# Spawn Log for Rowan and Northern Lights



## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Well, I got the "OK" from work that they'll take in as many betta babies as I get from this (hopeful) spawn between Rowan the Opal Dragon HM (or really, I think he's a Delta  ) and Northern Lights (aka Nights) who is a completely cellophane veiltail.

If I get any kids out of this that you guys want, PM me for some. I'll likely have way too many for work to carry on their shelves. xD


All my bettas have been going through the conditioning process for several weeks, but as my 10g sorority got a freak parasite infestation, Nights was the only one really left available for breeding. (She lives in a 2.5g separate from the other girls... because she's a terrorist to them, lol.) I love Deltas and HMs, so whichever Rowan really is (as he's still kinda young-looking), I'm happy with whatever result I get... and yes, I realize VTs are likely to "mess up" the genetics, but this is my first spawn attempt after about half a year of research and if things don't go right... at least I'm not loosing the chance to get that "perfect" spawn together... And I don't mind veiltails, especially since most of the kids will go to the lfs I work for.

I'm sorry if I'm not making sense. |D I'm a bit scatterbrained right now.

As Nights is cellophane, I'm very interested to see how that'd mix with a color. It's also convenient that I can see if anything internally is wrong with her (which there doesn't appear to be) and see all the eggs she's carrying. Which is a lot, lol.
Rowan's opal sheen is gorgeous... and him being a dragon, I'm really interested in seeing how that mixes with cello.

Anyway, here's some decently recent pictures I have of them:

Rowan's best pic:








It's hard to see his dragon scales in all his pictures, but he has a mask on his lower jaw and back under him to his gills. He's got a bit of a dragon speckle across his back, too.

Night's best pic:








She's got this Marilyn Monroe spot on her, lol... only real color she has. She also has sparkly cheeks. xD

If I ever catch better pictures of these two before spawning, I'll definitely show it off.

Rowan's got until this Friday in the half-filled 10g by himself... and then Nights comes into view... muahahahaha....


EDIT: Also, if I sound like I'm in a bit of a hurry to breed, it's because I sorta am, but not. I have time right now to take care of all the fry and etc. but if I don't attempt it between now and the end of the month, it'll be 1. that much harder for my granpa to take care of my fish and 2. the kids would have to go to the lps earlier than I think they'd be ready for. While we do take great care of the bettas we get in, I can't help but wonder about the people buying them... y'know... "smaller betta means I can get a smaller tank to keep him/her in" sort of mainstream thinking... but if that event occurs, I think Kurt would know to really stress how well the people should be caring for them.... On an off note, we had a fantastic conversation last Saturday about setting up a new huge display tank for bettas to break mainstream thinking around our area. I seriously love the store I work at. I wish they were everywhere. |D
Anyway, once I get in the Air Force, I'll likely have very very little time to dedicate to breeding. Might as well get one done while I'm stuck at home doing nothing, right? xD;;


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

Your Bettas are beautiful.. I wish you the best of luck and bet you will be successful and have gorgeous little fry...

Kepp us all posted!


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Thanks so much! I hope things go well and I get a bunch of these little guys soon... and I will keep updates going.  Tomorrow I get Night's vase into the tank and we'll see how they respond.

Something I really want to add: I hope most of the kiddies get Night's eyes. They're a very light blue and it'd look gorgeous with Rowan colors the kids will likely have.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Good luck!


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## Bambi (Sep 11, 2011)

I love blue eye'd betta. Good luck


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Thanks!

So far, so good. They're both flirting and swimming in "Ssssssss". 

I've never seen Rowan so worked up over another betta before. This could end well.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Just got home from work and checked on them. Rowan's tall-but-tiny bubblenest grew about 5x. I'll post pictures later... need to eat dinner. |D I'm starving.

But do you think I should let her out tonight? I'll be up for a while to watch over them and see how things get.
Things are still really flirty with the two right now... but she realizes he can't get to her so she isn't swimming away as much and is more like "HA can't touch this" ... *Hammer Time*


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

lol... How cute.. Hope it all works out..
My pair just spawned this morning.. It really is a beautiful thing..


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Well, I decided to let her out... and right now, it's like a slow game of tag. He chases her is an S pattern while she swims about looking at things... then she turns to follow him around, and he still flares and wiggles in all kinds of 45' angles... lol... it's kinda cute... When they get close to each otehr, no biting happens or anything. But as I type(d) this, they are starting to swim a bit faster every word.

I'll keep you posted.

Edit: Now it's a lot of fast-chasing tag, but still no biting. Both are flaring and swimming in S's and 45's. This really _is_ going to end well... at least in an embrace. I don't see why not, anyway. |D


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

Oh wow.. Sounds like it wont be long and this will be coming together quickly


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Yeah... here's hoping! I'd love to have a pretty easy first spawn. xD

And things are progressing pretty fast... now it's not so much chasing, but more like crazily flaring and dancing. Like I'm serious, they're doing S dances so hard, it's hilarious. xD I'm trying not to laugh while watching over the top of the tank.

*glances back* Where'd they go...?

... Oh. They're back at the nest... >> Wow. Talk about fast love... I mean, no spawning yet, but she's def checkin' out his nest.

Edit: I'm considering videotaping this.

Editedit: It's like... everytime she starts to swim up to bite him, he turns to show his huge fins and she stops to turn and flare back. It's so mushy it's starting to get sickening. XDDD

Edieditedit: o___o
Welp... now the biting has started. |D After Rowan went after her maybe 5-7 times, she decided then was the time to stop flaring and run away. xD;; And here I was beginning to think Rowan was too nice....

Note (lol): Nights is used to being the top of the food chain... which is why I never had her in the sorority. I tried it, but she was WAY too violent. So she took Rowan's first several bites, but now for the first time she decided she wasn't the dominant one in this tank. I'm half-hoping this means she'll be able to join the sorority after her recovery from spawning.


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

Awww... How cute... I hope they spawn soon... Id be soo cool if we had babies only a few hours apart 
Come on Rowan and Nights.. Get into it!!


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

lol, it would be cool!  Though I find it funny how that sounds... "Get into it! Do the nature thing right now!" xD

Upon getting decent looks on the two's fins... I see a giant chunk of Rowan's anal fin taken out. >__> They're still going after each other in a flirty way, but I'm wondering when the heck she took that out? I also see no trace of that bitten-off fin....


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

Oh no.. :$ Theyll be ok.. You should see Tiny, she barely has fins ATM.. But she is still happy and active.. And she still let Dragon embrace her a MILLION times...


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

He's sure acting okay. Funny enough, I only see two thin bits of fin taken out of Night's... but hey, as long as they're swimming alright, no signs of major stress and etc., I'm keeping them in.

Nights being cellophane, she has no stress/breeding stripes. I have to rely strictly on body language... which makes this somewhat interesting yet difficult at the same time.

... and they're mainly staying close to the nest now.... For a while they were on the complete opposite side of the tank, but hey, it's going...


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

Yeah, well as long as they seem happy enough to be with each other i'd leave them 
Tiny is like that, since she is such a light colour. But I can tell when she isn't happy 
Fingers crossed, something happens soon 
What time is it where you are?


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

... .-.
I could swar' I posted a response to this.

Well, now it's 11:31 PM. It was 9:52 PM when I thought I posted. xD;


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Yep... this is gonna be an all-nighter. Hoping to see eggs when I get up in the morning.... At least they're calm enough to not shred each other to pieces now... and lots of hiding places anyway. Still flirting like mad. <___<;


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

Have you got all the lights off?


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

I've read conflicting threads about the light. Some say simulate night/day, others say leave it off, and still others say leave it on 24/7 (or y'know, however long it takes to get a spawn before giving up). I'm doing a mix of all three in hopes that there won't be anything to really throw them out of whack and they'll get it done at some point early on. Last night I pretty much simulated night/day.

If anyone can suggest a method that actually works better than the rest, please, leave comments. |D

Btw, in case I haven't hinted at it, there are no eggs to report this morning... at least I don't think so... *is studying the nest wondering why it looks slightly whiter* ...


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## Bettas Rule (Aug 18, 2011)

Good luck with the spawn!!:-D


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Thanks 

They're still... not doing it. lol


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## Bettas Rule (Aug 18, 2011)

BlakbirdxGyarados said:


> Thanks
> 
> They're still... not doing it. lol


Sometimes it take a little while. Don't worry it will happen in time. :-D


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

I've read that it can take a long time; a few people waited around 7-8 days because the pair weren't ripping each other to pieces and were still flirting... .-. But ahhh, I'm just an impatient person. I'm not going to bother them other than maybe with the light.


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

lol.. Yeah I know how you feel, everyone does something different for everything..
I showed my female to my male while they were still in their tanks then the next day I put my male in the breeding tank.. Waited until late arvo (5pm) and introduced the female in a breeding net.. Once I released her (which was again at 5pm)I gave them 2 hours and then it was 'lights out'.. By 8:30 the next morning when I woke up there were eggs on the bottom of the tank (they mustve already had a few goes)...
I know it sucks to wait but once things start happening its SO exciting..


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Rowan's got, like, five nests all over the place now. xD

Since I did the lights out las tnight, I'm going to keep the light on tonight. If they still don't have anything, I'm keeping the lights out. Based on how they act the morning after each different thing I'm doing, if they act better I'm going to keep it that way from then on... if that makes sense. 

Although I should add:

I'm going on a trip for one week to California (seeing my fiance, and it's the only chance I have). If they don't have any eggs in a nest before the 27th (not that I really plan on keeping them together that long... maybe xP), I'll separate them and have my granpa recondition them for the week I'm gone, then I'll try again.
If they do have eggs, thankfully my granpa used to breed bettas back when he was in Germany (I didn't know you could do that/had the time while in the Air Force) so he can take care of the fry's feeding and etc.

He currently doesn't know I'm breeding bettas right now... lol. He might get mad... but he'll help. |D I guess I just gotta clean my room so he doesn't struggle to get in here and feed them. >>


Anyway, this basically means that if you haven't heard from me for a week (Oct 27th - Nov 4th, fyi), that's why. :'D
I'm _really_ just hoping for a spawn soon. Every day that goes by is a day closer to my leave date for Basic Military Training. X__x


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Woke up this morning to find that Rowan has stoped tending to his bubblenest and pretty much tore Nights apart. She's alright, other than a bit of bloodied hand-fins and just torn, shredded other fins... I've got her in a QT in the 10g heated tank with AQ salt and a bit of StressCoat+ to help her out. Besides being a tad less active, she's still herself; She saw the other girls swimming about in the tank outside her QT and flared at them. |D I have a feeling she'll be back to her ol' terrorist self when she is fully healed.

Rowan's a bit beat up, too, but not nearly as badly as Nights was. (She smooshed herself between two leaves when I went in to get her, so he'd leave her alone.) He's got two, maybe three scales missing and that same tear in his anal fin gone, but otherwise, he's still pretty active. He's acclimating to his old tank (with new water) again, which also has AQ salt and StressCoat+.


I suppose it just wasn't meant to be. I thought (and am still thinking) about trying a different pair... (I've had all my bettas on conditioning food for at least a month now) but I have a few questions to help me decide.

Going around my room, all my fish who I could try breeding are as listed (excluding Nights and Rowan)
*Males* are as listed here:
Jade - HM Marble, SR-71 - CT (possibly the double-ray kind... I can't tell ), Eli - HMPK, Elaaxzus - VT (roundtail variation), and Karner Blue - Deltatail
*Females*: Ember - ?? (Her tail fin will not grow back out... she's probably so mutt-bred that her tail type is a ST... Squaretail. lol. I'll classify her as VT.), Tiger Lily - CT? (I can't tell if she's a Crown or Comb...), and the three sisters Lizzy, Anna, and Amur whose tailtypes consist of Delta, Plakat, and Halfmoon. They were bred from one of Cajunamy's pairs.

Pictures will be posted soon so I can decide a pair... and then start a new thread for that pair later on. First, the questions:

1. How can you tell the difference between a Crowntail Female and a Combtail female?

2. It's preferred that the female be a bit bigger than the male, right? Or can it work the other way around? Help on sizes please.

3. While I know VTs are undesirable for breeding, most of the kids are going to go to the pet store anyway. I would prefer to do the other tailtypes and avoid VT... but what out of my list of tailtypes I have would make an interesting mix?

4. In association with question 3, are there certain tailtypes that I should not mix as it may cause a lot of deformities? I do not have double-tails, but I know not to mix two of these kind, either.


Thanks for helping me out... and I apologize I couldn't get any kids from the opal dragon and cellophane. It would've been very interesting to see. Perhaps some other time... 

_Pictures of all my fish available/healthy enough for breeding will be posted soon._


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Help with the questions would be appreciated. >__>

But anyway, here's the males pictures... getting the females pics ready.
Eli








Elaaxzus








Strategic Reconnaisance 71 (He's realy black, but he has an electric blue sparkle on his back, as you can see here. His dorsal fin's pattern is a green, tail fin has blue, and his anal fin has a splotch of red on it. He's my rainbow fish lul.)








and finally Jade
Before (when I first got him):








And after his marbling:








(He decided to not flare because his fins weigh him down that much. |D )


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

Oh.. That's sad to hear.. I hope you can pair up another 2 and get more success out of them..
I would love to help you answer questions but Im not to sure on pairing up. I let my little girl choose the boy she liked most 
But I am also pretty sure that female needs to be equal or a little smaller than the male in length but she needs to be fattish/ healthy..


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Sorry for the delay in posting the female's pictures.... and i apolohize in advance for grammar mistakes andispellinhd. i'm on mu ipod, which i'd never be on this site via my ipod... Except an accident with rowan happened and i literally can't get up to leave his side. 

Long story short, remember when i said rowan was sitting in a cup acclimating to hos tank? I had to take his cup out to fix some things in his tank... had him in another tank that was empty, no water or anything. I thoight about putting a lid on his cup... or putting water aroind his cup so in case he did jump he'd land in something to keep him from drying. Well, Charlie (the beagle me and my granparents are watching over while my uncle is in Germany for the Air Force) had a seizure today... Needless to say, I got distracted so I could make sure Charlie wasn't hurting himself and cleaned up after any blurgh he expelled... I kept thinking in the back of my head that I should put a lid on Rowan's cup or put water in... I did get some chances to check on the fish and he was just sitting at the bottom of his cup... 

Well, you can imagine npw why i cant leave his side. I found him nearly dry in the tank and cursed myself like mad as i quickly dumped his cup of water over him. I was happy to see him twitch as a sign of life. However... while he did act fairly shaken, he seemed to act a bit normal... He took to the surface for breaths, layed on the bottom to moisturize... Now, not so much.... He's narely moving, breathing heavily and laying on hisside....I know the rules about leving him alone as he's probably really stressed, but since he doesn't bother moving to come up for air, i've very gently scooped him up with a cup and emptied the water out enoigh to expose his face to the air... I wait until I see him take a breath or two before gently laying him back in the water.... I feel helpless at this point. Not to mention stupid. I knew better, but I didn't follow my gut instinct. 

If he survibes this, he's going to be at least half blind, maybe totally. One of his eyes is filled with blood. And I know he's going to grow up with quite a few problems.... If he survives...

Sorry again for not posting. I might not for a while as I'm really worried....
i'll report his condition as it changes... but it does not look good as it is....


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## Gloria (Sep 22, 2011)

omg.. I am so sorry to here this... I hope he gets back to his normal self.. Come on rowan, you can do it little boy, you'll be ok xoxo


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Heh... thanks for the good wishes Gloria. He says thanks, too...  ....


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Thanks for the good wishes, but the week ended up being a rough one.

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?p=870153#post870153


I'm thinking I'm going to... not spawn anyone until I get out of BMT. At least I'll have more funds to help me get the fry to grow stronger, faster, and healthier, plus I'll likely have more room (rather than just jarring them and putting the jars in random places, lol...)
I also won't be so hard-pressed on time. At this point, I'd only have about 2/5-3 months of raising the fry, and by the time I get fry (if I started a new spawn today), I don't feel it'd be enough time to let them grow before I drive them to work (a local pet store). I also wouldn't have the time to respond well to anyone on here who'd want baby bettas.

I'd still appreciate answers to the questions I asked a few posts back. Otherwise, I'm done here.


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