# royal blue/black HM male and turquoise/black HM female



## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

Placed a sibling pair in spawn tank a few days ago after conditioning on frozen BS for 2 weeks. The female showed no interest and i was worried that she needed food so i fed her in the spawn tank with pellets. she ate but he ignored the pellets and just kept doing his dance. came home from errands and found eggs in the nest. he is now tending the nest like a good dad. the female is back in her sorority. both have a little torn fins but not too bad.

i had a hard time getting pics as usual so here are some bad ones. ill try and get some better ones later. the fish are from a local breeder and are much better then my last spawn as far as quality goes. i hope the eggs hatch.

my goal for this spawn is to start a melano line.


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## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

Nice pair! I hope for the best!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Good luck!


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## SinX7 (Oct 20, 2012)

Good luck and I love the Royal Blue!


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

Thanks for all the good wishes. Today they hatched. I think between 70 - 100. I'm pretty excited. MW culture is ready. Male will be left in for another 36 hours.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Good luck!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Hoorah for hatched babies!


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## madmonahan (Aug 26, 2012)

Wow! What a beautiful pair!!!!! Wish you the best of luck!!!!! ^.~


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## Boikazi4o9 (Jan 24, 2012)

Nice looking pairs. Can't wait for the outcome!


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

Thanks for the nice comments on my bad pics lol. I have siphoned the bottom and fed MWs. Removed the fake plants and added java moss. 

One of the fake plants I had was used in a tank for a week. It had a slimy coat on it. I thought it was algae but now I know it was something else. It came off the fake plant in slimy sheets. It made a big mess that I siphoned up. It seems to have no effect on fry. Hoping for the best. 

Note... Don't use unfamiliar things in spawn tank.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Heater snot? Protein sludge perhaps?


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## Maddybelle (Sep 29, 2012)

LOL, I HATE heater snot!! Anybody know what causes it?

Gorgeous pair, BTW!! I love their color.


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## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

What is heater snot? I have a fummy feeling my sisters tank has it because her tank get a horrible clear-white stuff on the top in thick layers it looks like the surface has a thin layer of ice - sludge on the top it is discusting! How can you get it to go away? Good luck with your fry!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

It is generally harmless until it costs the top of the water since bettas are then nearly unable to penetrate the surface for air. Scooping out with a cup, or laying paper towel or a cloth ontop then removing usually works. Using a bubbler or filter to break the surface is best, as still water lets it settle.

Heater snot... Not exactly sure how to explain it :lol: just some gooey filmy stuff that is usually on the heater but can make it to plants, decor and surface of the water. It's slimey, annoying and gross


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

I believe it was a coating that came on the newish plant. I had two plants like that from the same store. The fish seem fine. They are eating both bbs and MWs without a prob. Just trying to adjust feeding so there is not too much left overs on the ground. Siphoned tank twice. I think only two dead total. Still too small for my camera.


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

siphoned again today. this tank is outside and there is brown algae growing in it. i dont know if this is why the tank bottom seems to be cleaner then when i kept the spawn tank inside the house with no sun during my last spawn. 

they dont really eat the decaps i put in there but i still add just a little once a day. 

they are one week old. here are some pics. i just put in the mws.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Good job!!  Don't worry, mine did not eat decapsulated brine shrimp either. They are almost 4 weeks and some are willing to.


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

2 weeks. they just had bbs. this tank has brown algae infestation. i dont know if its good or bad for the fish. could the brown algae be eatting up the waste? they look healthy.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I just scrape the brown algae. Not sure if it is harmful but I always get it... I just keep it manageable by removing most if it once a week (depending on severity of algae)


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## Dmsantana (Nov 15, 2012)

About how long before you know the outcome of how many survive?


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

It would usually be 3-4 weeks where you know for sure (depending on the growth of the fry)


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

i dont like to project like that. id estimate close to 100 in this spawn and im hoping for the best. we will see what happens.


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## meganlbetta (Nov 25, 2012)

OMG I love your breeding pair!!! I am in love with the black blue combo on bettas!! Hope all is well with your fry and it will be super exciting to see what they turn out like, Post lots of pics


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## DragonFyre14 (Aug 20, 2012)

I really like the parents. they are really pretty. The babies are adorable little things right now, can't wait to see them as they get older


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

By brown algae - do you mean the brown layer forming on the tank floor and walls? You can scrape and siphon them out. I think they're harmless and will eventually become green algae. Most of my small tanks have/had them.


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

ty for the kind comments.

yes the algae started on the walls then moved to the floor. i wipe it with a paper towel and siphon it every couple of days. it gets on the java moss which i wash out periodically as well. 

the more the fry grow... the more i am debating on how to grow them out. im guessing aboit 100 fry. i might try a 2 - 15 gal tubs and a npt 20L. only problem is that the npt will be my first npt that i will start on tuesday. i hope it will be established enough.


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## EvilVOG (Nov 23, 2011)

i would avoid an npt as a grow out as you're not supposed to siphon an NPT and growouts need constant siphoning.

I always have to fight algae in my spawn tank


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I just let algae be there :lol: my fry love to nom it as do the delicious critters (daphnia, infusoria etc)


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

a little over 3 weeks. still struggling with the brown algae problem. its not so bad because at least it doesnt seem to affect the frys health. id like to leave it but then i wouldnt be able to see the fish at all if i let it go for a few weeks.

i guess ill have to go with a second tub then since the npt grow out might be difficult. just got to find another table to put the on so i can siphon.

i really need to get a better camera. my phone just isnt good enough. thinking about a canon t3i. anyone got any suggestions on cameras?


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Canon T3i definitely. the older versions are not bad either. I actually have a Canon PowerShot SX240 HS


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

about a month now. i have an outbreak of ich in the tank above this. im watching the fry carefully. hoping ich wont reach this tank. i have been trying to add some decaps with the brine shrimp feeding. dont know if its working yet.

on another note i found out they will be opening a petsmart in a town 20 miles from me. that will be the only petsmart on the island. hoping they will have nice bettas... hmm that would be bad and good. =)

excuse the cat hair in the first pic... haha


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

haha cat hair :lol: 

what good looking little fry ^_^

I hope your ich infected tank will be okay :/


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

You have a beautiful pair. They will defiantly be royal blue and black. Good luck.


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

it is a month and 2 weeks. they seem to be on the small side but steadily growing. they are finally starting to eat decaps so hopefully i can stop hatching brine shrimp in about a week. 

i will probably separate the spawn into 3 tanks in the next week or so. that should help with the growth. (10 gal, 15 gal and a 15 gal tub)


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## TheCheese909 (Aug 11, 2011)

Picture #2 looks like they are kissing lol.  I love Betta fry, they are always so adorable


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Great pictures, keep up the good work.


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## Marvel170 (Jan 2, 2012)

any updates on the fry?


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

i had trouble with this spawn. 3 things. 
1. i was over feeding bbs. led to some fish with sbd. culled those. approx 30.
2. water was too cold. 72F at night. 76F day. slow growth. got heaters. set 80F.
3. i believe the decap bs was going bad. more slow growth and some fish die. switched them to hikari first bites. then hikari guppy pellets. and now hikari micro pellets. 

problems solved. fish growing. about 70 left. 

will update pics when i have time.


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

i took this pic really quick. been busy. they are very undersized for their age but as i said earlier i had some problems that i think are resolved. they are growing faster now.


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## Crowntails (Feb 12, 2013)

Cute!


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## Marvel170 (Jan 2, 2012)

looking great


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## royal (Jan 23, 2013)

Any updates????


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

ugh just when i thought things were going good for this spawn. i was cleaning the tank and saw velvet on some fish. they look healthy other then that. i am treating with coppersafe and salt. also covering the tank with a towel to block out light.

i put in 1 tsp salt/ 1 gallon water. normally i would put 2 so its half dose.
i put in 3 tsp coppersafe. its a 15 gal tank and its about 13 gallons full i think. the label says 1 tsp for 4 gallons so not quite the full dose. if anything ill add a 1/4 tsp more tmr if the fish look ok.


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## Renzia (Jan 19, 2013)

Oh geeze... well they looked good in the previous photos! Hope the velvet clears up, would love to see them as adults!


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

Can't wait until they start to color in! They are gonna be good looking girls and guys like their parents


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

looks like they have recovered from velvet without losing any. i am crossing my fingers. yesterday i added another 1/4 tsp to make it a full dose of coppersafe. my 15gal is not all the way full. they already look good but i will leave them in the coppersafe for another day. 

then i will watch them for another week and if all is good move them to a 55gal for grow out and see what happens.


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## royal (Jan 23, 2013)

Good to hear!


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## Jennifer Vazquez (Jul 12, 2013)

Updates???


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

they grew to adults. but I was not happy with results. had only a few keepers. some had the rose tail bad scaling. dorsal was too narrow

I liked one of the marbles so I kept her and out crossed to a blue grizzle male I had with less branching but has dt gene to improve dorsal. they are only half inch atm so cant tell what they will look like.

here I learned that the female has so much to do with the final look. male seems to have a big effect on branching and shape of body.


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## chardzard (Jan 7, 2013)

hi I read most of your post here with your last post it make me wonder way were you looking for at first I though you were trying to get black because both male n female show strong black I would have look for a copper or marble to add to the mix but that just me I love how the fry were looking too ^_^ well good luck


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## TruongLN (Jul 13, 2012)

The parents of this spawn are amazing!


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## Araielle (Jan 16, 2014)

Wow..I can't wait to see more pics.


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