# Walter x Velvet VT Round 2



## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Ok so if you've been following my exploits I'm giving it another go, and for those who haven't I've tried and failed about 4 times to breed. I'm giving my original pair another go, except I'm going to remove the male again and cup the eggs. I've gotten one fry from these guys before so I'm going to see if I can't get any more this way. Their spawning as I type. They've been at it for about 45 mins and Velvet is only a bit skinnier. She just released about 20 eggs and Walter is super busy trying to pick all of them up.  I got a good feeling about this one. He's not chasing her off yet and she's not going crazy again. I'm a keepin my fingers crossed!


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

Could be they have gotten used to each other, so it isn't as tense between them as before.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

They just finished about 40 mins ago. I scooped the female out and then scooped the male, along with cupping the eggs. I'll hopefully get a count of the eggs before they hatch. I'll do the picture and colors again. It looks like another big count so we'll see :-D


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Poor Walter kinda took a beating this round. lol Velvet got her kicks in. He's missing a scale or two and She ripped a chunk of his tail fin and proceeded to eat it :-O She's missing a scale or two as well along with a few nips in her fins but over all not bad. Still waiting for the eggs to fall to the bottom of the cup so I can make a count. Their still are a few stuck to bubbles and what not


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

so the egg count is *drum roll* 600!!! I couldn't believe it. Here's hoping at least some are fertilized! I'll know by tonight!.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

Congratulations and best of luck to you.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Thanks. I'm hoping I'll be able to start seeing little eyes and tails by tonight at least. They dont all look unfertilized. Some eggs seem to have two white spots on it (one on either side). I'm hoping those are the embryo's developing.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

I do have fertilized eggs! I know it. I sucked an egg into an eye dropper and looked very closely. I say two tiny tiny eyes and a tail! I'm going to try to get a pic but we'll see how I do.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

That's wonderful news! Can't wait to see pics, especially when they hatch.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

24 hour mark just passed. Last time I had babies at the 29 hour mark. Here's hoping the madness of hatching day starts soon!


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## DTailskatr (Mar 24, 2012)

Best of luck!  Hope you see some fry soon!


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

grr its so hard to wait! I'm checking like every hour now...its been 28 hours now. I can see some of them in the egg and it's driving me nuts. I feel like I'm in an egg waiting to burst out...


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

I found 5 fry that hatched! I've sucked them out of the original cup and put them in another. I have a third cup sitting idle and I have many other that I can add into the tank. I'm so excited! I"m hoping at least half of the eggs hatch, I'd even take a fourth or heck an eighth. YAY! I probably wont get pics up until tomorrow.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Ok so last night I did have 5 fry hatch but I only saw one of them move. Since waking up only one of them is still moving. No new ones have hatched. I am going to give them a full 72 hours to hatch (so tomorrow around 4 I'm calling it). I'll give the fry I have every chance to grow big and strong but I'm probably going to start conditioning a new pair shortly after.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

I'm sorry you are having such trouble. Hope you get more fry to hatch.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Still no new babies. its well past 40 hours now. I think this was a bust, again. I have one fry but I'm going to keep him in the cup a while. I"m going to move him and his cup into the 20 so I can give the tank another 80-100% water change and start conditioning the next pair. I don't know who to try though. 
Popcorn HM obviously but who with? Patrick HM is kinda old (I've had him for a year) but he's maintaining a bubble nest. Black Beard CT is who I'm leaning towards but is there any side effects to an HM x CT? or Dizzy HMPK dragon scale but he's a bit on the small side. He may be too young but he is definitely the youngest and probably healthiest. I'll make a thread and ask the forum's populace and include a poll


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

My one guy it still alive and kicking. I gave him his first feeding of microworms today. Little guy is going to get fat being the only one eating. I'm trying to use the smallest amount I can but that's really hard.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

I'm so glad to hear that he/she is still alive. Here's looking foreward to at least one beautiful fry.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

lol We'll see. Chances are against me but that doesn't stop me from trying. I'll try to get a picture of him/her


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

I know, I had a spawn that produced 3 fry, and none of them made it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I still hope for the best of luck to you and your fry.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Thanks. My little guy is 1 week old today. He's such a cutie, I love watching him hunt the microworms on the side of his cup. I also gave him one of my nano moss balls. He likes to lay on it, I think he sleeps on it like a bed. I'll try to get a pic but when I get near he likes to start looking for food. He's been getting a 100% water change every day (really easy in his little cup). I'd love to put him in the tank but I'm afraid I'll loose him and never find him again, so until he gets a bit bigger he'll live in his cup.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

He's probably safer that way.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

So another week down and he's still kicking it. He definitely got a tail fin now, cute little round thing. He's easily double is original size all the way around. Definitely had a little round belly, which I keep stuffed! I've resorted to calling him lucky. I let him out of his little cup too. He likes swimming all over the place. The only other thing in the 5 gallon tank is a snail so he's a happy camper!


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

So I finally got him to eat something other than microworms, lol. I tried the frozen BBS but no interest but this morning he decided he liked the hikari newborn bites. It's a first step to getting him to eat other things.


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## KadenJames (Mar 23, 2012)

Just out of curiosity, why are you removing the fry from the nest, along with the male?


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

It's the cup method of artificial hatching. I have an egg/fry eater for a male.


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## KadenJames (Mar 23, 2012)

I see. Sorry to hear. =/ Well CONGRATS on your success, even if it's one fry, it sure beats a male with a belly full of fry. xD Maybe you can flick him on the nose whenever he eats a baby next time. 

Yeaaah. That'll teach him. =D

(joking, of course.)


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

lol I wish. I tell him not too but I dont think he gets it.


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## KadenJames (Mar 23, 2012)

Hmm, some bettas just have hearing problems. 

I swear my black HMPK hears what I say to him, though. He's currently taking care of a clutch of his own, and after he spat a mouthful back into the nest, he layed on a nearby leaf. I watched him lounge for a couple minutes then muttered "get off your butt you lazy bum, you've got kids to look after." I SWEAR I saw him "sigh" at me then he swooped off the plant and went back to tending his fry.

Sometimes the bond we have with our fish is just indescribable. xD


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Lol. That's funny.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

My girl Velvet will look up if i tell her "look up" I don't know if she just responds to noise or the certain phrase. It happen at feeding time because she's so excited to see me she doesn't see the food  Lucky is still kickin it. He loves the 5 gallon all to himself. He's all over the place. Little thing is hard to take a pic of too, he's afraid of my camera. I can put my hands, face, bird, just about anything by the tank and he wont freak out but if that camera comes anywhere near he's gone in a split second...


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Ok so I got a somewhat decent pic of the little guy. Meet Lucky :-D


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

So cute, and sooo lucky! Thanks for the pic.


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww he's adorable


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Thanks guys! The three week mark was yesterday. He's defiantly got a swim bladder and anal fin now. I can see them. I think he's a head of the growth schedule but he's got a 5 gal to himself so I'm not surprised. I still can't get him to eat the frozen BBS... He snubbs them but will eat the powder fry food, I just don't get it. Of course he loves microworms lol. I try to do a meal of each every day. or a mixture of some twice a day.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

awesome :3


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Lucky committed suicide... He wedged himself into my live plant cup and got stuck. Poor guy. Oh well time to get things ready to reset and try again


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## KadenJames (Mar 23, 2012)

Oooh nooo. =( Poor Lucky.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

I'm sorry :'( He was such a spunky little guy.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

ah is ok. I'm not super crushed. I may have given him a name but I refrained from getting attached.


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## indianabetta (May 3, 2012)

aww im so sorry, hopefully you have more luck next time, I was rooting for lucky


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

I was too. It goes to show if I can just get fry I can keep them alive, unless they wedge themselves in a plant cup


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