# Yellow HM Spawn Log



## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

I've been helped along this process by so many great, knowledgable members. Since I now have "tails showing", I feel like I can create a spawn log (I think to start one b/f any hatching may jinx it!)

March 12: Introduced HM pair, Glow and Bananama Jack to the spawining tank. Lots of flaring, chasing, biting; Jack loses a chunk of his dorsal fin. After enough chasing, Jack starts on a nest. By midnight, Glow is wondering what is more interesting than her? 

March 13: After 24 hrs, Jack's built a bubble nest in another location: anchored to the sponge filter, an IAL, bubble wrap, and a hornwort branch; Glow is interested. It's a small but sprawling nest. At 1:00pm there's in tense flirting; by 3, they start releasing/fertilizing eggs; by 5pm, Jack chases Glow away. Glow is placed in a hospital tank; she eats lots of black worms.

March 14: Eggs are strewn on the bottom of the tank. Jack is doing his best to keep them "bubbled" but looks tired.

March 15: Jack attends his nest like a champ. I offer him 3 live blackworms, which he gobbles up. PM: Glow is returned to the sorority and re-assimilates quickly. No sign of any hatching! I turn up the temp from 82 to 84. Thermometer was reading just over 80 degrees. Midnight- are those teeny tails I see? only 2 or 3.

March 16 AM- I guess those little hairs are tails! But I see no movement. No more eggs on the ground. Starting fresh microworms from culture.


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Here's the best picture I can get of Glow's coloring.
(& her awesome topline, IMHO.)


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

I have more photos on my "1st Spawn Album".


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Sat. March 16 2013:
I'm so excited about the litte tails I see! At 4:00 I took a LONG walk so I'd stop checking the tank every 5 minutes. I managed to stay away from the tank until 6pm: AND I SAW A FEW TEENY FRY!!! Butch is firmly taking the strays and stuffing them back into the nest- he thinks it's too early to be swimming around!
The fry are just two black dots w/ a thread attached, almost microscopic. I can only see them w/ a magnifying glass. If the water wasn't cloudy due to IAL, it would be easier to see.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Yay! Excited to watch.


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## Jayloo (Mar 13, 2013)

Congrats on your soon to be yellow babies!


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Today, March 17, Butch has his perfectly tended nest- but:
THERE ARE NO TAILS or BABIES!!!!!
He is still tending that nest, but I see nothing but bubbles.
What is going on? What should I do?
The thermometer resds 82+, so the heater didn't fail. I don't see bodies (that I can make out).
Does anyone have an idea of what's going on?


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Did he eat them? Are they swimming around?


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

I can't see anything swimming around :0( but Butch.


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Assuming he did eat them, should I pull him out & watch the nest? Will any remaining babies live w/o his intervention?


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Pull him. If there are any remaining, they should survive.


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Done; he is in QT.


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## Option (Oct 20, 2012)

I'm pretty sure there are still eggs that made it. Is his belly gorging? If he even ate one fourth of the spawn his belly would look like its about to burst!


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## Jayloo (Mar 13, 2013)

Weren't they fry already?


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Yes; there were 3 swimming fry and a dozen or so tails.
The bubble nest is dissapating w/o Butch. I pulled the bubble wrap nest anchor free from the side.
I did a liquid test; the params I can gauge are fine.


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## Jayloo (Mar 13, 2013)

Just wait until free swimming and feed.  should be fine without the daddy.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Even if the eggs drop don't worry. They will hatch without him, if there are any left.


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

So there's some hope?


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Unless he ate all of them, yes.


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Thanks- I just took apart my brine shrimp set-up. I hadn't put any in yet.


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## Option (Oct 20, 2012)

I'm guessing there are more eggs that you haven't spotted yet. Like I said...if he ate them all, this quickly, he would be blown up like a balloon!


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## Jayloo (Mar 13, 2013)

I think it has been far too long since the spawn for there to still be eggs. They should be free swimming fry?! Right?


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

I can't see a thing.


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## Jayloo (Mar 13, 2013)

What was the spawn date?


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Jack is wiped out. I thought he was dead for a few minutes; he's sleeping in his betta hammock, refusing food. He won't interact w/me. He's in a .5 gal heated "Critter Keeper" for observation. He's not bloated nor acting like an overfed fish; just a tired one.


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## Jayloo (Mar 13, 2013)

They spawned on 13. 2 days to hatch and 2 days to free swim. There def shouldn't be eggs @ this point. Just fry and should be some free swimming...


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

I have to work a few hours tomorrow AM. When I come home, I'll check and toss the whole thing if nothing is moving.


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## Xaltd1 (Dec 9, 2012)

No signs of life in the tank.
It's frustrating b/c I can't determine what exactly happened.
Dad looks horrible, had hasn't pooped that much, indicating he didn't eat much. Unless I hired a lab to analyze the water for virus or bacterial infection, I'll never know what happened.
This log is closed


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