# Red Devil Metallic Male x Cambodian Female



## Didgeridoo

Well this pairing paid off! Female was conditioned for just under 2 weeks and is just a female I picked out at the LFS. She had some nice subtle metallic hues to her that I thought were pretty interesting. I originally was going to pair her with a Copper Metallic Male but decided to make a gametime lineup change, swapping with a Red Devil Metallic male. 

The male was obsessive with his nest, choosing a small piece of bubble wrap over the styrofoam. He feverishly worked on it while the female looked on. He would take occasional breaks to flare and show off, but he was a busy dude. 

After a couple days, and a female bursting with eggs I decided to put them together. Day 1, male showed a lot of aggression if she came near his nest. Day 2, male still chased her and she had a few chunks missing from her fins. But late morning the male was receptive to her advances and they spawned. The whole thing took about 3 hours until he no longer tolerated her near his nest. 

Removed the female and gave her a few white worms for her efforts. 

Male is doing a great job looking after the eggs, constantly tending them and making sure they're all nestled into his masterpiece. 

Apologies for the poor photos.
Male with eggs in the nest









Female recovering


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## Sadist

Awesome, following!


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## Didgeridoo

Male is still tending over all the eggs. Need to start hatching BBS today!


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## Didgeridoo

Male meticulously looking after the nest and eggs.


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## Retof

Can't wait to see what the babies look like, Following!


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## Didgeridoo

Retof said:


> Can't wait to see what the babies look like, Following!


Should be an interesting bunch! I honestly have no clue what to expect since the parents are so different from one another. A lot of genes at play. lol


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## trilobite

My guess is metallic blue with red wash, maybe some light bodied fish if father is also carrying the cambodian gene. You may get copper if mother is metallic royal.. but from the picture she looks non metallic royal, if so, then the blues youll get are metallic steel aswell as metallic royal. Father looks black laced based so you may see some laces, marble also likes to come along with lace so maybe some of those too.

Finnage wise you can expect vt, delta and maaaaybe super delta if youre lucky :-D


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## KodaPlusMore

interesting pair! I have a Cambodian female I'm thinking of breeding when I get the supplies  Wish the best for you fry!


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## Didgeridoo

Fry are just about free-swimming now! They're bouncing around in the bubble nest. Funny watching the male try to catch them and keep them in order. I'll remove him once the fry are horizontally swimming since I'm not too worried about him eating them.


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## Didgeridoo

Wow! This is a huge spawn! Easily 200+! Was not expecting that many! lol 










More to choose from to continue the lines! =) Neat that theres light and dark fry already!

Nick


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## Hopefish

Oh my, look at all the little critters! It's like an alien invasion!


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## Didgeridoo

Fry are free-swimming as of today. Very obvious light and dark fry in the group. Because I didn't have a vinegar eel culture available ahead of time, I put four clumps of Christmas Moss and an algae covered flower pot into the tank. The fry are picking at the flower pot and cruising around. I'm hoping they'll be enough micro foods available in the tank until they can take freshly hatched brine shrimp.


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## Didgeridoo




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## IzzyK

They're all so darling <3 I can't wait to see them grown up!


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## MysticSky22301

So many babies!


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## Didgeridoo

Fry are eagerly taking baby brine shrimp now! Glad to see them eating! I was worried at first but lots of fat little bellies are a good sign!


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## Didgeridoo

Couple pics of the father of this spawn, from tonight. He's recouping well and his fry are doing great! He was a very caring father.


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## CanisInsanine

Adorable! I'm excited to see how these little babies turn out ;v; watching! And that is one handsome father you've got there!


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## Didgeridoo

CanisInsanine said:


> Adorable! I'm excited to see how these little babies turn out ;v; watching! And that is one handsome father you've got there!


Ya he's awesome! Should be quite the menagerie of colours from that pair. Already there's light coloured and dark coloured fry, so should be quite a variety. I'm going to wait until the fry are coloured up before I decide which direction to go with this line. Hopefully there's a female or two that resemble the father to back cross to him. 

Did the first water change on the fry tub. Used an air stone on the end of airline tubing to take out and add the water slowly. I made sure to match the temperature and water chemistry as to not shock the fry. Did about 1 Litre, so roughly 10%. I also added one Malaysian Trumpet Snail to be the one snail, clean up crew.


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## Sadist

Awesome! I'm glad the father was a good parent. I like to see that quality during breeding. I hope you get a good girl for the line, too!


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## Didgeridoo

Sadist said:


> Awesome! I'm glad the father was a good parent. I like to see that quality during breeding. I hope you get a good girl for the line, too!


Ya was definitely a good quality to see! Next spawn I might leave this male in with the fry. The only reason I didn't this time was because I was concerned about water quality deteriorating quickly, even with the clumps of moss in there. Also the size of the spawn was 200+ so I didn't want to chance it.


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## Didgeridoo

Here's a few fry pics from tonight, approx 1 week old. Tough shooting thru a plastic tub, so it was really difficult to focus properly, and they're so darn small! lol


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## Sadist

Those are really good pictures, especially through a plastic container!


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## Didgeridoo

Couple shots of the parents of this spawn today in the sunlight. The male was not impressed so it was difficult to get any worthy shots...but you get the idea.

Male

























Female


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## Didgeridoo

Some fry pics today. 19 days since the egg were laid.

Light-coloured fry

























Dark-coloured fry

















Pic of the fry


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## AuntyAmber

mg: Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod!!!!! They are so cute, and so tiny!!!! :shock:

Seriously, how do you get such clear pictures of something that small? :surprise:


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## Didgeridoo

AuntyAmber said:


> mg: Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod!!!!! They are so cute, and so tiny!!!! :shock:
> 
> Seriously, how do you get such clear pictures of something that small? :surprise:


Crazy amounts of patience...and a $4,000 camera setup. lol :nerd:


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## Didgeridoo

Finally found my remote flash trigger! This made all the difference in the world! Here's a couple pics with the flash. 

Cool pic of one of the tiny fry with a couple of brine shrimp nauplii.









One of the dark fry.









One of the light fry.









Family picture









This one made me laugh.


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## MysticSky22301

The last one looks like he's gawking at something ^^


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## Chard56

He is Black Red Copper and she is Platinum Red. You should expect Copper, Gold and Platinum offspring with various Red Wash in the finnage. Black Red Copper is one of my favorite color combinations.


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## Didgeridoo

Good to know! I more or less just wanted to see what would happen and then select a direction to go once the fry grow out. I really like the male, but would also be keen on a possible gold or platinum. At the rate these little guys grow, I won't have to wait long!


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## KodaPlusMore

so adorable <3 cant wait to see how they grow out!


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## Didgeridoo

Couple more pics from yesterday. (Dec 1)


















Just missed this guy eating a brine shrimp.


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## Didgeridoo

Dec 7 pics, almost one month post spawn. Roughly 3 weeks since free-swimming. They have all their fins now. :grin2:


















Largest one I found









Getting some eye colour









These two were hanging out right in front of the flash. Was able to get a pretty neat shot.


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## MysticSky22301

They look rather metallic ^^


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## Didgeridoo

MysticSky22301 said:


> They look rather metallic ^^


Ya there's a good number of them that are quite metallic. I'm hoping to get a female from this spawn that look like the father. Would like to breed that line more and see what I can do. Should be an interesting mix.


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## Didgeridoo

Fry Dec 12


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## MysticSky22301

Oh my goodness! Shiny!


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## seenbettadays

This is amazing! I'm definitely following


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## Didgeridoo

Thank you! Ya there's some that are quite metallic already! Others are showing none which is kind of interesting. Really excited to see what sorts of colours I'll be getting out of this spawn.


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## Amberjewel

Omg omg omg omg omg omg omg the babies are so cute omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omgomgomgomgomgomgomgmomomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomomgomgomg i'm dying they're just too adorable


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## Didgeridoo

Amberjewel said:


> Omg omg omg omg omg omg omg the babies are so cute omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omgomgomgomgomgomgomgmomomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomomgomgomg i'm dying they're just too adorable


Hahaha. Right? They're so cute. Especially now that they're looking more like mini-Bettas. :grin2:


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## Amberjewel

Didgeridoo said:


> Hahaha. Right? They're so cute. Especially now that they're looking more like mini-Bettas. :grin2:


 Fish in general are just adorable, but I think little baby bettas are the cutest.


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## ShadeSlayer

Subbing! So cute, love the dad and the mom. Where'd you find them?


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## Didgeridoo

Local shop here in Golden. Ordered in the male and female she had there already. Originally I was going to breed her with a Copper Halfmoon but decided last minute to swap out males. Glad I did! 

My next spawn will be the Copper HM x Royal HM.


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## MysticSky22301

I'm thinking about running my ct red and blue bicolor with my older EE lady, he looks like an EE Geno So I'm thinking it would turn out well especially if They get his beautiful colors <3


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## Didgeridoo

Right on. Should make for an interesting mix.


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## MysticSky22301

Then breeding siblings or back to daddy ^^ clean everything up


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## Didgeridoo

A few pics from today. Really starting to differentiate in colour! Lots of variety!


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## Didgeridoo

Here's a pic from tonight of the male. 









Really curious how the dragon genes will come into play.


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## MysticSky22301

I wish you weren't in Canada  I'm hoping to see a green and blue marble dragon out of this pair

So are you going to line breed these guys? I noticed the Start of blue green and Cambodian base in the babies ^^


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## Didgeridoo

Ya I'll see what I get outta this spawn and decided which direction to go. I love the male so I'm hoping to get a female similar to him and keep that line going. 

I'm just curious what I'll get outta this spawn. Haha


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## Didgeridoo

I moved the fry to a 27-gallon growout tank. They're happily swimming around and picking at the moss in the tank.

Here's a few pics from today. Fry are starting to show some red in the fins.


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## Veolfa

Hey there Didgeridoo. I live in Grand Forks, BC. I would love to get my hands on some of these fish! I've been trying and failing at spawning my fish.


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## TribalElephant

Already love these fry. I'd love a male from this spawn. Wow!


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## Didgeridoo

Veolfa said:


> Hey there Didgeridoo. I live in Grand Forks, BC. I would love to get my hands on some of these fish! I've been trying and failing at spawning my fish.


Really eh? What problems are you facing?

Once the weather warms up these guys should be good to go.


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## Veolfa

Yeah I'm down for some of your fish come warmer weather. I was in Golden last fall for a while working on Chancellor Peak Chalets. Love that area very much, I actually used to work there a lot about 10 years ago, chinking log houses. 

Fish problems... Probably just being new to the hobby and figuring out how to go about it. I think my fish are too old. I have three beautiful females I ordered through Total Pet at $20/piece with no photo only promise that they were half moon. They are young and prime, unfortunately getting my hands on quality males seems to be an issue. Every fish I get is old, big, and lazy. One was supposed to be a half moon and ended up being a huge finned rose tail (pretty but a terrible swimmer). Another ended up being a plakat instead of a female, but I've had him for over a year (profile photo). All spawns I have had have always ended in infanticide by the father, and/or sudden death of the father (lost a beautiful expensive black orchid crown tail after spawn). Trial and error I expect. I haven't used almond leaf. I wonder if I condition wrong when it comes to fish being exposed to each other (for just a bit a day, or more, or less?) etc.... All the food/temp/water parameters (water is amazing here too) are on par. Any how those are my woes. Maybe PM me so I don't take over your log here.


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## Didgeridoo

Sent ya a message. 

I have the fry in the dark right now, only turning the lights on to fill their bellies and then it's back to the dark. I had some signs of velvet infecting some of the fry and so far the combination of salt, meds, dark, and heat have helped the infected fry to recover. One fry was on its side at one point and today it's back to normal. Over the holidays the lights were on excessively which I think is partly what caused an outbreak. Luckily I caught it in time!


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## TwentyThousandLeagues

This is so cool to watch the progression, I'll be following; love that coloring on the male!


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## OrionPiscesLove

Didgeridoo said:


> Well this pairing paid off! Female was conditioned for just under 2 weeks and is just a female I picked out at the LFS. She had some nice subtle metallic hues to her that I thought were pretty interesting. I originally was going to pair her with a Copper Metallic Male but decided to make a gametime lineup change, swapping with a Red Devil Metallic male.
> 
> The male was obsessive with his nest, choosing a small piece of bubble wrap over the styrofoam. He feverishly worked on it while the female looked on. He would take occasional breaks to flare and show off, but he was a busy dude.
> 
> After a couple days, and a female bursting with eggs I decided to put them together. Day 1, male showed a lot of aggression if she came near his nest. Day 2, male still chased her and she had a few chunks missing from her fins. But late morning the male was receptive to her advances and they spawned. The whole thing took about 3 hours until he no longer tolerated her near his nest.
> 
> Removed the female and gave her a few white worms for her efforts.
> 
> Male is doing a great job looking after the eggs, constantly tending them and making sure they're all nestled into his masterpiece.
> 
> Apologies for the poor photos.
> Male with eggs in the nest
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Female recovering




Quick question! What did you feed them prior? Any IAL to get them to breed?


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## OrionPiscesLove

BTW I mean't what food did you give to the parents prior to breeding them


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## Didgeridoo

OrionPiscesLove said:


> Quick question! What did you feed them prior? Any IAL to get them to breed?


Just live white worms, frozen bloodworms and Northfin pellets. 

I threw a couple IAL in but I don't think they make fish breed. It helps mimic a change in water chemistry. I always setup the pair as the pressure starts dropping and let the female loose once a low pressure system rolls in. Hasn't failed me yet.


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## Copper Betta

Awe, can't wait to see how they turn out when they get bigger


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## Didgeridoo

Copper Betta said:


> Awe, can't wait to see how they turn out when they get bigger


They're getting there! Lots of variety in the fry. I tried to snap some pictures yesterday but it's proving to be a difficult feat! I'll keep trying though.


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## Didgeridoo

A few pics from last night.


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## MysticSky22301

Pretty blue metallic^^


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## seenbettadays

Too cute!


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## Didgeridoo

A few pics from today. Starting to develop some dragon scaling now and of course lots of variety!


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## MysticSky22301

It looks like they are going to be more metallic than dragon but still adorable


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## Didgeridoo

MysticSky22301 said:


> It looks like they are going to be more metallic than dragon but still adorable


Ya that's to be expected for F1. Female was non-dragon and I'm hoping to get some decent females to breed back to the male.


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## MysticSky22301

I'll remember that when my pair finally spawns  red EE male x red full mask female dragon


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## Didgeridoo

Couple pics of the male from today. Just getting him ready for another spawn coming up with a Copper/Red HM female.


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## MysticSky22301

Already o.o busy boy!


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## Didgeridoo

MysticSky22301 said:


> Already o.o busy boy!


He's in great shape. The last spawn on New Years day barely took anything out of him. I've been feeding him with frozen and live foods for the past couple weeks and he looks good to go again. =)


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## SusieG

He is handsome! And fry looking food! Mine are not pic worthy yet at 12 and 10 days lol


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## sandaallen

He takes my breath away!


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## sandaallen

So what did the babies grow up to look like? Do you have any for sale?


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