Bred my bettas

[BPSabelhaus]

Frustrating lol Especially the Cambodian (pink) and cellophane (white) males. So hard to make out the beard lol

 

[xp29]

Frustrating lol Especially the Cambodian (pink) and cellophane (white) males. So hard to make out the beard lol

I have the advantage of being ignorant about them, so for me they are all just very beautiful fish

 

[BPSabelhaus]

I have the advantage of being ignorant about them, so for me they are all just very beautiful fish

They are beautiful, but temperamental in many ways lol Breeding them is easy. Raising them for 6-8 months and having to have container/ tanks for males a large tank / tanks for females, finding homes etc...But it's fun to express unique colors like purples, pinks, blondes, albinos etc... Genetics are really messy on these with literally thousands of years of captive breeding. But it's being decided and understood.
When I started not long ago purple was not understood, pink was misunderstood and I was argued with for assuming guppies were the same.
Colors are colors and mix a certain way to our eyes lol. If pink causes melanin degradation and reduced fin size in guppies, Endlers, swordtails etc... and it literally acts the same way in Bettas, goldfish and other less understood than guppies (about 125 years of domestication with wild types readily available) then it's us not them lol Which genetic mapping just verified not long ago.

 

[xp29]

They are beautiful, but temperamental in many ways lol Breeding them is easy. Raising them for 6-8 months and having to have container/ tanks for males a large tank / tanks for females, finding homes etc...But it's fun to express unique colors like purples, pinks, blondes, albinos etc... Genetics are really messy on these with literally thousands of years of captive breeding. But it's being decided and understood.
When I started not long ago purple was not understood, pink was misunderstood and I was argued with for assuming guppies were the same.
Colors are colors and mix a certain way to our eyes lol. If pink causes melanin degradation and reduced fin size in guppies, Endlers, swordtails etc... and it literally acts the same way in Bettas, goldfish and other less understood than guppies (about 125 years of domestication with wild types readily available) then it's us not them lol Which genetic mapping just verified not long ago.

That makes sense to me. If it waddles like a duck and it quacks like a duck......

 

[BPSabelhaus]

The biggest hurdle is getting rid of them lol Petco etc... buy from massive wholesalers only and local fish stores usually already have a breeder and offer store credit only. Thing is, they're basically all the same lol Red, blue, black, white all with oversized fins that make for lethargic "fighting fish"
I want active fish that are popping with colors and patterns. I really want a nice spade tail like when Bettas first became popular. But there are so many long finned genes expressing as dominant that an actual spade tail can really only be found occasionally in wild type specimens.
Another thing I want more of is a true turquoise. Which again is a wild type expression. Domesticated it's expressed as a irridescence over black. But in the wild it expresses over a grey body so it comes out more true.
No fish stores want wild type Bettas. Nobody really wants them except the weirdos lol

 

[xp29]

The biggest hurdle is getting rid of them lol Petco etc... buy from massive wholesalers only and local fish stores usually already have a breeder and offer store credit only. Thing is, they're basically all the same lol Red, blue, black, white all with oversized fins that make for lethargic "fighting fish"
I want active fish that are popping with colors and patterns. I really want a nice spade tail like when Bettas first became popular. But there are so many long finned genes expressing as dominant that an actual spade tail can really only be found occasionally in wild type specimens.
Another thing I want more of is a true turquoise. Which again is a wild type expression. Domesticated it's expressed as a irridescence over black. But in the wild it expresses over a grey body so it comes out more true.
No fish stores want wild type Bettas. Nobody really wants them except the weirdos lol

Every time human get involved thing seem to go south. Selective breeding always causes unforseen side effects

 

[BPSabelhaus]

Selective breeding without understanding is dangerous. The inbreeding of continuing the same fish for the stores over and over is horrible. They have shorter lives, more health problems and the conditions they are kept in stores is often horrible. It's really why I started breeding them. I'm tired of the same fish over and over.

 

[xp29]

Selective breeding without understanding is dangerous. The inbreeding of continuing the same fish for the stores over and over is horrible. They have shorter lives, more health problems and the conditions they are kept in stores is often horrible. It's really why I started breeding them. I'm tired of the same fish over and over.

I kindda remember them before all the big fins. I just thought it was two different lineages. It's sad when animals are line bred.

 

[BPSabelhaus]

Collected Betta food today.

 

[xp29]

Collected Betta food today.
View attachment 96746

What is it?

 

[BPSabelhaus]

All sorts of things. Daphnia, scuds, water beetle larvae several things I need to identify lol The other jar is moss, leaves, sticks etc.... from the netting that probably has a lot more life in it

 

[xp29]

All sorts of things. Daphnia, scuds, water beetle larvae several things I need to identify lol The other jar is moss, leaves, sticks etc.... from the netting that probably has a lot more life in it

Did you collect it from local waters? Or something you cultured?

 

[BPSabelhaus]

Vernal pond by the house. I added some to my indoor cultures and the moss etc... to the outdoor ones

 

[xp29]

Vernal pond by the house. I added some to my indoor cultures and the moss etc... to the outdoor ones

That's cool. A lot goes into fish to looks like. I haven't had fush since I was like 10 lol.