're growing up amazingly!!


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## alunjai

Thanks guys! I'm currently living in Hong Kong and will only sell locally - Sorry, unless you're willing to travel here and pick up a few lol. I have never shipped fish abroad and not sure how it works. 

I was looking back at some videos of my last spawn from last year, which only 4 survived, and comparing both spawn at the age of 8 weeks, the previous spawn seems a lot larger and more developed. All 4 fry had already developed full colours at this stage. I guess there's more competition for food. I think I will start to feed them frozen daphania and maybe frozen blood worms to help them grow quicker.


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## alunjai

Some picture updates of the fry at 9 and a half weeks old (sorry the images aren't great). 

Still feeding on BBS and occassionally small crushed flakes and bloodworms. 

The colours are starting to show a bit more in some. Still can't identify the sex of the fry.


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## TruongLN

They're so cute! You can already see the dragon scales on some ofthem! 
That's awwesome!


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## alunjai

Thanks! Yes, each day I see more and more colours coming through and a few of them have dragon scales. I just wished they grow a lot quicker so I know what sex they are and their final form.

The great thing about this spawn is I'm getting a wide range of colours, which is exciting to see


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## TruongLN

Ah I bet! How exciting, was getting to this point very hard?


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## alunjai

It wasn't hard getting them to this stage but very time consuming. You have to be prepared to spawn live bbs and feed twice a day. To me the hardest part was getting the pair to spawn. Once they reached 1 week old it was just feeding them bbs and siphoning once every 3-4 days. 

They are now eating small crushed flakes, chopped up frozen blood worms and frozen daphnia. I can actually see the larger ones getting bigger and bigger each day. But I have about 20 fry that are still quite small. The smallest one looks around 3 weeks old.

I found a bully too - who is going round nipping others. Not sure if he/she is the only culprit either. I haven't seen any flaring yet but I think I will have to jar them soon.


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## TruongLN

I definitely want to try breeding, but that wont be for a while ^0^
I LOVE your spawn.


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## alunjai

Thanks!

Spawning is fun but requires a lot of dedication and time. I think reading other people's spawns/experiences will help in your research.


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## TruongLN

That's all I do, day in and day out haha.
I definitely want to be 100% prepared, try and avoid as many problems as I can!


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## alunjai

Update:


The fry are 3 months old now and were really healthy until Friday when I came home and found the fluorenscent tube blinking, which sits directly above the tank. I think it must of been blinking all day. All the fry seem to act a bit strange and dazed from the flashing light. Usually when I walk in to the room they would dash to the surface for food but they were all sitting at the bottom of the tank not moving. I switched all the lights off and left them alone for 2 days.


When I went to feed them on Sunday half of the fry were at the bottom and the other half seemed ok and swimming fine. I fed them BBS and the ones at the bottom ate the BBS but they weren't really going for their food as usual. They seemed dazed or larthagic but still eating.


I also found one lying on its side still breathing but I think its about to die 


The flashing light has definitely stressed the fry out but hopefully they will pull through.


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## KSbetta

Tong Choy Street (goldfish st) in HK where are many aquarium shops is the place to get almost everything. Prices are very attractive. Google the street name to see those pictures...


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## alunjai

My 5 gallon was given to me but yes, Tung Choi Street is the place to find many aquarium shops.


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## alunjai

Some of the larger fry at 13 weeks old.


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## alunjai

2nd and 3rd pic is of the same fry. Unfortunately he was nipped at the dorsal fin. He was taking a yawn in the 3rd pic ha ha....

The cellophane in the last pic has a white shiny spot on both sides, which I find interesting


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## SorcerersApprentice

Aww, that yawn picture is adorable!


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## TruongLN

They're so beautiful!


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## alunjai

Thanks!!


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## alunjai

I'm hoping to take more photos soon but its really cold here at the moment and they're not moving much for me to get a good shot. The colours seem to have faded away too probably from the cold weather.


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## dramaqueen

Cute pic of the one yawning. Lol


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## alunjai

The babies are almost 4 months old and starting to flare. Here are 2 of the larger ones.


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## trilobite

Omg that second male! I want him so badly


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## alunjai

Thanks Trilobite!! I would be happy to swap him for any of yours  

Everytime I look at your photos I'm like.....WOW!!!!!!! Amazing colours, amazing shapes, amazing bettas!!


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## BlueLacee

they are all so beautiful, I would want one but I have no room and it is too cold!!!!


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## Araielle

Wow! Great job! They went from super adorable to so beautiful!


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## BlueLacee

Pretty pretty


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