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www.bettysplendens.com
 The
New Betta
by Victoria Parnell

(S. Khumhom)

1
 Table of Contents

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………4
Basic Betta Anatomy……………………………………………………….6
2. What is a Betta?………………………………………………………………7
3. Bringing Home Your New Betta……………………………………………. 9
4. Feeding and Care……………………………………………………………11
5. The Plakat…………………………………………………………………….18
Modern Show Plakat………………………………………………………19
Traditional Show Plakat…………………………………………………...20
6. The Halfmoon…………………………………………………………………22
Choosing a Halfmoon Breeder……………………………………………26
Breeding for Halfmoon……………………………………………………..27
Maintenance of Halfmoon…………………………………………………29
Branching and Fin Rays…………………………………………………...30
7. The Crowntail………………………………………………………………….32
Defining a Good Crowntail…………………………………………………40
Breeding and Raising Crowntails………………………………………….35
What is a King Crowntail?………………………………………………….37
8. The Doubletail…………………………………………………………………39
Defining a Good Doubletail………………………………………………..40
Undesirable Traits in Doubletail Bettas…………………………………..42
9. Other Finnage Variations…………………………………………………….46
The Roundtail……………………………………………………………….46
The Spadetail……………………………………………………………….46
The Veiltail…………………………………………………………………..47
The Delta Tail……………………………………………………………….48
The Super Delta Tail……………………………………………………….49
The Rosetail…………………………………………………………………50
The Over Halfmoon…………………………………………………………51
10. Wild Bettas……………………………………………………………………52
11. Colors and Patterns………………………………………………………….56
Red…………………………………………………………………………..56
Black…………………………………………………………………………59
Blue………………………………………………………………………….61
Steel…………………………………………………………………………63
Green/Turquoise…………………………………………………………..64
Clear/Yellow/Orange………………………………………………………65
Pastel……………………………………………………………………….68

2
 Opaque……………………………………………………………………69
Dark Bicolor………………………………………………………………71
Light Bicolor………………………………………………………………72
Grizzled…………………………………………………………………...73
Copper Types…………………………………………………………….74
Butterfly……………………………………………………………………76
Multicolor………………………………………………………………….78
Marble……………………………………………………………………..78
Other Colors………………………………………………………………81
Giant Bettas……………………………………………………………….87
12. Spawning Bettas…………………………………………………………...90
The Aquarium Spawn…………………………………………………….92
The Plastic Tub Spawn…………………………………………………..96
Spawning Bettas in Asia…………………………………………………98
Abnormal Spawning Behavior…………………………………………..100
13. Raising Fry………………………………………………………………….105
Basic 1 - Clean Water……………………………………………………105
Basic 2 – Feeding………………………………………………………...107
Basic 3 – Health…………………………………………………………..110
Weeks 1 and 2………………………………………………….…………111
Weeks 3 and 4…………………………………………………………….113
Weeks 5 and 6…………………………………………………………….115
Weeks 7 to Adulthood…………………………………………………….116
Surplus Stock………………………………………………………………118
14. Health and Disease…………………………………………………………121
Parasitic…………………………………………………………………….121
Fungal……………………………………………………………………….122
Bacterial…………………………………………………………………….123
Other Problems…………………………………………………………….123

3
 1.

Introduction

(S. Khumhom)

Although much has been written about the ever-popular Betta (pronounced "Beh-
tuh", not "Bay-tuh") and its appeal to amateur fishkeepers, the sad fact remains
that in most of these resources the information is either incomplete or else so
out-of-date as to be obsolete. It is my wish that this book be used by hobbyists as
both a care manual and a reference into the many recent colors and tail forms of
the modern betta.
The modern Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens) has come a long way
from the rather drab shallow water fish native to Thailand. The wild betta to this
day remains a modest, short finned little fish with very little to distinguish it other
than its base colors of blue, red, and black and its penchant for aggressiveness.
The fish lives primarily in the shallow, overgrown, murky waters of the Malay
Peninsula and the flooded rice paddies of Southeast Asia, where its natural food
source is mosquito larvae, worms, crustaceans, and small insects and fish. In
this environment its subdued coloring and short fins suit it well. Most modern
bettas, with their overlong fins and brilliant colors, would be an immediate target
for predators and rivals alike.
As one might assume by its name, the Fighting Fish is extremely territorial in
nature, and can be a combative and violent fish. This behavior is particularly

4
noticeable in the male, who, once engaged, often fights his opponent to the
death. For this reason, males should never be kept together. The aggressiveness
of the female usually amounts to confrontation and retreat, with occasional minor
skirmishes. Despite their behavior towards other members of their species,
bettas are usually quite well adapted to a community tank situation, and are
compatible with many different types of tropical fish, such as mollies, plecos,
cherry barbs, clown loaches, corydoras, tetras, swordtails, and others. Please
keep in mind that a betta's long fins make it a tempting target for certain
freshwater species that like to nip.
Most bettas available in pet stores are the long-finned versions of wild type
bettas with regards to finnage. The Longfinned betta carries at least two
mutations for extended fin length, the most common of the two having first
appeared in fish imported from Cambodia in the early 1920's. These bettas
showed a natural inclination toward longer-than-average finnage, and the trait
was seized upon and selectively bred for by industrious hobbyists who were
interested in cementing the Longfin trait. The second mutation was fixed into a
commercial strain by Warren Young in the 1960's, and was dubbed the "Libby
Betta" in honor of his wife, Libby. The Libby Betta, with its bright colors, overlong
fins, and large body size, were very much in demand among betta enthusiasts,
and the mutation was extended into red, green, blue, and cambodian colors. A
doubletail version was also in existence, but the outcrossing required to minimize
deformity made the strain subject to being lost forever. The Libby Betta strain
remained elusive and temperamental, and the pure strain has been all but lost
today.
The artificially lengthened fins of the betta possessed no real form or
symmetry in the beginning. The caudal (tail) fin rose gently to an arch, and then
descended into a pointed or spade shaped tip; the dorsal was often relatively
thin, and the fish possessed no more than two ray branching. This is still the fin
type found primarily in pet stores, and are now referred to as "Veil Tails", as the
gentle sloping of the tail resembles a bridal veil. In an attempt to produce a fuller-
finned, more symmetrical betta, hobbyists began selectively breeding the fish for
caudal edges of a more uniform length and broader angle, a wider dorsal fin, and
a more proportionate anal fin. Today the show betta is available in many different
fin types, from the exotic Crowntail to the full-bodied Halfmoon. The International
Betta Congress (IBC), universally accepted as the "official" club for bettas, has
laid down some very specific standards for judging the modern show betta in its
many variations. We will be going over these standards in the following
chapters.

5
Basic Betta Anatomy

(J. van Esch)

6
 2.

What is a Betta?

The Fighting Fish of Siam...the Betta Splendens. One of the most unique,
intelligent, and interesting species of Aquarium fish, the Betta comes from the
warm region of Thailand, where it typically makes its home in the slow-water rice
paddies. Bettas possess a unique breathing apparatus called the labyrinth, which
enables them to survive in the low-oxygen still waters of their native Asia. Instead
of relying on the water to provide the oxygen their bodies need, the betta
periodically rises to the surface to breathe. Due to this ability, it is possible to
keep a betta in a very small amount of water, although a container that is too
cramped is both inhumane and ultimately unhealthy. A betta should be provided
with a minimum of a half-gallon of clean water to achieve long-term health and
vitality.
The modern Betta is barely recognizable from the wild form still found in
relative abundance in Southeast Asia. The Wild Type of Betta splendens has
much shorter fins and more subdued coloring. The females are difficult to
differentiate from the males at first glance, and each fish exists in a network of
long-established territories, males building nests and spawning with females as
they present themselves.

Male betta with gill covers raised. (J. Sonnier)

When in the presence of another of its species, bettas will perform what is
called the "flare". When a male sees another male (or his own reflection!) his gill

7
covers raise, his fins spread wide to show his competitor how big and powerful
he is, and his colors brighten and become more pronounced. This soon leads to
slapping with the body and biting/rending of the fins if the rival male does not at
once back down. This can go on for hours, and only ends when one of the fish
retreats or is too badly injured to continue fighting. The male performs a slightly
different kind of "flare" for a prospective mate, dancing extensively with fins
spread and displaying his body for an impressive side view. The female will
usually flare back at him playfully, and though these rituals of love can become
violent, they are often nearly poignant in their beauty and display.
Among the other Betta types are the Betta Bellica, Betta Pugnax, Betta
Edithea, Betta Akarensis, Betta Albimarginata, Betta Anabatoides, Betta
Balunga, Betta Brownorum, Betta Coccina, Betta Burdigala, Betta Dimidiata,
Betta Fusca, Betta Foersche, Betta Macrostoma, Betta Livida, Betta Picta, Betta
Persephone, Betta Rutilans, Betta Smarargdina, Betta Simorum, Betta Tussyae,
Betta Taeniata, Betta Imbellis, Betta Unimaculata, and Betta Strohi.

Royal blue female betta (V. Parnell)

8
 3.
Bringing Home Your New Betta

Okay, so you were naive enough to walk by those rows and stacks of bettas in
cups at your local pet department, and were suckered in by the pleading eyes
and "Look at me! Look at me!" dancing that seemed aimed just for you. Well,
more than likely it was. Bettas are intelligent fish and often try to interact with
people.
So now you have a new betta. What next?
Obviously you can't just bring him home, fill a drinking glass with tap water,
and pour him in. Bettas may be tough, but they are still sensitive to sudden
environmental changes, and most tap water contains chemical and ammonia
excesses that can kill them. If you bought the betta on an impulse he will be fine
in his little cup overnight while you prepare a suitable living place for him.
Remember to try to find a warm spot in your house if he is to be kept without a
heater. Too much direct sunlight will stress the fish, but temperatures that
regularly dip below 70 degrees Fahrenheit may make him vulnerable to disease.
So try to find a happy medium.
First, choose a container. The betta has most likely been living in the tiny
plastic cup for far too long. What you want to do is choose a container that holds
at least a half-gallon (a gallon or more is better!) with a wide surface area. I've
seen people try to keep bettas in wine bottles; a good idea until it comes time for
the betta to breathe and discovers that the narrow neck of the bottle doesn't
provide sufficient oxygen. It is also very difficult to take the bettas out of these
kinds of containers, something that has to be taken into consideration for future
water changes.
Next, fill with water straight from the tap. Do not use distilled water, as it lacks
the minerals that bettas need. Often just leaving the container next to your
cupped betta overnight is sufficient for "aging" it and evening it out at the same
temperature. You could also instantly age the water with any number of products
on your pet store shelf that serves this purpose. I use Amquel or Novaqua. But
remember, even treated tap water has to be the same temperature (within 2
degrees) of the water the betta is in, or he could go into shock and die. Water
from the tap is usually quite cold, and needs to be allowed to reach room
temperature.
Assuming all the necessary criteria is in place, you can begin transferring your
betta to his new quarters. First, "float" his cup or bag in the water of his new
home. Add a small amount (about 2 ounces) of the new water to his bag or cup,
and let him acclimate for about an hour. Continue adding water and letting him
gradually adjust until his bag or cup is nearly full. Now pour the cup of water,

9
betta and all, into the new container.
Now usually by this point there may be a lot of "undesirables" from the cup
that housed the betta -- defecation, uneaten food, even pet store parasites and
bacteria. Therefore it is necessary to change your betta’s water about 2 days
after introduction to his new quarters. Some people choose to pour the betta into
a net and place him directly into his clean water (thus eliminating the 2-day water
change) but I find this to be stressful to the betta, and adjusting to a new home is
stressful enough without also being put through the netting process. In two days,
you can net him to put him in his clean water.
If you want to introduce your betta into a community tank, the steps are the
same as for most other aquarium fish. If he's in a bag, float the bag in the water,
gradually adding some of the tank water to his bag, as outlined above. If he's in a
little betta cup, gently pour him into a plastic bag and proceed. It is possible to
float the betta in his cup, but it would have to be taped to the side of the
aquarium, otherwise the cup will tilt and spill the betta into the tank! In the case of
introducing a betta into a community tank, it is probably best to use a net so that
parasites/bacteria/fungus that may be present in his water are not introduced into
your aquarium. When possible, always use a quarantine tank for new fish. Keep
an eye on new arrivals and be alert for signs of disease and infection.

Lines of rectangular plastic containers typical of many casual betta keepers. Containers such as these are excellent for
keeping bettas isolated while still allowing some interaction. (V. Parnell)

10
 4.
Feeding and Care

Bettas are carnivorous fish. In their native habitat, their primary food is
mosquito larvae, but bettas will eat almost anything that wiggles past their noses.
Adult bettas kept as pets can be maintained quite well on freeze-dried foods such
as bloodworms (larvae of the mosquito-like insect Chironomidae), brine shrimp,
and betta pellets. Breeding fish should be fed some variance of live or frozen
food (bloodworms, grindal worms, adult brine shrimp, wingless fruit flies, etc),
and young fry will typically not eat anything but very small, live food. Most bettas
turn up their noses at flake food, and they absolutely cannot live on the roots of
plants in vases, like some retailers claim.
Feed only the amount that the fish can consume in five minutes, and promptly
remove uneaten food. A turkey baster or large medicine dropper works well for
this purpose. Just compress the bulb, insert in water, and suck up uneaten
portions. If you see uneaten food covered with clear fuzz, get it out of there. It's
going toxic.
Make sure your betta is kept clean. A betta stirring up his own feces as he
swims is unacceptable. Half-gallon containers will have to be changed twice a
week. Gallon containers can go as far as once a week, and the larger the
container, the longer the interval between changings. If the betta is kept in a
container of 5 gallons or more with adequate filtration, normal tank maintenance
of once a month or so is fine. Of course, if you see an accumulation of uneaten
food, you should change his water sooner.
There are several ways of doing water changes:
1.) Two containers for the betta are kept next to each other, and the betta lives in
one of them. When it is time for a water change, he is netted and placed into the
other container, and the first one is then dumped, rinsed, and refilled. The
process is repeated for the next water change.
2.) The owner puts the betta in a cup along with some of his old bowl water
(bonus if you can suck the betta into the cup as you dip for water -- no netting!)
while the water in the bowl is dumped, rinsed, and refilled. If treated, the betta
can be put back into his clean home as soon as the water reaches room
temperature; if not, he can be put back in 24 hours, once the water has aged.
3.) Most of the water from the bowl is carefully poured or siphoned out until the
bowl is halfway full, and then clean, aged water is added. This is called a “partial
water change”, and can be very effective; however it needs to be done more
often than a full water change. I recommend the siphoning method, as pouring
usually doesn't get the accumulated debris on the bottom.

11
 These are the three most popular methods, but every owner eventually finds a
water-changing routine that works for them. At one point, we had so many young
fish in jars that needed changed twice a week, that we did the it assembly-line
style -- Open lid, pour water through net, catch falling fish, place him into new jar,
replace lid, repeat. We had an equal number of empty jars to the number of jars
with fish, so that the water was always aged and at the correct temperature.
Nowadays many breeders employ an automatic drip system for their isolated
bettas, where clean water drips into each individual container and old water runs
out into a gutter, which then empties it into a reservoir where it is filtered and then
pumped back through. This is a great way of keeping the bettas in clean water,
but it can also facilitate the spread of disease.

Automatic drip system designed to accommodate up to 600 individually jarred bettas (V. Parnell)

Remember that bettas can also jump. It’s a good idea to keep a lid on your
betta, or he might end up on the floor. Make sure there are air holes in the lid; a
hole about the size of a dime provides enough oxygen and makes feeding a
breeze. In the event you betta does jump out of his bowl, put him back in
immediately. Even if he's been out awhile, and looks sort of dry, fuzzy, and dead,
bettas can often be revived if put back into their containers. Of course, if he is
dried out like a potato chip, it’s too late. I came home one day to find an empty
jar where one of my breeder males was supposed to be. I commenced a frantic
searching of all the lower shelves and the floor, and fifteen minutes later I finally
found him crumpled against the leg of the shelving unit. Thinking him a lost
cause, I nevertheless picked him up by his fin and dropped him back into his jar,

12
where he floated to the bottom, motionless. I fed the other fish, and when I
returned to dispose of the jumper, I was shocked to find him swimming
lethargically around his jar! By that evening he ate a little bit, and by the next day
he was building a bubblenest. So you just never know.
Bettas can easily become bored and depressed if they are not given any
stimulation. Plants provide a place to hide, and sometimes they will partially
beach themselves on large leaves and take a nap. Aquarium castles and
decorations give the fish little caves to swim through and hidey-holes if he's
feeling uncommunicative. I have also seen bettas play endlessly in bubbles
provided by a corner filter or air stone set on low. Setting up a mirror nearby will
give him something to puff up at, and he'll spend hours staring at himself in it like
an aquatic narcissist.
Bettas prefer warm water -- between 72 and 80 degrees F. Bettas kept at very
high or very low temperatures tend to become less active, and too much
fluctuation can weaken their resistance to disease and parasites.

Live Food Cultures

Like most aquarium fish, bettas prefer food that is alive and moving. Live
foods also provide the betta with better nutrition and more energy than frozen or
dried food options. Young bettas, or bettas that are being conditioned for
breeding or showing, in particular, should be offered live foods several times a
week for optimum health and vigor. Below are some popular live food cultures
that are simple enough to be maintained by the casual hobbyist.

Wingless Fruit Flies

We use wingless fruit flies of the genus hydei sturtevant, which are
considerably larger than the average wingless fruit fly. These are offered to adult
bettas, and work out very well for the purpose. Only a few are needed per betta
to provide a good, healthy feeding. The flies can be cultured and raised in pint
sized plastic water bottles in a mixture of food medium and fresh water. Prepared
mediums can be purchased online or at aquarium supply stores, or you can
make your own. You will need:
1 cup water
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon powdered agar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/8 teaspoon calcium propionate (optional)
1 package bakers yeast
Mix all the ingredients except yeast, then heat until boiling. Quickly pour
mixture into clean culture jars. Cap and let cool to room temperature. This

13
mixture can be stored in the refrigerator with a tightly capped lid until ready for
use. When ready to use, sprinkle a couple granules of baker's yeast on the
surface and add fruit flies. Calcium propionate is a mold inhibitor used in bread,
and can come in quite useful. Add 1/4 cup of medium to the bottle, and 1/4 cup of
fresh water. When the medium has solidified, you can add your wingless fruit fly
culture. Starter cultures can be had cheaply from online merchants such as The
Bug Farm (www.livefoodcultures.com) or biological supply houses. You can also
sometimes get them from fellow hobbyists who have their own active cultures.
To prevent escape of the flies, you will need to cover the top of the bottle. You
can do this in several ways: Poke small holes into the bottle cap and screw it on
tightly, stuff the opening with filter floss or cotton, or place a small piece of fine
mesh netting over the top. The important thing is to enable the exchange of air
while ensuring the captivity of your culture.
To harvest, simply tap the bottom of the bottle and remove the lid. Shake a
few flies out onto the surface of the water (you may need to tap the container
again a few times to get all the flies you need), then recap the bottle and store it
until next use. New cultures should be started every week or so, since the
medium will go bad and start to turn dark after a couple of weeks. Fly cultures will
begin to be less productive in 4 to 8 weeks. Overheating can kill the flies, so they
are best kept at room temperature.

Grindal Worms
Adult bettas and fry from about 1/2 inch long delight in these white, thread-like
worms. They can be easily kept in a plastic container (like a large margarine tub),
and should yield enough worms to be harvested and fed to your bettas several
times per week. Line your container with a medium of peat moss or damp
coconut fiber to a depth of about two inches. Peat moss will have to be well
moistened before using, and either immersing it and letting it soak in a bucket of
water for a few days, or boiling the moss for about an hour on the stove until it is
well saturated accomplishes this. After the moss has cooled, it can be pressed
and used immediately. If your worms do not seem to be thriving in the straight
peat moss, you may mix it with equal parts normal potting soil (bake the soil for 1
hour and let cool prior to using) or add 1 rounded tablespoon of garden lime to 2
gallons of peat moss to bring the pH to a more neutral reading.
The culture must be fed daily, either with some fine baby cereal or moist
bread. Commercial worm foods can also be purchased, but may be difficult to
find. Simple sprinkle the cereal or lay the slice of bread on top of the culture, and
moisten it with some water in a spray bottle. It may take some time for the
cultures to be producing enough worms to finish all of the food on a single day,
so if there are any leftovers, remove them before offering more food. The worms
like a cool and damp environment, so keep them covered, and at room
temperature, at all times.

14
 Worms tend to congregate near the surface of the peat medium where they
are usually fed, so when it comes time to harvest it is a simple method of
removing (with your fingers or a Popsicle stick) the amount of worms you need
before feeding the culture again for the day. Another easy harvesting method is
to moisten the bottom of a firm, flat object, sprinkle the moistened bottom with
cereal, and place it, cereal side down, on the culture. After a few hours, there
should be many worms crawling along the bottom and edge of the object, which
can be scraped off and fed to the fish.

Whiteworms
Whiteworms are a great food for adult and juvenile bettas, since they will
survive in the aquarium for several days. This means they have a better than
average chance of being consumed before they can die and foul up the water.
They are similar to grindal worms, and the culturing methods are much the same;
however, Whiteworms prefer to be kept much cooler than grindals -- in the 55 to
65 degrees Fahrenheit range -- and those temperatures must be taken into
account for successful culturing to take place.
Whiteworms prefer a culture medium of moist (not muddy) soil. Plain potting
soil will work, but you must make sure you bake it at 350 degrees for at least one
hour and let it cool before using. This rids the soil of any pests and insecticides
that may be present. A small plastic container will work well as an abode for your
worms, just add the sterilized and moistened soil to a depth of a few inches, and
introduce your starter culture. Whiteworms will readily accept many types of food,
from commercially prepared Worm food to mashed potato flakes, dried dog and
cat foods, flake fish foods, bread crumbs, stale hamburger buns, and more. As
with grindals, the food must be well-moistened. If one does not moisten the food,
the worms will not eat it. Dry foods also absorb the moisture of the bedding
medium over time, making the soil too dry to support a healthy culture.
To harvest, simply make a depression in the soil with your finger, fill it with
food, and cover it with a small sheet of glass or plastic lid. After a few hours,
remove the glass and you will find the depression writhing with a mass of
various-sized worms that can be removed and fed to your fish.

Daphnia
Also known as "water fleas", there are principally two different types of
daphnia used most often by betta keepers: Daphnia pulex and Daphnia magna.
The type we use most often is the Pulex, which is a very simple live food to
culture. Most daphnia are female, and will produce young regularly if adequate
food and conditions are provided. They are unusually sensitive to chlorine and
heavy metals, so you should always use a dechlorinator in water used for your
culture.

15
 Daphnia can be cultured outdoors during the warmer months in large plastic
tubs. Prepare your daphnia tub or tank several days prior to ordering your starter
culture. You should "seed" the container first with water from a healthy, well
established aquarium that has not been treated with chemical medications. Fill
the container about half full and add your daphnia culture. You will fill the tub the
rest of the way up over the next several days as the colony grows. Add the
daphnia slowly, acclimating them to the new water much the same as you would
acclimate a new fish. These are living organisms and will be shocked, perhaps
lethally, by extreme differences in the temperature. The culture can be fed on
Green water and harvested by removing half of the water through a net. Do this
every day and then top off the container with Green water. On a hot day this
could result in the water becoming depleted of oxygen and cause your daphnia to
perish, so care must be taken not to feed the daphnia too much.
Daphnia is an excellent food source for fry and juvenile bettas, and will live in
the tank water until they are found and eaten.

Brine Shrimp
While it is common knowledge that newly-hatched artemia (brine shrimp) are
an excellent first food for young fry, not so much attention is given to the benefits
of feeding adult Nauplii to full grown bettas, mainly because it has often been
said that raising brine shrimp to adult size is extraordinarily difficult. Here is a
method that should simplify the process somewhat, and has been met with a
huge success rate.
First, hatch your brine shrimp eggs in the normal fashion (see Raising Fry).
Once hatching has taken place, separate the newly hatched artemia from the
empty eggshells and move them to a medium-sized aquarium, between 10 and
20 gallons capacity. You can use synthetic sea salt or aquarium salt to about
3.5% salinity (or with a specific gravity of about 1.026). The tank should be
heavily aerated the first week, moderately aerated the second week, and then
gently aerated thereafter. Twice a day, the brine shrimp can be fed a suspension
liquid of spirulina powder mixed with pure water and blended well. Allow the
suspension to settle for the next 5 to 10 minutes. As it settles, the liquid
suspension forms on the bottom and a foam layer on top. The suspension is
poured through a brine shrimp net to remove larger particles and most of the
foam. This liquid is then added to the brine shrimp tank at a rate of about 10 - 50
cc per 20 liters.
If the dissolved oxygen in the tank is low over a sustained period of time -- say
5 to 7 days -- you will notice the shrimp changing from a green to reddish color.
This is reportedly caused by development of an oxygen carrying pigment.
Synthesis of a substance is metabolically costly, so undoubtedly the nutrient
value, growth rate, fecundicity, or some other life parameter is compromised with
lower dissolved oxygen rates.

16
 Harvest is done with a standard aquarium net. The larger netting allows
immature shrimp to remain in culture. Cultures that are not overharvested will
become self-sustaining in 4 to 6 weeks.

17
 5.
The Plakat

Pastel grizzled modern show type plakat male (V. Parnell)

The word "Plakat" comes from the Thai words "pla" and "kad", which translate
literally into "Biting Fish". The term applies to Betta splendens of the shortfin
variety, which are still primarily used in Asia in the fighting arena, where long fins
would be at a distinct disadvantage. In the past several years, however, the
plakat has enjoyed a surge of popularity among hobbyists, who maintain that the
plakat is more active than a longfinned betta, easier to spawn, and far more
resistant to disease. Plakats are now routinely bred into longfin lines in order to
keep finnage at a reasonable length, strengthen rays, and add vigor. The mutant
gene for longfin is dominant over the recessive shortfin, therefore a spawn of
plakat to longfin would produce the following results:

Plakat x Longfin = 100% longfin (plakat genotype)

Plakat x Longfin (plakat genotype) = 50% longfin (plakat genotype), 50% plakat
Longfin (plakat genotype) x Longfin (plakat genotype) = 75% longfin (67% plakat
genotype), 25% plakat
Plakat x Plakat = 100% plakat

There are three distinct forms of plakat in existence today, the Traditional
Show Plakat, the Modern Show Plakat, and the Fighter Plakat. For the purposes

18
of this book, only the first two will be discussed. The wild betta, although also a
shortfinned Betta splendens, is never found in a longfinned form, and is therefore
not given the plakat distinction.

The Modern Show Plakat

(S. Khumhom)

The Modern Show Plakat (or MSP) is a relative newcomer onto the scene of
regulated betta showing. This form of plakat may be held to much the same
standards as the longfinned show betta. Points are awarded to the MSP for
symmetry (balance in both body and fins), proportion, body shape, and fin shape.
In single-tailed bettas, the ideal caudal shape is a semi-circle that spreads to a
perfect 180 degrees with sharp edges. The anal fin should be roughly
rectangular, with the ideal being an isosceles trapezoid with the shorter side at
the base of the fin at the body; in other words, the outer edge of the fin should be
broader than the base. Although some exceptions can be made for the
shortfinned form, the anal fin should not extend far beyond the bottom edge of
the caudal fin. The ventral fins should be a bit longer in a male plakat than the
other fins, have pointed tips with a front edge that is slightly convex. They should
be of equal length and uncrossed. Female ventral fins are expected to be
significantly shorter than the ones of their male counterparts. The singletail plakat
dorsal may be semi-circle, quarter circle, or rectangular, as long as breadth and
volume are displayed. Ideally, the dorsal fin will overlap the caudal fin and appear
blended with it, though not physically fused.

19
 Modern Show Plakats were developed with the same attention and eye for
detail as the longfinned show betta, and their increased branching, crisp caudal
edges, and wider dorsals make them ideal for breeding into longfinned show
lines. Outcrossing a longfin line to the MSP will help strengthen the rays,
therefore making future generations of longfins better able to hold their finnage
over time.

The Traditional Show Plakat

(J. Sonnier)

The Traditional Show Plakat (or TSP) combines the colors and patterns of the
modern betta with the finnage in its natural form. Like the MSP, the caudal
spread should be 180 degrees, with the top and bottom of the tail flush against
the back of the fish. However, rounded edges are preferred in the TSP, with the
caudal gradually tapering into a spade shape. Where branching is desirable in
the MSP, the ideal TSP should show no more than a secondary ray in the caudal
fin, with quaternary and more rays considered unacceptable. The dorsal should
rise to a pointed tip just above the top of the caudal fin, with a gradual rise and
smooth outer edge. The anal fin is also preferred in a trapezium shape; however
in the TSP the pointed tip on the bottom should protrude longer than the bottom
of the caudal fin. The ventral fins should be long and of equal length, sturdy in
shape without being "thick". The TSP is expected to be more active than the
longfinned betta, with more aggressive posturing and an alert expression.

20
 The Traditional Show Plakat should not be interbred with the longfinned show
betta if one is interested in preserving/improving the show quality finnage of
either type. Longfin being dominant over shortfin, and modern show finnage
being recessive to the traditional forms, such pairings would result in 100%
longfin veiltail bettas, unacceptable for show purposes in either category.

6.

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 The Halfmoon

It can inarguably be said that the Halfmoon form has changed the face of the
betta hobby more than any other variation of recent years, not only captivating an
immense percentage of betta breeders but also going so far as to redefine the
standard of the Modern Show Betta. Halfmoon (HM) is the term given to bettas
that have a perfect 180-degree semi-circle caudal fin when flaring. Specifically, a
halfmoon betta must have a caudal where both ends are exactly 180 degrees
apart or more, spreading towards the front. Caudal edges have to be straight or
curving outwards, and not bending inwards. The general appearance of the
Halfmoon betta is one of roundness and symmetry, with the ideal form being
perfectly rounded in appearance.

22
 Diagram of Halfmoon caudal edges. Ideally, the caudal
Fin should form the shape of the letter “D”

The first Halfmoons were developed in Europe by breeder Guy Dulavel. Until
this time, the widest caudal spread was approximately 160 degrees, so in the
early 80's, Dulavel began breeding bettas for more angle in the tail, and by 1987
he exhibited the first 180 degree caudals at a betta show in France. Another
hobbyist, Rajiv Masillamoni, saw these fish and was understandably impressed
with the symmetry of Dulavel's entries, who also seemed better able to propel
themselves in the water with their huge, paddle-like caudal fins than the other
longfinned show bettas. Masillamoni and another breeder, Laurent Chenot,
joined in trying to preserve the new tail form. They tried to breed the fish, but
found that the original stock was too inbred and the males could not spawn.
Restricted to only using the females of the line, Masillamoni and Chenot did
many spawns with pet shop fish and fish of various lines. One of the fish that
came out of these crosses was the product of one of Delaval's original females
and a black doubletail male from American lines: This fish was called R39.

23
 “R39”, the first recorded Halfmoon from Rajiv Masillamoni

Masillamoni and Chenot bred R39 to every female betta in their possession,
and were rewarded with a select few fish that showed the 180 degree caudal.
Inspired, they continued breeding for the trait with renewed enthusiasm. They
gave careful consideration to certain aspects that seemed to produce the highest
percentage of their goal, namely secondary to quaternary ray branching, straight
outer edges, forward-thrusting anal fins, and more sculpted body types that
would be better able to hold the finnage. In 1991 American Jeff Wilson joined the
fray. He took one look at the exaggerated caudals of this new betta form and
decided they looked like half moons. The fish have been known as "Halfmoons"
ever since.

Wilson set-to working the strain in America while Massillamoni continued his
experiments, and the two exchanged stock regularly. Before long they were
consistently producing higher and higher numbers of good Halfmoon fish, until
they could expect at least a few in every single recorded spawn.

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 The “Chenmaswil” entry was the first Halfmoon to win Best of Show

In 1993, the Halfmoon Dream Team went public with their new creation by
entering the Halfmoon in an IBC convention in Tampa, Florida under the name
"Chenmaswil" (a play on their last names). They took home the trophy for Best of
Show, made the cover of FAMA magazine with their fish, and the Halfmoon
Craze began. The form picked up popularity at a viral rate, and many breeders in
Europe and America were able to acquire Halfmoon breeding stock and continue
the line. Some of them were able to send good breeding fish to Asia, and that's
where the real magic started. The Asian breeders, with their excellent breeding
farms and natural penchant for their little native fish were able to start producing
Halfmoon bettas en masse and selling them on the American market. Once
exceptionally rare, it is now a simple matter of visiting an online aquatic auction
house to acquire a good Halfmoon betta for under $30.00 USD...providing you
are willing to pay the exceptionally high import and shipping fees! Many
American and European breeders, although also working the Halfmoon form, are
not able to produce bettas with the efficiency and numbers of the large Asian
betta farms, and are therefore loathe to part with their best fish.

As the popularity and obvious preference for the Halfmoon form increased,
the International Betta Congress responded by amending their Chapter 5
standards regarding the ideal show betta in 2004. As the IBC had always
emphasized the importance of symmetry in show specimens, the ability to
produce a perfectly symmetrical betta with the 180-degree caudal seemed the

25
obvious evolution. The decision was met by resistance by several members, who
felt that the Halfmoon should be assigned fin variation status, and should not be
favored over other finnage types in open competition. However, majority and
logic ruled with regards to the incorporation of the form, and the revised Chapter
5 standards stood.

There are four accepted types of expression of the Halfmoon-type form that is
not categorized as Halfmoon: The Delta Tail (DeT), the Super Delta Tail (SDT),
the Rosetail (RT), and the Over Halfmoon (OHM).

Choosing a Halfmoon Breeder

Male and female opaque white pair (V. Parnell)

There are three important things to look for when shopping for a Halfmoon
betta: Symmetry (the body line that cuts and separates the caudal into half),
balance (the ability to draw an arc that begins from the caudal and encompasses
the dorsal and anal without hitting a snag), and the 180-degree caudal with
straight and crisp edges. Some things to avoid when looking for the "ideal" are:

1.) Unequal fin rays in the caudal. This detracts from the otherwise smooth arch
in the HM form, and tends to look choppy or sloppy.

2.) Non straight caudal fin rays.

26
3.) Outermost caudal fins rays not at or near edge of caudal.

4.) Fringe (ray extensions) on the fins. Many of these have probably been
interbred with the Crowntail form. There is a form called “Half Sun” which
incorporates the 180-degree caudal with the protruding fin rays, and these are
very pretty! But not desirable in a Halfmoon.

5.) Dorsal that is thin and weak, not in keeping with the huge, sweeping HM form.

6.) All other undesirable traits associated with bettas: Crooked back,
disproportionate fins, inactive disposition, poor form, poor color, and color
washes in a solid color betta.

A well-balanced HM will have an anal fin of similar length to the caudal, so the
bottom corner of the anal abuts the bottom edge of the tail. The dorsal is also full
and rounded, blending with the other fins so symmetrically that the fish is almost
circular in appearance. A dorsal fin that angles sharply forward before sweeping
across the back completes the image of a balanced HM very well.

Breeding for Halfmoon

Halfmoons are not the result of a single gene, but are the result of multifactor
traits that all have to be present for a 180 caudal to be produced. Your best bet
for producing halfmoons is to breed two fish from well-established halfmoon
lines. This is best obtained from established breeders, either locally or globally. It
is worth paying a higher price to get the fish you want, then getting a discount on
substandard fish that will set you back several generations. If there are no good
halfmoon fish available to you within your budget or desired color/form, then it is
possible to start a halfmoon line with a super delta pair. Your odds of getting a
few HMs in the first generation is increased if the SDT fish come from an
established line of halfmoons. Ask for photos of the parents, if available. Request
photos of siblings. If the line throws a good number of HM, you will usually fare
tolerably well using super delta starter stock. Buy the best pair you can afford,
and then be prepared to work very hard.

Avoid breeding bettas with vice or serious imperfection, such as humpbacks,

tail-biters, and otherwise malformed or undesirable fish. These traits can be
inherited, and you risk them popping back up in your line several generations
down, just when you think you've finally got it 'right'. A line of fish with perfect fins
who have weak immune systems are not perfect fish.

Choose a male that is the closest to the ideal you can find. Male halfmoons
practically dominate the ranks at auction houses like Aquabid.com, so there are
many options to choose from. Look for clean, crisp edges, full dorsal, clean body,
and straight fins -- drooping is bad, and may indicate the fish isn't able to hold its

27
own finnage. When possible, purchase young fish between 3-6 months of age.
These are full of raging hormones and will be the easiest breeders.

Check your female. She is easy to overlook when compared to her dazzling
mate, but she is almost more important to your line then the male. Look for
straight caudal edges, full dorsal, good color and bright demeanor. The rays in
the tail should branch at least 3 times. Four is better, but definitely not less than
3. Top halfmoon breeders will usually use females who branch 8-10 times in the
caudal, because these tend to produce the highest percentage of true HM
offspring. Make sure she comes from a good established HM line, that way you
know she has the genetic material to produce HM offspring. There are many
female bettas being offered on the market as "Halfmoons" which are actually
delta or super deltas from halfmoon spawns. Look for the same definable
characteristics in the female as you would the male. A female betta without the
180 degree caudal spread and sharp edges is NOT a halfmoon female.

True Halfmoon female with excellent form. (S. Khumhom)

Choose your breeders on how they would fare overall against an articulated
standard (e.g. IBC standards). Know your standards well. Do not overly focus on
just the caudal fin. There are many areas of improvement even in the best of
bettas today, such as dorsal and anal fin development and purity of color. Pursue
the good tail, but don't overlook the other fins, otherwise you may find yourself in
your fishroom after a few generations looking at a bunch of perfect, 180 caudals
attached to fish with low color, skimpy dorsals, or waspish anals.
Keep in mind that even two perfect, 180 degree halfmoon bettas will not
produce 100% halfmoon offspring; the best you can hope for is a mix of
halfmoon, delta, and super deltas, with the percentage of true halfmoon in each
spawn increasing proportionately with the quality of your starter stock. Some

28
strong halfmoon lines can produce 50 - 60% true halfmoons in each spawn, but a
more realistic expectation is 10 - 30%, depending on water quality, diet, and
care.

Maintenance of Halfmoons
Halfmoons are probably the most demanding betta type to maintain. It helps
to bear in mind that long-finned bettas such as halfmoons are developed
domestically and are poorly adapted for survival in the wild. This means that
halfmoons would probably require more care and space than a typical short-
finned wild betta.
90% of fish ailments have a common root cause: poor water quality. The
secret lies in using as big a container as possible for your halfmoon and
changing the water often. Unfortunately, the best way to maintain a halfmoon is
to do what most of us don't have the time to do -- change 100% of the water
daily! If you only do partial water changes, some of the bacteria remain in the
container with the fish. It only takes some stress for your fish to fall prey. If you
can not possibly do full water changes every day then every other day or every 3
days can suffice, depending on the size of the container. Siphoning the debris
from the bottom (and then topping off the container with clean, treated water)
every day is strongly recommended. Use dechlorinated water (preferably aged).
This is necessary to remove all traces of harmful chlorine and chloramines which
are not present in natural ponds. Also, adjust your pH to ensure that it matches
that which the fish is used to. There are commercially available pH increasers or
reducers for this purpose.
Plants are another good option. As in the wild, they help to remove
phosphates from the water, which would otherwise build up in your aquarium
through the partial water changes. While phosphates are not toxic to fish, it would
encourage the growth of unsightly algae in your tank. I would recommend hardy
java moss to help reduce the phosphates in your betta tanks. Java moss often
comes attached to driftwood; simply detach the plants from the driftwood before
placing them into your betta tank as the driftwood typically has sharp edges that
could tear the fins of your betta. Plants also absorb nitrates in producing food for
themselves. Do ensure that there is space for free movement of your fish as
plants occupy space. Do monitor the amount of space that your bettas have from
time to time as plants do grow. Remove plants where necessary to ensure that
there is a balance between space and plants in your tank. Use the same type of
plants that you used in the fry tank when the time comes to jar your halfmoon fry.
If the fish was purchased from another breeder, ask for the water conditions used
to raise the fish and replicate those conditions as closely as possible. This could
be critical! Reds and non-reds in particular are very sensitive to any changes in
water perimeters.

29
 Provide your halfmoons with good food. Feed as large a variety of foods that
is available to you and supplement your betta's dietary intake with dried foods
containing essential vitamins. Personally, I would advocate frozen foods, which
are fresher than dried food but do not typically introduce parasites and bacteria
like live food. However, you should feed small portions regularly (enough so that
the fish can finish up the food within five minutes). Otherwise, the uneaten food
will introduce more ammonia into the system as it decomposes.
Allow the fish to stretch his fins every day by exposing him to his own
reflection or to another betta. The fish shouldn't be constantly in view of other
bettas, or his interest in them will start to wane. If you have to keep your fish in
sight of each other, than either "card" them (block their view of each other with an
index card or other suitable view-blocker) or shuffle the jars around so that they
are constantly switching neighbors and having to reestablish their pecking order.
Be aware that fish with very full finnage that flare too hard for too long can blow
their fins, so these individuals are best limited to 1-hour flaring sessions.
It is a lot of work, but the beauty of the halfmoon betta in full flare makes them
undeniably worth it.

Branching and Fin Rays

Many newcomers are confused by the references to ray branching when
discussing modern show bettas. This section should help shed some light on the
topic.
The first thing you need to understand about ray branching are the degrees of
general branching in bettas. The first ray is called the Primary ray. This is the one
closest to the body. In many bettas, including Veiltails, the primary will split once
more into what is called the Secondary ray. Breeders of show bettas desire more
rays than just secondaries in their lines, of course. So we look for another split,
which are called Tertiary rays. This is when the Secondary ray splits again,
normally into 4 but sometimes into just 3. In female bettas and plakats, this is
usually the last split you will see, due to the reduced finnage. Longfinned HM
males can split even further, into what is called Quaternary rays. In some
specimens (particularly Rosetail Halfmoons), the rays can split even further.

30
 Halfmoon ray branching

In female bettas, you are looking for rays that split from the Secondary ray
into 4-6 distinct Tertiary rays. This is the minimum one should require of a female
they are hoping to raise HM offspring from. Some very good females will also
split into Quaternary branching, and these are exceptionally valuable to a
breeding program. These females are called Eight Ray Females, or “Ladies of
Eight”.
For the purposes of breeding for the HM form, more rays equals greater
percentage of HM offspring you could reasonably hope for from any one spawn.
An excessively branching Rosetail male will sire a lot of HM offspring if crossed
to a HM or SDT female; however the conscientious breeder should keep in mind
the “ideal” of the form and be careful in his or her selection of breeders. If both
parents show Rosetail type branching, they may produce many offspring of such
excessive branching that they have trouble swimming. Moderation is key. If you
are using a female of minimal branching and want to increase her percentage of
show quality offspring, spawning her to a Rosetail male will produce good results.

31
 7.
The Crowntail

Multicolored double ray crowntail male (V. Parnell)

The Crowntail was founded 1997 in West Jakarta, Slipi, Indonesia, and the
creator was an Indonesian breeder named Achmad Yusuf (Iyus), who called the
form “cupang serit” in Indonesian. When Henry Yin showed this fish in one of the
IBC shows, he named it Crown Tail, and the moniker stuck.

The Crowntail (or CT) is distinguished with tail rays that extend beyond the tail
edge, producing a crown-like appearance, the reduced expression of this trait
being known as the "Combtail" or "Fringetail". How much the rays may extend
depends on the genetic makeup of the fish. The crowntail trait can be found in
bettas of any tail type and shape. For instance it can be seen in veiltail, delta,
super delta, halfmoon, and doubletail. The crowntail gene is intermediary, but
singletail carriers usually show more or less extended rays beyond the tail edge.
Some examples of spawning crowntail is shown below:

Crowntail x Crowntail = 100% Crowntail

Crowntail x Longfin = 100% Combtail (fringe fin) with more or less expression of
the CT trait
Crowntail x Halfmoon = 100% ST Combtail, some extra work may produce HM

32
Combtail ("Halfsun")
Crowntail x Plakat (TSP) = 100% Veiltail Combtail

Defining a Good Crowntail

For the purpose of showing in the CT class, Crowntails are defined as bettas
exhibiting at least a 33% reduction in webbing versus ray length in each of the
three primary fins (caudal, anal and dorsal). This requirement must be
demonstrated in all three primary fins but does not need to be exhibited between
all rays to meet the minimum requirement to be classified as a Crowntail betta. In
the March/April 2004 issue of Flare! Magazine the IBC Judging Board released
the new standards concerning the judging of the Crowntail betta. It should be
kept in mind that the standards only apply to male CT bettas; females are judged
in the standard color classes for their respective color types.

Single ray - In the 'SR' CT, web margins are, ideally, uniform and webbing
reduction is equal between primary rays and rays with branches.

Cross Ray - The crossing of rays ('CR') is manifested by pairs of ray extensions
that curve over each other. A CR CT which has every extension of its caudal
crossed over another is sometimes known as a "King Crown", and is considered
the highest level of achievement in Crowntails.

Cross Ray Crowntail Male (M. Tan)

Double Ray - In the 'DR' CT, webbing is reduced at the two levels: one between
a pair of rays and the other, more profoundly, between two ray branches.
Breeders put a premium on double-ray and 4 ray extension Crowntails. These

33
traits are to be regarded as neutral and are not to be pointed above single ray
extended Crowntails. Four ray and even eight ray extensions are less common
and the effect is almost always confined to the caudal fin only.

Double Ray Crowntail Male (M. Tan)

Double Double Ray - 'DDR' is double double ray, hence a four ray extended
branching.

Double Double Ray Crowntail (S. Khumhom)

Random Ray - The term 'RR' basically means that the caudal spread has mixed
single ray, double ray, 3 rays and 4 rays extended branching all mixed up. It is
used to describe those whose extended ray patterns are not fixed.

For the purpose of judging CT in IBC sanctioned showing, these are the desired

34
traits judges are encouraged to look for:

1. 33% reduction in webbing material for each primary fin is minimum. 50%
reduction in webbing material in all three primary fins is ideal.

2. Ray extensions to be uniform in balance, length and spacing (symmetrical).

3. Double and 4 ray extensions in dorsal and anal fins to match caudal
extensions.

Undesirable traits for Crowntails:

1. Less than 33% reduction in webbing material in 2 or all 3 primary fins is a

DISQUALIFYING FAULT.

2. Less than 33% reduction in webbing material in 1 primary fin is a SEVERE

fault.

3. Ray extensions of different lengths are MINOR faults unless the rays are in
even, repeating pattern.

4. Random rays, for example, single protruding rays in a double ray or 4 ray
Crowntail, should not be regarded more than a MINOR fault and ignored if there
is only a single ray protruding ray.

5. Curled or bent ray extensions are each a MINOR fault.

6. Non-symmetrical spaces between ray extensions are each a MINOR fault.

Breeding and Raising Crowntails

As exotic as the Crowntail betta is in appearance, there is virtually no

difference in the spawning behavior between this variation of the Betta
Splendens fin type and any other. Although the Crowntail has earned itself a
reputation for being more aggressive in the spawning tank, this is generally
attributed to fact that the male CT carries much less weight in the finnage than
most other Longfin types, and, as a result, is a faster swimmer and more
vigorous spawning partner. Most responsible breeders will take this into account
when spawning CT, and will supervise the breeding behavior more closely than
usual in case the female is taking too much damage from the male. However, in
most cases a pair of CT will court and spawn in a very timely manner, with no
more or less damage to either partner as is considered the norm in betta
breeding.

35
 It is widely recognized that the best CT in the world come out of Indonesia,
and has it has been said only half in jest that it can be attributed to 'Magic
Indonesian Water'. Notwithstanding anything in bettas to be taken for granted, we
can analyze this claim as follows: Indonesian City Water supply is generally soft
water, registering a 3 in a test for General hardness and Carbonate hardness.
The water collection points are in the mountain areas of Bogor. Speculatively, the
legendary superiority of Indonesian water could also be because there are no
indications of limestone caves in the West Java region. Water from the
mountainous regions in West Java is mainly made up of alluvial deposits,
especially in areas around the reservoirs. Waters in Jakarta, in particular, have a
reputation for being good for Crowntails.

In addition to soft water, space and consistency are key ingredients to

breeding show quality CTs. More so than even the HM, Crowntails require ideal
water quality to be maintained throughout their entire lives, or they will be prone
to 'ray curling', the #1 bane of CT breeders. Water quality is best maintained in
larger containers, and most of the major CT breeders do not recommend
anything smaller than a 2.5 gallon tank per single male, with regular water
changes and attention paid to perimeters. The fragile ray extensions of the CT
are particularly vulnerable to differences in pH, swings, and nitrate/ammonia
spikes and will quickly begin to deteriorate in form if optimal conditions are not
maintained.

Another important factor in raising good Crowntails is food. Most breeders in

Jakarta use live food for their bettas, and one in particular was able to share his
method of feeding CT fry with us: "When the fry hatch, no feeding is done except
from what is derived naturally from plants like water lettuce. Daphnia is being fed
from as early as a week old. Then when the fry are about a month old they are
fed with Tubifex Worms. Tubifex Worms are being given to the fry twice daily up
to 2 months of age, in small proportions. Once the fry are above 2 months, they
are only fed once on Tubifex Worms. The second feeding is replaced by
mosquito larva. Once the fry are 3 months of age and above they are only fed
once a day on mosquito larva." There is high usage of Daphnia, Tubifex and
mosquito larva because these are a free and natural food source for bettas.
Bloodworms are rarely used because they are not in abundance in Jakarta.

As mentioned earlier the Number One enemy of CT Breeders is curled rays. It

should be mentioned that curling does occur in Indonesia as well, despite the
water conditions. My Indonesian sources professed that this is due to the water
being too cold or cool. Whatever it is, at the first sign of curling, the first treatment
to be administered is natural ultraviolet light. Simply expose the curling betta to
sunlight for about half an hour daily; if the fish is in a very small container be sure
to monitor his water for overheating. Other breeders maintain that some slight
current in the water can help prevent ray curling as well.

36
What is a King Crowntail?

Lavender King Crowntail (M. Tan)

There is some confusion regarding the definition of a King Crowntail. Although

considered the ultimate achievement in Crowntail breeding, the true King Crown
remains rare, and is therefore highly prized among crowntail enthusiasts who are
lucky enough to get one in their fishroom.

The original King Crowntail was a perfect red male bred by Henry Yin, which
displayed an ideal cross point of all secondary rays in the caudal fin. The fish
was visually stunning, and because it was unbeaten in various contests against
many different judges, it was considered the best fish in all of Indonesia and
given the title of King Crowntail.

As discussed earlier, a "Cross Ray" is a term used for Crowntails which

exhibit overlapping ray traits, whether inverted or otherwise. As long as the rays
overlap, to whatever the degree, the CT is a termed a "Cross Ray". By definition,
any Crowntail betta which has at least one cross in the caudal fin may qualify as
a Cross Ray, however, the better specimens of Cross Ray Crowntails will have
as many secondary ray crossings as possible. By accepted definition, the King
Crowntail today is a Cross Ray betta which has eight or more cross ray points,
with every single ray overlapping another being considered the most ideal.

The King Crowntail is not the result of a single gene, but, like the Halfmoon, is
a multi-factorial trait. Environment, food, and breeding all contribute to the King
Crown phenotype, which is why they continue to be so rare. What you want to
look for in breeding for the King Crowntail fish are curved rays; not just on the
caudal, but also on the anal and dorsal fins. The rays in the caudal have to curve
in such a fashion that they criss-cross each other rather than curve in the same
direction. All the secondary rays of King Crowntail are supposed to curve

37
outwards in different directions and overlap the next set of rays. Defining a true
King Crowntail involves, not only the number of crossings, but also the harmony
of the rays and total fin shape. Look at the fish as a whole instead of merely
counting the number of crossings it has.

38
 8.
The Doubletail

Black melano doubletailed male betta (Siam Imbellis)

Doubletails (DT) are produced by a mutant gene that causes the caudal fin to
be divided into two distinct lobes. A secondary characteristic produced by this
mutation is a tremendously enlarged dorsal fin. It has been suggested that the
DT trait is caused by the top half of the betta being mutated to reflect the bottom
half, thereby producing an anal fin and extra tail on the top of the fish as well as
the bottom. In keeping with this theory, the doubletail dorsal is many times wider
than the dorsal on a singletail Betta. In fact, the dorsal and anal fins on DTs
appear to be about the same size and width.

The mutation that causes DT is recessive to the normal Singletail (ST).

Breeding a DT with a ST will result in 100% ST offspring, approximately 75% of
which will carry the DT recessive gene. It used to be thought that DT x ST would
produce 100% DT genotypes, but I have had experience in breeding the same
male fish (a singletail which was a carrier for the doubletail gene) to two females
who were full sisters from the same spawn. One of the females produced 25%
DT from her cross with this male, and the other female produced none. Later I
took a DTM from the first spawning and crossed him to a ST sister, and was

39
rewarded with a large spawn that yielded no DT offspring -- not one! So I can
only conclude that the DT gene doesn't affect all members of a spawn, as
previously assumed.

The first generation of a ST x DT cross are referred to as Singletails with

Doubletail geno, or ST/dt. Crossing two ST/dt fish will almost always yield some
DT fry (usually about 25%). Crossing a DT (or DT/dt) to ST/dt will usually
produce a higher number of DT, as much as 50%. Crossing DT x DT will
normally give you 100% DT, but these crosses very often have inherent
problems, such as fused lobes, bent spines, or deformed bodies. These
problems can be minimized in DT x DT spawnings by only using unrelated fish
without serious imperfections. It is common practice today among breeders of
show bettas to use the DT to improve their ST lines by increasing volume of the
finnage and width of the dorsal fin. This can be accomplished as early as the first
generation, but with selective breeding can be enhanced so that the ST betta has
a dorsal nearly as wide as the DT.

Defining a Good Doubletail

We all have our preferences for how a good fish should look, but for the
purposes of this book I will be illustrating the ideal as defined by the IBC Judging
Standards (Chapter 5, revised). Keep in mind that the ideal appearance of a
quality betta, whether single- or doubletail, is a full circle with no open spaces
between the three unpaired fins.

The base of the dorsal fin of a doubletail betta is expected to be considerably

broader than that found in the singletail. The doubletail dorsal is, ideally, the
mirror image of the anal fin in keeping with the concept of symmetry.

Excellent doubletail green male showing full overlapping

dorsal fin (S. Khumhom)

40
 Doubletail bettas may have a deeper (top to bottom) body than singletailed
bettas. The thicker body is acceptable, as long as it contributes to the support of
the larger finnage.

They should have caudal rays evenly distributed above and below the
centerline of the fish. Proportionate volume is ideal as opposed to length. The
volume of the upper and lower caudal should be equal and equally distributed
above and below the centerline. The two caudals may overlap but should be
separated all the way to the caudal peduncle. A half circle is ideal for the overall
shape of the two caudal fins.

Doubletail bettas are expected to differ in several ways from the singletail:

1. Possess two distinct "tails" or caudal lobes instead of one, with complete
separation to the base of the caudal peduncle.

2. Possess a wider caudal peduncle to support the double lobes.

3. Possess a larger dorsal fin, nearly the size of the anal fin.

4. Their bodies are usually broader and often a bit shorter.

5. Bends in the caudal peduncle are expressed to a varying degree in almost all
doubletail bettas. These are more easily noticed when viewing the fish from
above. Easily seen bends should be faulted; if the bend is not excessive when
viewed from above, the fish should not be penalized.

Doubletails are docked points for not conforming to the articulated standard. How
much they are penalized is based on the severity of the fault.

Body Faults:

Doubletail body too short or stout (slight fault)

Doubletail caudal peduncle bump or bend very noticeable (major fault)

Dorsal Faults:

Doubletail dorsal slightly more narrow than the anal (minor fault)
Doubletail dorsal has a few short rays at the front edge, not matched on anal
(minor fault)
Doubletail dorsal is much more narrow than the anal (major fault)

Caudal Faults:

41
Doubletail caudal lobes are full, but separation not quite compete -- separation
still greater than 3/4 (slight fault)
Doubletail caudal lobes slightly mismatched (minor fault)
Doubletail caudal lobes separation between 1/2 and 3/4 (minor fault)
Doubletail caudal lobes considerably mismatched in volume or shape (major
fault)
Doubletail caudal lobes matched, but narrow (major fault)
Doubletail caudal lobes separation 1/2 or less (major fault)
Doubletail caudal lobes mismatched and narrow (severe fault)

Although with the advent of the Halfmoon craze the DT betta has lost much of its
initial appeal, there are still few things more magnificent than a symmetrical, full-
finned doubletail with overlapping fins in full flare!

Platinum doubletailed female (V. Parnell)

Undesirable Traits of Doubletail Bettas

Although it is sometimes difficult to ascertain which fish will be the best when
the spawn is still very young, the guesswork is significantly removed when
working with Doubletails. The major faults can be spotted as early as a few
weeks, and those individuals should be removed from the spawn so that the
breeder can concentrate on the better fish. The faults most often seen in
Doubletails are: Uneven lobes, Y-Split, Crooked spine, Deformed body, and
Fused lobes.

42
Uneven Lobes

(C. Yew)

This is one of the most common problems in Doubletails. In this scenario, one
caudal lobe is significantly smaller than the other. In most cases, it is the lower
lobe that is the largest of the two. The degree of difference between the lobes is
variable; sometimes the inconsistency is almost impossible to detect, and in
other cases the upper lobe is so small that it looks like a tiny "thumb" sticking up
from the top of the lower caudal fin. A slight size difference between the two
lobes is acceptable for showing purposes, however major differences are
considered a severe fault.

Y-Split

(C. Yew)

This is when both caudal lobes, although even, are thin and spread out at odd
angles, therefore not producing the desired overlapping effect. These fish usually
lack the fullness and ray branching to produce good offspring, and are better

43
culled from your breeding program.

Crooked Spine

(C. Yew)

This fault can usually be seen by looking at the fish from above; the tip of the
spine near the caudal peduncle will sometimes "kink" a bit. This kink can often be
seen as a slight bump in the side of the fish as well. This particular problem is so
common in DT that a slight expression of it is not faulted by judges, however the
abnormality can also sometimes appear in ST bettas with the DT gene, and
these would be faulted severely. A DT with too much of a crooked spine should
not be used for breeding, as it will pass this trait on to any offspring.

Deformed Body

(C. Yew)

Another common problem when using DT in your breeding lines, these fish

44
have such severe spinal deformities that the spine will bend and sometimes
seem to curve in on itself! Bodies are also much shorter and thicker; in fact
deformed doubletails have often been compared to dwarfs of other species.
These should under no circumstances be bred, as the continuation of the fault
will ultimately destroy your show line. However, most of them seem to be happy
and healthy in spite of their deformity, and can make excellent pets.

Fused Lobes

(C. Yew)

This is what happens when the DT trait is incompletely expressed. The two
caudal lobes are fused together instead of evenly split, the degree of this
variable. Bettas with completely fused lobes can be difficult to differentiate from
STs; one must look for other indications, such as the overlarge dorsal or
shortened body length. Those with lobes that are fused to about halfway down
are sometimes referred to as "Heart tails", but this is not a recognized betta trait,
and therefore should not be pursued for show purposes.

45
 9.

Other Finnage Variations

The Roundtail

(V. Parnell)

For many years, the roundtail betta was by far the most common winner in
IBC showing. Before the advent of the Halfmoon form, roundtails were the most
symmetrical types of single tail available, and heavily favored by judges. These
tails are still overwhelmingly prevalent, yet they are rarely called by what they
are. Roundtails are single-tailed bettas with rounded edges, and are often
confused with the delta tail and even the super delta tail. Even when not given
the mistaken terminology, you will not often find them listed under Roundtail, but
rather under Single Tail.

The Spadetail

(V. Parnell)

You don't see Spadetail bettas very much anymore, though they were more

46
easily found when I first got started in bettas in the early '90s. This tail form is
pretty basic; the caudal has a wide base that narrows to a delicate point, like a
spade. They are usually a more symmetrical version of the Veiltail, and may
appear in small percentages from Veiltail spawns. Young Veiltail males may even
look like Spadetails until they finish developing their adult finnage, the weight of
which causes the tip of the tail to drop into the more common Veiltail form. True
Spadetails will hold their perfect spade shape their entire lives. The trait does not
breed true.

The Veiltail

(J. Sonnier)

If you purchased your betta from a pet store, this is most likely the type of tail
it has. Veiltails are simply longer-finned versions of wild type bettas. The caudal
fins rise and then slope down, the dorsals are on the small and on the narrow
side, and the anal fins are long. Although many of them are beautiful fish, they
are considered far inferior to modern show stock that has been bred for fullness
and symmetry in the fins.

The great majority of pet stores acquire their bettas in bulk from overseas.
Veiltails are excellent for the purposes of mass-production, since the breeders on
large Asian betta farms can raise huge numbers of them for sale in the United
States and Europe without being picky about color and finnage. Veiltails are the
genetic "mutts" of the betta world, many of them born as the result of
indiscriminate pond breeding. They usually have color washes and poor body
types that make them unsuitable for breeding, and should only be kept as pets.
On the positive side, Veiltails are undeniably tougher and more resistant to
disease than their showy cousins, most likely due to a combination of upbringing
(survival of the fittest) and lack of inbreeding.

Since Veiltail is a dominant trait, they should not be interbred into show lines.
A spawning of Veiltail to modern show type will result in 100% Veiltail offspring.

47
Female bettas found in pet stores can sometimes fool the buyer since they don't
show the tell-tale drooping caudal fin of the male Veiltails. However, Veiltail
females will not show more than secondary ray branching, and if you are
purchasing your female betta from a store that also sells Veiltail males, the odds
are stacked that she is a Veiltail female.

Because the International Betta Congress requires symmetry in show

specimens, the Veiltail is no longer an acceptable fin form for show purposes.
They can still be exhibited in the Pet Betta class, or in Finnage and Form
variations.

Delta Tail

(V. Parnell)

Delta Tail or (DeT) is a term often misused to describe any single-tailed non-
HM betta. The true Delta tail has straight caudal edges like a HM, but they
extend at slight outer angles from the back of the fish and don't arch straight up
into HM. Delta tail does have a solid genotype, meaning spawning delta to delta
will produce all deltas, with perhaps a few super deltas and even halfmoons.

48
Super Delta Tail

(V. Parnell)

Also known as Super Delta or HMx, the Super Delta Tail (SDT) is basically an
enhanced version of the standard Delta Tail, and some are just shy of being full
HM. This is a very beautiful tail, and often more pleasant to have than HM, since
there are not as many worries about the tail collapsing, or the fish having
difficulty in swimming and spawning, or blowing fins. They are also available
much more reasonably than true HM, and will usually produce some HM
offspring if they come from a HM spawn.

49
The Rosetail

The quest for the perfect halfmoon by selectively breeding for branching and
straight caudal edges has given rise to this development in finnage. The main
characteristic of the Rosetail (RT) is the excessive branching in all three unpaired
fins, especially the excessive branching and the overlapping rays in the caudal,
which produces a "petal-like" appearance. The extreme form of Rosetail can
produce the very unique 'Feathertail' betta. A breeder using Rosetail bettas in
their halfmoon lines has to be particularly careful of excess -- fish who cannot
swim properly, or who carry the trait into the mutation that has been coined 'X-
Factor Fish' -- fish with poor scales, shorter ventrals, more subdued coloring, and
collapsing finnage.

50
The Over Halfmoon

(S. Khumhom)

The Over Halfmoon (OHM) is an expression of the Halfmoon form to the other
extreme -- a caudal fin with edges that exceed the 180 degree ideal and form a
scalloped appearance with edges that curve in onto the body of the fish itself.
Caudal fins that slightly exceed 180 degrees are neither favored nor faulted by
IBC judging standards over fish displaying the perfect 180 degree spread.

Another popular variation of the Halfmoon form, which has not been included
in the above, is what is sometimes called the "Full Moon" (FM). This is a
doubletailed betta that has the top edge of his upper caudal lobe and lower edge
of his lower caudal lobe at an angle of 180 degrees or better. All other things
being equal, the FM betta is held to the same judging standards of any other
Doubletailed betta. The FM is also known as the Doubletail Halfmoon, or DTHM.
They are welcome additions to a HM breeding program for their tendency to
increase dorsal width and volume of finnage without compromising the HM
caudal.

51
 10.
Wild Bettas

Betta Imbellis

There was a time when everyone thought of Betta splendens whenever the
talk was about Bettas. This is changing. A growing number of people are now
showing interest in some of the other species in the genus Betta. The genus
currently includes over 50 species; a number that keeps growing as the
Southeast Asian rainforests are explored and new species are found and
described by scientists.

Although the modern pet and show betta is often celebrated for its long,
flowing fins and brilliant colors, there are many purists out there who prefer
observing and keeping different types of bettas in their wild forms. There is a lot
to be said for seeing the wild betta in the form Nature intended, and the different
types of bettas are fascinating to study, especially where it concerns
comparisons to our common Betta splendens. The International Betta Congress
supports a division called the Species Maintenance Program, which promotes
continued research to learn about the different species and their needs, provides
stock to interested parties, and offers judging guidance for the purpose of
breeding Wild Bettas for show. The following chapter will describe some of the
more common non-Splendens species of Betta, and the basics of their care and
breeding.

Suborder: Anabantoidei
Family: Anabantidae
Genera: Anabas, Ctenopoma, Sandelia
Family: Osphronemidae
Genus: Osphronemus
Family: Helostomatidae
Genus: Helostoma

52
Family Belontiinae
Subfamily: Belontiinae
Genus: Belontia
Subfamily: Macropodinae
Genera: Betta, Ctenops, Macropodus, Malpulutta, Parosphromenus,
Trichopsis
Subfamily: Trichogasterinae
Genera: Colisa, Parasphaerichthys, Sphaerichthys, Trichogaster

Betta Akarensis

Akarensis, also known as the Akar Betta, is a perch-like fish from the class
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes). It makes it home in the Akar River in Sarawak,
Borneo, and is a mouthbrooder of shy disposition. Although similar to Betta
pugnax in appearance, Akarensis males show green iridescence over their gill
coverings where Pugnax males do not. The finnage of the male Akarensis is
considerably longer than average for a wild betta, and the males tend to be a bit
smaller than the females. The fish spawn by embracing, which causes the female
to release eggs into the water, which are then fertilized by the male and taken
into his mouth, where they will stay for 10 - 12 days. The brooding male should
be isolated after spawning is completed and disturbed as little as possible or he
may swallow his eggs. A good breeder male will produce between 50 - 75 fry
when it is time to "spit", after which he should be removed and given good care
and nutrition for several weeks.
Betta Albimarginata
Albimarginata is from the class Actinopterygii and hails from the freshwater
marshes of Borneo and Kalimantan. It is a very beautiful and peaceful fish, which
is best living in groups of four or more. It was first caught by Maurice Kottelat in
1993 in the north east part of Kalimantan province in Borneo. None of Kottelat's
original Betta albimarginata made it to his home alive, but the following year he
and Peter K.L. Ng described the species from the ones he had preserved in
formaldehyde as Albimarginata, which means "White Edge". Similar to Betta
channoides in appearance, the two mouthbrooding species have often been
confused in photographs by even the most devout of Ichthyologists. Like
Akarensis, Albimarginata males carry their eggs and fry for 10 - 12 days before
releasing their completely independent fry. The male can then be removed, and
the fry fed small, live food.
Betta Balunga
Yet another mouthbrooder from Borneo, very similar to both Akarensis and
Pugnax. The male Balunga is slightly larger than the female, with a more
pronounced dorsal, caudal, and anal fin. Balunga males carry the eggs and fry in

53
their mouths for 12 - 14 days, and will tend to linger near the surface of the water
when brooding. Once he has spat out the young, he can be removed and the fry
raised on small, live food.
Betta Bellica
Also known as the "Slim Fighting Fish", Bellica has been shown to be one and
the same species as Betta fasciata and Betta bleekeri, described by Regan.
They come from densely grown swamps in Malaysia near the Perak River.
Although their Latin name meaning "Warlike" suggests otherwise, Betta bellica
are peaceful fish, suitable for larger community tanks, although they shouldn't be
kept together with very small fish. In smaller tanks the fish are shy and don't
show their colors, but in large well planted tanks with lots of hideouts the fish will
show themselves with full color. Since the fish get very accustomed to their
environment, it's best to buy some juveniles and to keep them in the same tank
all their life, otherwise the fish may become very shy. Bellica is a bubblenester
which is reportedly very easy to spawn in a community tank situation with the
right food and water perimeters. The female will release eggs after each
embrace, and the pair will place the eggs in the bubblenest, where they are
tended by the male. The female should be immediately removed, as males have
been known to kill their mates after spawning has occurred.
Betta Foerschi
Foerchi is a mouthbrooding betta from Borneo and Kalimantan. It is very dark
in appearance, with bands on the gill covers that are gold in males and red in
females. The Foerschi pair spawns near the bottom, and the male will carry the
eggs and fry for around 8-14 days. After that, he will spit about 40 dark black fry,
which can be fed immediately on small, live food. The male should be removed
at this point. Betta foerschi from different finding places can be slightly different in
appearance. It's important not to crossbreed the Foerschi from different localities,
to keep the strains pure.
Betta Imbellis
Imbellis is considered by many to be the same species as Betta splendens,
but there are enough differences between the two to necessitate a distinction.
For one, Imbellis (the name of which means "Not warlike"), is a peaceful fish, and
can be kept together with others of its kind, although it is prone to sparring
matches on occasion. It should never be kept with Betta Splendens, which will
single the fish out as a target. Imbellis prefers dark, densely planted tanks with
plenty of hiding places. Its appearance is very similar to wild Splendens, with the
only real differences being the more elongated body of Imbellis and their more
intense scale iridescence. The spawning is nearly identical to Splendens, with
the male selecting an area of the tank to build his nest, and dancing for
prospective mates in dazzling colors until he can persuade one to spawn with
him. Imbellis and Splendens can often be crossbred.

54
Betta Macrostoma
Also known as the "Brunei Beauty", this colorful but delicate mouthbrooder
should only be kept by more experienced hobbyists who can provide it with the
environment it requires. Macrostoma needs very pure and soft water (over 90%
reverse osmosis) with a strong current and a large tank. Macrostoma is a fast
fish, and has been known to kill itself darting against the sides of small tanks. It is
also a gifted jumper, and should be kept covered at all times. Dense vegetation
with plenty of hiding places coupled with large volume water changes are
necessary to keep the fish in optimum health. Spawning is initiated by the female
and takes place near the surface of the water. The male will carry the eggs and
fry in his mouth for about 30 days, while the female patrols the area and protects
her mate. After spitting, the parents should be left to tend the fry for an additional
3 - 7 days. The fry are primarily female, and can be fed immediately with small,
live food. On an interesting side note, the Macrostoma is currently under the
protection of the Sultan of Brunei, who has taken a particular liking to the fish,
and prohibits the captivity of the Brunei Beauty. The fish is therefore extremely
difficult to get, and you can expect to pay out the nose for a pair of them.
Betta Mahachai
So similar to Imbellis and Splendens in both appearance and spawning
behavior, it is often speculated that all three types of Betta are actually one and
the same, the only differences being environmental rather than physical. Indeed,
the three types of bettas interbreed with relative ease, and it is said that Copper
Imbellis and Copper Splendens come from outcrossing those species with
Mahachai, who has a naturally high scale iridescence to compensate for the
murkier waters in which it makes its home in Southwest Bangkok.
Betta Pugnax
The Pugnax (which means "Forest", therefore "Forest Betta") is also known as
Betta picta, Macropodus pugnax, Betta trifasciata, Betta anabatoides, Betta
rubra, Betta macrophthalma, Betta fusca, Betta taeniata, and Betta brederi. It is
found in the wild in Sumatra, Indonesia, as well as Malaysia, Singapore, and
other regions of Southeast Asia. A bubblenester, Pugnax requires large spaces,
and little is known about the finer nuances of its breeding behavior. Betta pugnax
is peaceful with many other fish but like many anabantoids are best kept in a
species tank. Breeding is via mouthbrooding and the male incubates the eggs
for around 14 days. Fry are large and can take baby brine shrimp and grindal
worms from the start.

55
 11.
Colors and Patterns

Bettas today are available in almost every color and pattern imaginable, from
pure white to rainbow to polka dotted. Up until very recently it was common for
breeders who were intensively working a particular color/pattern to assign their
projects certain "strain names" in an effort to either increase the marketability of
the fish or to differentiate the strain from other, similar lines. The trend has
decreased somewhat in popularity, mainly due to the confusion it caused in
newcomers to the hobby, who weren't able to distinguish between an actual IBC
recognized color/pattern and a strain name.

As of this writing, there are only thirteen color categories and two patterned
categories officially recognized by the IBC: Red, Black, Royal Blue, Steel Blue,
Turquoise/Green, Clear/Yellow/Orange, Pastel, Opaque, Dark Bicolor, Light
Bicolor, Grizzled, Metallic Dark Bodied, Multicolor, Butterfly, and Marble. It
doesn't matter if the breeder calls their breeding line John's Blueberry Buckle, if
he sends them to a betta show the fish will be relegated to one of these
categories, and judged against the articulated standard for that class.

This chapter will describe the official thirteen colors and two patterns of the
show betta, as well as offer some advice on what is and is not desired in each
category. Breeders interested in raising show quality bettas should pay particular
attention to what the judges look for in IBC showing.

Red

(S. Khumhom)

56
 In wild type bettas red is a layer of color that is just above the black layer. The
only other colors that can cover red are the iridescent blues and greens. Red
bettas are produced when the normal red pigment has been increased in density
and extended in distribution to cover the entire body and fins of the fish. This
mutant gene causes the betta to appear to be solid red in color. The Extended
Red mutation is dominant over the gene for normal red color. Judges are
encouraged to favor bright, cherry red color over normal red.

The extended red gene produces an abnormal amount of spread of red, non-
red (and perhaps black) pigment on the betta, similar to the spread iridocyte
gene for the iridescent colors. However, as there are other factors that affect the
physical appearance of the betta (such as the presence of the non-red gene
which dictates that the betta show non-red in places where there would normally
be red), a betta with the extended red gene may not even be red! There are also
several other factors (amount of iridescence, amount of black pigment, intensity
of color), which shape the ideal red betta.

A breeder interested in pursuing ideal reds is confronted with two primary

obstacles -- ridding the fish of black edge and scales, and the tendency, in so
doing, to reduce the intensity of the red coloration. Most breeders combat the
black scale problem by introducing the cambodian gene into their line of
extended reds. While this does serve to eliminate the black, it also pales the
body color of the fish. A greater success can often be achieved by using the
blonde gene, which preserves the blood-red color but usually will not eliminate all
of the black. Theoretically, it is possible to remove the black from all extended
red lines, either by increasing the spread of the red to cover all of the black
layers, or by removing the black layer entirely. The first theory is based on the
proposition that the traditional cambodian is caused by not one gene, but two.
The first would be a simple Mendelian that removes black pigment on all parts of
the fish except the eyes; the second is a non-Mendelian gene that determines
the spread of red on the fish. In the traditional cambodian, this gene exhibits itself
as red only on the fins of the fish.

The ideal red betta should display no iridescence. This can be a tricky
problem, because many breeders, wanting to improve the finnage of their red
line, have outcrossed to the more powerfully-finned iridescent colors and bred
the red back from there. Logically then, the next step would be to eliminate the
presense of iridocytes from the red line, and this can be achieved in a number of
different ways. The first and most obvious method would be to outcross the line
to a red line with less iridescence. Another good way to go is to cross the line
onto a good yellow (non red) line, preferably one that carries the extended red
gene and no cambodian. Another breeder I know has succeeded in creating a
line of reds with near-perfect coloration by outcrossing them onto orange.

57
 Extended red betta (J. Sonnier) Female extended red betta

Reds can be especially frustrating because of their tendency to display a

white or clear edge to their fins, most commonly the caudal. Happily, this pale
outermost edge often fills in as the fish matures. But in some cases it remains,
leaving the breeder clenching his teeth and fighting the urge to trim off the
offending portion of the fin with a pair of blunt-nosed scissors.

The red color can be late to appear as well. Usually it starts with red streaks in
the fins, until the fins are completely covered and the fish looks like a traditional
cambodian. Then the body begins to redden, and I've found that the ones that
begin reddening earliest end up with the most intense color in the end. Others
will look like they are going to remain cambodian or turn into yellows, but then
suddenly start coloring up. These are the ones that have the most satiny shade
of red, but it is often much lighter than the ideal, and is usually indicative of the
cambodian gene at work.

Reds can also present a problem in the spawning tank, as they seem more
prone to outright displays of violent aggression. It can be nerve-wracking
watching a pair of would-be lovers cheerfully shredding each other's fins, but it
seems to be par for the course with reds. When you finally do manage to spawn
them, be prepared to start jarring the young reds much earlier than you would
have to jar young males of most other colors. Even from the juvenile stage, reds
are fiery-tempered.

58
Black

Black melano (T. Poparnich)

In wild type bettas black is a color that is often covered by other colors. There
are principally 3 types of black betta around today: The Melano black, the Black
Lace, and the Marble black. The distribution of black pigment is all over the fish
except for most of the caudal fin and the abdominal area. This dispersion is of
medium density but is not usually obvious because of other overlaying colors.

The most popular black is the Melano black. In melano bettas, a mutant gene
has caused the black pigment to be greatly increased in density and coverage
area. The mutated gene that causes increased black color is recessive to the
normal black gene. This means that if a melano betta were spawned to a normal
betta that does not have the mutated black gene all of the offspring would be
multicolored. These offspring would be carrying the gene for melanism, but it
would not show in their coloration. These are called "melano genos" and they are
indistinguishable from normal multicolored bettas. Recessive characteristics only
become visible if both parents pass down the mutant gene to their offspring.
Melano females cannot be used for breeding purposes, and therefore the color
has to be perpetuated using females of other colors that carry the mutant gene
for melano, usually iridescent (royal, steel, green) colors. Unfortunately, these
crosses inevitably introduce iridescence into the body and fins of the melano fish,
which is considered a fault by IBC standards.

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 Marble/metallic based black (S. Khumhom)

The melanophores from melanos grow very differently from that seen in black
lace and wild type. They pile up and are very sticky, which is why they produce
such a dense black. If you were to look closely at a melano, you would notice
that they have a lot of speckling throughout their fins that that make them look so
dark. These are "balls" of melanophores. Preliminary studies have shown that
these melanophores have extra adhesion proteins. One hypothesis is that these
proteins are also responsible for female infertility. Melano females will produce
eggs during the act of spawning like a normal female, but something happens
during the hatching process that causes the fertilized egg to rupture.

Melano female

The "Black Lace" betta is a dark colored fish that rarely approaches the depth
and intensity of the melano black. Most Black Lace fish display too much

60
iridescence in body and fins to be competitive in the Black class, and are instead
relegated to Dark Bicolor. The ends of the fins of Black Lace fish may be clear or
cellophane in color. The females of Black Lace are, however, fertile. Most
recently, crosses of Black Lace to Melano black have produced what has been
called "Double Black" -- a more intense black with fertile females. Black Lace is
also sometimes known as Black Orchid or Black Ice.

“Double Black” male and female (Jim Sonnier)

Marble black can produce a very ideal type of black, but it works in
unpredictable ways. Spawns of marble black often yield individuals that are less
than ideal, from having too much iridescence to being completely marbled in
appearance. Working with the marble factor is also risky in that it in no way
guarantees that your black betta will stay black as it matures.

Royal Blue

(S. Khumhom)

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 Royal Blue Bettas are set in the Iridescent category in the IBC Standards,
which also includes Steel Blue and Turquoise/Green. This color sometimes has
the problem of anal fin wash. It is usually red, although you may sometimes find
green and/or steel blue wash on other fins such as the ventrals. It is usually at
the base of the anal fin, from the front to the back of the fin. "Invisible" wash is
seen only by shining a flashlight through the fins from the opposite side. This
type of wash is ignored in the IBC Standards Handbook and by IBC judges;
however, one should strive to eliminate it from their lines as much as possible.

Intensely colored royal blue female with red in the

ventral fins (J. Sonnier)

Royal blues have one normal Green gene and one mutated Steel Blue gene
which combine to produce an intermediate blue color. Neither the normal green
gene nor the mutated steel blue gene is dominant over the other. These genes
interact to produce a blending of the two colors into a new color. This prime
example of intermediate dominance produces the blue (also called Royal Blue)
coloration. As strange as it may seem, a spawning of a green to a steel betta will
produce 100% royal blue. Simply put, this means that a Green betta possesses
two normal Green genes; a Steel Blue betta possesses two mutated Steel Blue
genes, and a Blue betta possess one normal Green gene and one mutated Steel
Blue gene.

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Steel Blue

(S. Khumhom)

Steel blue bettas are produced by a color mutation gene that alters the normal
green color so that it appears as steel (or "gunmetal") blue instead of green. This
color mutation affects both the normal iridescent distribution and the spread
iridescent distribution. Neither steel nor green is dominant over the other, but
crossing the two will produce yet another iridescent: royal blue.

Nice young steel Halfmoon male (V. Parnell)

Steel is by far the most common color used to perpetuate the melano gene.
The reason for this is because the steel blue color tends to produce a darker
black with less blue iridescence on the body and fins than what you find when
using royal blue or turquoise melano carriers.

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 Steel blue female with melano genotype (V. Parnell)

Steel blue can range in color from a soft, silvery blue to a very dark slate gray.
Bettas of the most solid, dense steel blue coloration are preferred, with points
taken for red wash or any other color than steel present in the body and fins.
Steel blue bettas often have dark heads and display the "speckling" in the fins
caused by melanophores that may be present in their genetic makeup.

Turquoise/Green

(S. Khumhom)

In wild type bettas, iridescent color is the densest layer that can cover all other
colors. The normal distribution of iridescent color is limited to ray-like projections
into the fins and several rows of iridescent dots along the body of the fish. The
color density is usually very heavy in those areas. The normal iridescent color on
wild bettas is green.

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 The color green in bettas is often synonymous with turquoise because the
color usually has a blue tint. The mutated gene has been named “Spread
Iridescence” because the normal green pigment has been increased in density
and extended in distribution to cover the entire body and fins of the fish. This
mutant gene causes the betta to appear solid green in color except for the head
area. The mutation for Spread Iridescence is dominant to the normal iridescent
gene.

Green female betta (S. Khumhom)

For the purposes of IBC showing, green and turquoise are judged in a
combined class. All other things being equal, the fish with the greenest shade will
be given preference over a fish that is more turquoise in appearance. As with the
other iridescent colors, points are taken for the presence of red wash, or any
other color other than green present in the body and fins.

Clear/Yellow/Orange

65
 Yellow bettas are also called Non-red (NR) Bettas. This mutated gene causes
the alteration of red pigment to yellow. This mutation affects both normal red and
extended red coloration. Yellow bettas should have no red pigment anywhere on
their bodies or fins. The NR mutation is recessive to the gene for normal red
color. According to Dr. Gene Lucas (geneticist and founder of the IBC), yellow
colored bettas do not result from the action of a single gene. There is no such
thing as a yellow gene that produces a yellow phenotype in bettas. This "non-
red" recessive gene caused bettas to be yellow where they would normally be
red. The reason why Dr. Gene Lucas did not call the gene yellow was:

1. The term non-red had been used previously to describe similar abnormalities
in other organisms.
2. To avoid having people making the assumption that there was a single gene
that would generate the yellow phenotype.

It was once thought the perpetuation of the non-red betta was as simple as
breeding a yellow to a yellow and standing back to enjoy the results. Indeed,
some spawns of yellows do result in a high percentage (even 100%) of yellow
fish, but the yellow phenotype has also been known to crop up in some
unexpected places.

Yellow female (V. Parnell)

According to the IBC standards, yellow is categorized as a light-bodied, solid

color type. To obtain a solid yellow, several changes must exist. The black and
iridocyte colors must be minimized (eliminated if possible), the yellow must
replace the red and the yellow must be extended to cover the entire fish. This
requires four different alterations of three different pigment components. Two of
these seem regulated by single locus recessive genes, the non-red already
mentioned and the recessive cambodian gene which nearly eliminates dark
pigment. The other two (the extension of red to cover the entire fish) and the
reduction of iridocyte color to minimize green (or blue, if the green has been
altered by still another gene) do not operate as though controlled by single

66
genes. It is known that:

1. Yellow x Yellow may give Cambodian Red.

2. Cambodian Red x Cambodian Red may give Yellow too.

Cambodians and yellows are recessive but may carry each other's genotypes.
Spawning your yellow line to cambodian is a good cross to keep the yellow color
as intense as possible. If you only spawn yellow to yellow it will eventually wash
out and become a very pale, boring yellow.

Clear bettas (also commonly known as Cellophanes) are a common sight in

fish rooms that breed marble bettas. The cellophane betta has a clear- or flesh-
colored body and translucent fins; often the cellophanes that crop up in marble
spawns will start marbling as they mature. Alternately, marble bettas with good
color contrast and separation may start losing their pattern with age and become
cellophanes. Breeding cellophane to cellophane will usually produce a fine yield
of cellophanes, marbles, and butterflies.

Cellophane betta (V. Parnell)

Orange bettas are the result of what geneticists are now calling the "NR-2"
gene, another mutation of red, which produces more of a red/yellow (orange)
color. A very deep, pumpkin orange with minimal black scale effect is desired.
Spawning two orange fish will usually yield 75% orange and 25% cambodian.
NR-2 cambodian x orange will produce 50% orange and 50% cambodian. The
presence of the NR-2 gene in your cambodian breeding fish is essential for the
production of orange. Like yellow, spawns of orange x orange can become
washed-out in appearance over time. For this reason it is best to cross orange
onto NR-2 cambodian to maintain the bright orange intensity.

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 Orange plakat doubletail (S. Khumhom)

Pastel

Blue pastel male (V. Parnell)

Pastel bettas are identifiable by their softer, muted shades of color. In the
Pastel betta, the colors lack the typical dark undercolor of the non-pastel forms of
the same colors. Pastel green, for example, differs considerably from Iridescent
Green seen in green solid-color bettas. Opaque bettas may be shown as pastels
when they are young, and later be accepted as Opaques due to the propensity of
increased pigment in Opaques over time as the fish ages. It should be noted,
however, that in the true Pastel fish, the opaque factor is limited.

Pastel bettas are most often seen, but not limited to, white, green and blue:

68
 In a white pastel, a very pale white color is desired, but is not expected to
approach the pure white of the Opaque, since pastels have a limited expression
of the Opaque factor. In fact, a Pastel with heavy opaque would be severely
faulted in IBC showing.

When viewing a blue pastel, the lack of dark undercoloration is immediately

apparent. A light sky blue is the ideal shade for a Pastel Blue, and it must not
show the opaque factor, however slight. Its presence in a non-Opaque IBC show
category makes the absence of all Opaque an necessity, and is a fault in this
strain.

A green pastel displaying a light, pale green that lacks the typical dark
undercoloration is ideal. This means there can be no layers of dark coloration
under the light layers. As with blue and white pastels, green pastels must not
show the opaque factor. Just as blue pastels must not show any green tones,
green pastels must not show any blue tones no matter how small the amount.

Opaque

White opaque doubletail male (V. Parnell)

Dr. Gene Lucas is the originator of the Opaque betta. These are fish that
appear to lack the typical dark undercoloration. The genetic makeup of Opaque
White is symbolized by the letters C, Bl, Si, Nr, Op:

C - Cambodian gene for lack of dark body pigment

Bl - Steel blue pigment, which appears silvery-white when on a light background

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SI - The spread of the iridocyte pigment, in this case steel blue over the fish

NR - Non-red, i.e. the inability of the fish to produce red pigment

Op - Opaque, the special gene that cause the opaqueness or powdery

appearance of the fish

"Si" is treated as dominant, "C" and "NR" are treated as recessive, and "Op" as
partially dominant -- a single allele for the trait will be visible, but 2 alleles will be
very visible. Op is the gene that characterizes Opaques.

Opaque does not necessarily mean White. There are 3 types of Opaques:
Steel Blue, Green and Royal Blue Opaques. But very often, when we say
Opaque White, we are referring to Steel Blue Opaque bettas. However, because
of the appearance of the betta, the "Opaque White" term is generally used.
Green and Blue Opaques have a green or blue sheen instead of pure white
color. Opaque refers to the fish possessing the 'Op' gene only. Therefore, if you
cross Blue Opaque x Blue Opaque you will get Blue, Green and Steel Opaques;
and If you cross Blue Opaque x Steel (White) Opaque you will get Blue and Steel
(White) Opaques.

White Opaque female

Opaques have inherent problems. Any small color defect, a black scale, black
lips etc., will stand out very noticeably against the white betta. The ideal shade in
the White Opaque is a thick white coloration on body and fins that is creamy or
milky in appearance and utterly pure. Red or steel wash is a common problem in
the Opaque, and considered a very serious fault. It can be difficult to rid your
opaque line of wash, and can only really be done through many Opaque x
Opaque crosses without outcrossing to another line. Unfortunately, this can
substantially decrease the amount of opaque pigment in the fish, necessitating a
cross onto steel to thicken the color back up. With that wash is again introduced,
and the cycle repeated.

Another problem with Opaque White is the poor quality finnage. In order to

70
have pure white, breeders of opaque white tend to select bettas for color quality
instead of finnage. As a result, most breeding lines of Opaque White do not
compare as well in finnage to other color strains. For showing purposes Opaques
continue to be a challenge. Breeders interested in working the Opaque have to
deal with more than the common color washes and finnage issues; not as
aggressive as other strains, they are less likely to deport (flare) well when the
exhibitor wishes the fish to display for the judge.

The IBC judging standards define Opaques as "Non-Red light bodied fish
similar in appearance to Pastels. However, there are guanine deposits giving a
denser milkier appearance and an opacity to the coloration of these fish." These
deposits are most visible around the head and eye and continue to accumulate
as the betta ages. To distinguish an Opaque betta and a Pastel, the thick
powdery white pigment is the key. This can most easily be observed by looking
at the fish from above and around the head. In an Opaque, the dense pigment
goes all the way up to and including the nose, while in Pastels the pigment
usually does not reach as far up or if present is usually sparse.

Most opaques from top lines are pure white for all intents and purposes until
they reach the age of 7 months or so, at which point they begin to develop some
type of wash. The goal is to produce white fish that stay white for the longest time
possible. Maybe one day we'll even have pure white opaques that stay white for
life!

Dark Bicolor

Dark Bicolor bettas are fish that have body colors that are among the six
recognized dark colors (blue, steel, green, red, black). The fins can be one of the
other dark colors, or it can be one of the recognized light colors (clear, yellow,
orange, white). If these fish do not have the described dark undercoating, they
are disqualified.

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 Contrast is key, with the body and fin colors clearly separated at the junction
between body and fin. There should be no other colors present other than the
two primary colors. The presence of another color, however slight, is considered
a fault. For example, a red body with heavy iridescence is judged in accordance
with the standard for reds. If the fins are black, they are scored according to the
black color standard, meaning that if the black on the fins of a Bicolor betta has
iridescence on it, it will be faulted to the degree of which it is inadequate.

Many strain names that are widely used to describe certain set color
combinations actually fall under the category of Dark Bicolor. The popular
"Mustard Gas" term, though originally coined by breeder Jude Als to describe his
particular line of green/yellow butterflies, is now incorrectly used to identify any
blue, green, or steel betta with yellow fins. This particular color combination has
actually been in existence for many years, and is more appropriately labeled as a
Bicolor betta. For the purposes of IBC showing, any fish displaying this color
combination would be placed into Dark Bicolor. Similarly, the strain name
"Chocolate", although originally used to describe a plain brown betta with black
fin edging, is now identified with a brown or black bodied, yellow finned Bicolor.

Light Bicolor

Green Cambodian male betta (J. Sonnier)

Light Bicolor bettas are fish that have body colors that are among the
recognized light colors (flesh/clear, yellow, orange, white) and fins that can be
either another of the light colors or one of the dark colors (blue, steel, green, red,
black). Contrast is important, therefore dark colored fins have preference over
lighter fins, and the body/fin colors should be crisply separated. There should be
no other colors present on the fish other than the two primary colors. Any
additional colors present on the body or fins are treated as a fault by the IBC

72
Standards. For example, a yellow body is judged in accordance with the yellow
color standard guide. If the fins are black they are judged as presented in
accordance with the standard for black color.

The most popular competitor in the Light Bicolor class is inarguably the
Cambodian betta, distinguished by its flesh colored body and solid colored fins.
Red cambodian is by far the most common, but they are also available in blue,
black, steel, green, orange, and yellow. The Cambodian betta has been in
existence for many years, and was named for a shipment of bettas imported from
the Cambodian region that first displayed the anomaly.

Grizzled

(S. Khumhom)

The Grizzled betta has been around for many years, but has only recently
become a recognized patterned of the IBC. The grizzled pattern is a random
speckling, spotting, or peppering of any iridescent color over a pastel or opaque
body. Each of the fins should demonstrate some degree of the grizzled pattern.
Fins and body distinctly show two shades of any one of the recognized iridescent
colors combined with a lighter pastel or opaque base color. Fish exhibiting an
even spread of equal parts iridescence and lighter base color are preferred. No
preference is given to one grizzled color over another, however the presence of
red is considered a major fault, and if the red is extensive the fish may be moved
to the Multicolor class. Likewise, the presence of black may necessitate a move
to the Marble class. Grizzled fish that display the variegated fin pattern should be
shown in Butterfly instead of Grizzled.

73
Copper Types

(S. Khumhom)

In 2003 a pair of Gold Bettas commanded the record high bid for bettas on
Aquabid.com -- $1,000.00! The new color strain took the betta world by storm.
Not only was the color completely unique and beautiful -- a shiny, pure metallic
gold -- but it also seemed to breed true: Spawning two gold bettas usually
produced 100% gold offspring. Because of the ease of perpetuation (and inspired
by the record sale), more and more breeders started raising their own lines of
golds, and now they are a common offering from stock shops and auction houses
alike.

The golds came from crossing Betta Splendens to other species of wild betta,
namely Betta Imbellis and Betta Mahachai. The latter two species naturally have
a higher degree of iridescence on the scales to compensate for the murkier
waters of their native lands, and the subsequent outcrosses to Splendens
produced a plakat betta with the first metallic scale trait. Asian breeders
selectively bred the individuals that showed the most metallic, until the coppery
color was very heavy and thick. The first batch of these that were breeding true
were called "Copper Imbellis", and although they became common on the
overseas market in their shortfinned form, they didn't gain much recognition in
the United States and Europe, where hobbyists were still too enchanted with the
Halfmoon form to give more than a casual glance at the metallic plakat.

74
 (S. Khumhom)

By more selective breeding, the zealous Asian breeders were able to develop
the copper imbellis into a longfinned delta form, and elaborate on the finnage
from there. Crossing the Copper longfin to Halfmoon green produced the first
metallic green Halfmoons and Deltas, most of them with heavy red wash.
Subsequent generations of brother/sister spawnings cleaned up the color, and
then produced the green base with iridescent copper overlay, which appeared
phenotypically as a bright gold color. Breeding these "golds" onto pure iridescent
turquoise, blue, and steel produced the "masked" bettas -- fish that were green,
blue, or steel, but instead of having the typical dark head of the pure iridescent
betta, the copper gene caused the spread of color into the entire face and head
area of the fish.

Blue “mask” – copper type iridescent (Photo by Suporn Khumhom)

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 As of this writing, the IBC only recognizes the Solid Dark Bodied Copper
Types for show purposes (gold, metallic green, metallic blue, metallic steel,
metallic red, metallic black), but copper types are also available in "Platinum"
(copper over opaque), metallic bicolors, metallic marbles, metallic multicolors,
and more.

Butterfly

(Halbmondbetta)

The term Butterfly describes bettas that have the mutant gene that causes
variegation in the fins with a very specific fin pattern. The first color affected by
this mutation was red, but now Butterflies can be found in most of the other
colors as well. The fins of the Butterfly (BF) betta display a banded pattern with
emphasis placed on the contrast of the band rather than the coloring of the body
and fins. The bands should be crisp -- not a blending of opposing fin color but
one with an equal division between one color and another on the fins. The
variegated fin mutation is dominant but the effects are highly variable from fish to
fish.

76
 Cambodian red/white butterfly

The bands should be of more or less equal width (ideally 1/2 the area of the
total fin) and symmetry. Lack of definition between the bands is considered a
fault. There are two forms the BF may take: The two-band fin pattern, and the
multiple-band fin pattern. Bands should always be relatively equal in width and
breadth regardless of their number, and have clear separation of color.

Green/white butterfly (S. Khumhom)

The basics to remember in determining a "good" BF is as follows:

1.) For two-band fins, the bands should occupy 1/2 the fin area on all fins.
2.) For multiple-band fins, the bands should occupy 1/3 (or more, depending on
number of bands) of the fin area on all fins.
3.) The dividing line between fin bands should be straight and describe an oval
around the betta.
4.) The degree to which a second color intrudes or lack of crisp definition also
affects the degree of severity of the fault.

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Multicolor

This designation is for bettas with two or more colors that do not fit into any of
the other patterned categories. Ideally the colors should be in high contrast with
each other. They should be of the colors that are normally seen in bettas,
however simply having the head alone a different color, or having a different
color of on the tip of the ventrals is not sufficient to be designated a Multicolor.
Breeders must be particularly cautious of trying to show a betta as a Multicolor
that show only fin wash as a second color, which is not sufficient.

Marble

Green marble male (S. Khumhom)

Marble is another color mutation in bettas that shows a particular pattern.

78
Marble bettas display colored pigment of variable density on different parts of the
body and fins, much like the pattern of a pinto horse. They were discovered in
America in the 1970's by Orville Gulley, an inmate at the Indiana State Penal
Institute, who was breeding bettas through a state rehabilitation program and
raising hundreds of them in peanut butter jars. The first marbles appeared as a
result of his efforts to create a black/white Butterfly betta. Gulley, who had no
interest in pursuing the patterned mutation, gave his marbled bettas to a breeder
named Walt Maurus in exchange for other fish and supplies. Maurus was
fascinated with the bettas, and distributed the offspring to many other serious
breeders in the IBC.

One of the original marbles from Walt Maurus (J. Sonnier)

Marble is most likely a dominant gene with varying degrees of expression, so

crossing a marble to a solid-colored fish may give you mostly solid-colored
offspring, with perhaps a handful of individuals showing the marble pattern. If the
solid-colored parent carries the gene for marble, your percentage of marbled fry
is increased. The marble gene affects the solid color in unpredictable ways,
making new color combinations and patterns possible. However, the breeder will
probably have to go through several generations (and many culls) before
attaining what he or she has in mind, and after that is faced with the challenge of
getting the new color to breed true. Breeding marble to marble will usually get
you some dark-bodied solids, some light-bodied solids, some butterfly, and some
marble. The solid-bodied butterfly from a marble spawn will have the same
inherent characteristics of a solid color that comes from a marble line; when the
butterflies are bred to the same solid color that comes from a solid colored line,
the fry will all carry a butterfly partial dominant gene. Spawns of either light
bodied solid color or dark bodied solid color bettas from marble stock will
produce some marble, some solid color and some variegated fish. If the marble
genes are introduced into a stock of true-breeding solid colored fish then it
becomes extremely difficult for the breeder to return his stock to the pure solid
colored type. The fish generally seem to always throw some marbles or parti-
colored fish. A cross of a marble geno fish of one color type can produce the
marble effect in the color of a fish of a non-marble type.

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 (S. Khumhom)

One of the most recent fundamental discoveries in the science of genetics is

the existence of transposable elements also known as "jumping genes". There is
much evidence that jumping genes or transposable genetic elements may be
responsible for the characteristic known as marble in bettas. The inheritance of
the marble characteristic can be explained by this theory.

Two types of Marbles exist, the Traditional Marble (or Piebald), which shows
the white or flesh combined with black coloration, and the Colored Marble, which
may have many other colors than the Black/Flesh/White combination. Though
Cellophane is sometimes considered to be a genetic marble variant, it is not
classed as a marble phenotypically. The fins and the body must show at least
two colors. These must include a light and dark color mix. Fish exhibiting sharp
contrast in the marbling pattern are preferred over those with blended colors.

Black Marble is the type of marble that is also known as the Traditional
Marble. It distinctly lacks the colors of red, green, blue, and steel blue that appear
on Colored Marbles. The fins also do not contain those colors.

In Colored Marbles the face/chin area retains characteristic marble white or

flesh-color but the body and fins may show a mix or red, green, blue, and steel
blue. The bodies of these Colored Marbles may include any of those colors, but
must include white or flesh-color. Colored Marbles with color mixes of greater
contrast are preferred.

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 The face of a piebald marble is always
a lighter color than the rest of the body.
(S. Khumhom)

Piebald is a term used to describe a marble betta of any color that has a white
or pale face/head and colored body.

Other Colors

Below is a list of a few other colors of Betta Splendens that are not given
class distinction by the IBC, yet are nevertheless popular among aquarists. It
must be kept in mind that bettas, with their propensity for many different
mutations, are being developed into new colors and forms almost daily, and this
list will probably be outdated very quickly!

Purple

As of this writing, the Purple betta appears sporadically as a result of

multifactoral color inheritance, and does not breed true. That is to say, spawning
a purple male to a purple female may only give you a small percentage of purple
offspring, or none at all. In many ways, the shade of purple is very much in the
eye of the beholder. Some royal blues may look "purple" when they are young, or
in certain lights. Others may show a lavender tint, but are still classified as "blue".
Most true purples pop up in spawns containing the marble genotype, which
makes them highly volatile; not only is the color unlikely to pass to offspring, but
the color itself may change completely within months.

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 “Purple Gas” butterfly

Outwardly, breeding for purple seems to be a simple matter of covering up a

layer of red pigment on bettas with a layer of blue. As mentioned, it seems that
some shades of royal blue lean towards purple/violet, and therefore it should only
be a small step to bring them to a true purple shade. However, introducing red
into a line of royals will usually only give the breeder blues with excessive red
wash, or red/blue multicolors, but no purple bettas. Some variations of bettas
having a purple body with a secondary color on the fins have come out under the
various strain names of Purple Gas, Purple Popsicle, Purple Salamander and the
like, and these are very attractive fish, but are not by definition a pure, solid-
colored purple.

Mustard Gas

Green/yellow bicolor often referred to as “Mustard Gas” (S. Khumhom)

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 The term "Mustard Gas" was originally coined by breeder/hobbyist Jude Als to
describe his particular line of multicolored bettas. The original Mustard Gas
bettas were green-bodied fish with variegated bands of blue or green, yellow,
and black. In 1999, Als added a band of white as well, developing certain
specimens of Mustard Gas into a four-banded butterfly, the colors of which were
never clearly separated, but rather run together, creating an effect that looked
like gas to its creator. In the late 90's, Als sold some of his Mustard Gas fish to
other breeders, some of who outcrossed the line, but retained the strain name.
Therefore, the modern Mustard Gas fish is, today, so far removed from Als'
original vision as to be a completely different color/pattern combination.

“Mustard Gas” female

We can conclude by the information known about the Mustard Gas so far that
the original strain may have as little as 4 genes responsible for it: Spread
Iridescent, turquoise, Non-Red, and Variegated Fin. Because the Mustard Gas
appears to have the Non-Red type yellow on the fins but not the body, it can be
pretty safely assumed they do not carry the Extended Red gene. Some
irregularity suggests the presence of the Marble gene, at least in the beginning,
and controlled through generations of selective breeding.

These days, the term Mustard Gas (or "MG") is used, incorrectly as it
happens, to describe any bicolored fish that possesses a green, blue, or steel
blue body and yellow or orange fins. This particular color combination has, in
fact, been in existence for many years, cropping up randomly in certain spawns.
It is a very interesting color to work with, as most MG fish have some variation of
the butterfly pattern with dark edges and the yellow in the fins ranging from bright
lemon yellow to very pale. The body color seems to work similarly to the three
normal iridescent colors, genetically. Royal blue MG x Royal blue MG produces
royal, steel, and green MG. Steel MG x Steel MG produce 100% steel MG, as
does Green MG x Green MG. Some types of Royal blue MG can even look quite
purple due to the reduced spread of iridocyte color on the body; however, these

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are still genetically Royal blue MG, and will produce the three variations if bred
together. Outcrossing MG with another iridescent color will usually produce red
multicolors in the first generation.

Chocolate

Chocolate plakat betta

As previously described, the original "Chocolate" betta was a drab brown fish
with black edging to the fins. Understandably, this color didn't gain much
popularity with hobbyists in the beginning. The modern Chocolate betta is a light
or dark brown fish with yellow fins. Like the MG betta, the yellow in the fins of the
Chocolate can range from deep yellow to almost cream. Like the Yellow betta,
Chocolate is classified as a Non Red. The term has been applied to two
genetically different fish, one is a version of the "MG", which possesses a dark
brown or black body in place of the usual iridescent color, and the other is an
extreme expression of the "Pineapple" betta (described below). As with "MG",
Chocolate bettas are classified as Dark Bicolor.

Pineapple

The Pineapple bettas is a Non Red (Yellow) betta that possesses a unique
effect -- the scales on the body, rather than being yellow, are outlined in black.
The result is a betta that looks very similar to a Pineapple fruit! When you keep in
mind that the mutated Non Red gene causes a fish to appear yellow where it
would normally be black, it is easy to reason that the Pineapple betta is the Non
Red version of an Extended Red betta with dark scales. While considered a fault
in both Extended Red and Yellow, the Pineapple phenotype has nevertheless
been selectively bred for and refined by many enthusiasts. It is now seen on
many different fin forms, and the genuine Pineapple does breed true. Because
the black scale effect is considered a color fault for yellow, the Pineapple cannot
truly be classified in a color class where it would be competitive, but may be
shown successfully in "Form and Finnage" or "Color and Form Variations". An
extreme black scale effect on a Pineapple can also look very similar to a

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Chocolate betta, and can be entered as Dark Bicolor.

Salamander

Credit must be given to Marianne Lewis of British Columbia for the coining of
the name "Salamander". It originally applied to the beautiful Bicolor fish she was
raising from her outcrosses of pure Mustard Gas stock acquired from Jude Als. A
continuation of her line was a black bodied fish with variegated fins of
yellow/black which Lewis dubbed "Sun Salas" from their resemblance to
sunflowers. Although the strain name Salamander should only be applied to fish
from Lewis' particular line, it has been commonly used to describe any bicolor
fish that was produced from an outcross of "MG", but which does not conform to
the widely accepted "MG" colors of iridescent and yellow. Most of these quasi-
Salamanders have blue, green, or steel blue bodies and red fins, with or without
a Butterfly pattern.

Black Copper

Black copper plakat male (S. Khumhom)

A result of crossing Copper/Gold with Black Lace fish, the Black Copper is a
dark colored fish with an overlay of typical metallic gold scale iridescence.
Because Black Lace is a marble-type fish, spawns of Black Copper x Black
Copper will usually, but not always, result in 100% Black Copper. Sometimes the
crosses will produce a percentage of what is called "Black/Green", which has a
dark undercoat with metallic green scale iridescence. The presence of the marble
gene will often produce the Variegated Fin effect in many of these fish.

Black/Orange

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 These unique bettas have bodies ranging from dark black to dark orange with
a merged Butterfly pattern in the fins of orange and black. They were created
during an effort by breeder Gilbert Limhengco to create orange and black
marbles. It is a very beautiful betta that can work in very unpredictable ways,
making it a fun project for a hobbyist.

Patriot

(S. Angkunanuwat)

The term "Patriot" seems to have been applied by many different breeders to
describe a fish that show the three colors of the American flag -- red, white, and
blue. These multicolored fish are also sometimes called "American Pride", or
"American Patriot", but the latter two terms should not be confused with the true
Patriot, which is a strain name for a blue marbled fish with variegated bands of
white/red/blue and sometimes a fourth band of white in the fins. The strain was
arrived at by crossing blue marble to cambodian butterfly, and the combination of
colors and pattern can be unwieldy to work. Some fish may lack the distinct
banding pattern, or not show the marbled blue in the body; others may be
missing the red entirely. The Patriot is very similar in both appearance and
genotype to the "Thai Flag" fish, although breeders of Thai Flag do not seem to
be as picky in keeping their strain pure or maintaining the banding pattern as
Patriot aficionados. Be on alert when selecting Patriot fish for breeding. Some
indiscriminating sellers may (perhaps unintentionally) label any grizzled blue fish
with red wash as a Patriot merely because it exhibits the three colors; however
these fish will not usually have the necessary genetic criteria to produce good
triband red/white/blues.

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Albino

Exceptionally rare albino betta (J. Sonnier)

Albino bettas are completely colorless, with clear or flesh colored bodies and
translucent fins. They lack color pigment of any kind, which means they will also
possess a red or pink eye. Although I've heard several breeders claiming to have
"albino" bettas, these are often fish which have the pink or red eyes but also
show color in the bodies, or vice versa. These are not true albinos, and at best
can only be assumed to have partial albinism. In fact, true albinos are
exceptionally rare, and are usually blind or very fragile. In 1927, a betta was
reported that was so devoid of pigmentation that it was transparent enough to
reveal its internal organs. As happens in most documented cases of albino
bettas, this fish was exceptionally weak and died without spawning. Some
breeders, however, have managed to raise bettas that appear to be albinos, but
are much hardier than normal. These fish have gone on to produce fry, and the
fry have had all the normal colors for their genotype. It remains to be seen
whether more intense inbreeding can bring on the reproduction of true albinism in
these spawns.

The Giant Betta

Marble “Giant” betta (J. Sonnier)

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 At the Orlando IBC Convention in June, 2002, Mr. Athapon Ritanapichad, Mr.
Natee Ritanapichad, and Mr. Wasan Sattayapun introduced 3 giant longfins, 16
giant plakats, and some Imbellis to the betta community in America. This display
certainly got the attention of Dr. Gene Lucas, who referred to the largest (at 7
inches long) as “Two pounders!” Rumors and speculations that these 'giants'
were actually enhanced through growth hormones was a concern for many, and
at least one person present at the convention took home giant bettas for the
express purpose of hormone testing.

However, according to Team Giant, the arrival of the giant betta was a result of
hard work and careful selection of breeders. In 1999 Athapon developed the first
giant plakat by size selection of green fighter plakats, the goal being bettas that
reached a length of at least 3 inches. His reason for using green was his
observation that this color, in particular, was larger in size on average than other
colors. It took approximately 5 generations to produce the first 3+ inch long
bettas, and the spawn yielded about 20% very large bettas that later developed
into 'giants'. After several years of research and work on his giants, Athapon
started developing other colors and fin forms, including blue, yellow, white, red,
and green.

According to Athapon, giant bettas will reach at least 3 inches long by the time
they are 7-8 months old. However, he says, the differences in body type are
evident at around 6 months of age. At a year old, the body length finally stops
increasing, but the fish will continue to put on width and weight until it is about 18
months old.

What we know about the giant genetically is that the trait is most definitely
passed to offspring, and therefore cannot possibly be the result of artificial size
enhancement. Dr. Lucas has alluded to the fact that the giant betta might be the
result of multi-factor traits rather than a single gene, much like the HM and cross
ray CT betta. Certain American IBC members who have been working giants
have discovered certain rules that apply to breeding for giants, such as:

1.) The Giant trait is controlled by a single pair of genes.

2.)The mutated 'Giant' gene is incompletely dominant over the regular size gene.
3.) If an offspring carries both 'Giant' genes it will show the full-sized Giant trait.
4.) If an offspring carries only one 'Giant' gene it will show Half-Giant size.
5.) If an offspring does not carry any 'Giant' genes it will be regular size.

Veteran breeder Jim Sonnier has spawned what he calls 'Half-Giants' (7-8cm
total length) to regular females on a number of occasions. Each time his offspring
showed approximately 50% regular size and 50% Half-Giant size.

To achieve the full growth potential they must be fed much more food when they

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are young than a regular sized Betta (2 to 3 times more for male Half-Giants;
female Half-Giants twice as much food). Because of their rapid growth, their
appetites are immense. They can easily devour twice as much food at mealtime
than a normal betta, and still be hungry an hour later. Because they need fed
more, they also produce more waste, necessitating more frequent water changes
and larger containers. Adult giants are prone to constipation, which can lead to
death if not carefully treated. Live brine shrimp and live/frozen daphnia should be
made a regular part of their feeding regime, as both these foods act as a mild
laxative. If the giant does become constipated, giving him a 24 hour fast and the
inside of a cooked, green pea will often help get things moving again. Once they
have reached adult size, you may cut back down on their feedings.

With proper food and conditions, young giants will be adult-sized by 2-3 months
old, and by 4 months old they are the size of your average 8 month old show
betta. Differences in size among spawn mates in Half Giant spawns are evident
as early as a few weeks.

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 12.

Spawning Bettas

(J. Sonnier)

Much has been written on the spawning of bettas, and information is readily
available on the Internet from those willing to share their experiences, from
beginners to veteran betta breeders. Although the methods may vary
considerably, bettas remain one of the easiest egglayers to spawn as long as the
basics are recognized. Many will have you believe that spawning is a
complicated process, with very strict rules to adhere to, and will lay down step-
by-step instructions that must be carefully followed in order, they say, for a
successful spawn to occur. Much of this advice, ironically, seems to come from
those who haven't been involved in the betta hobby for very long. As most
experienced breeders can attest, healthy bettas will spawn almost anywhere, at
any time, and in any sort of water. I've seen bettas jump over dividers or out of
jars to spawn with their neighbors, jump from tanks to spawn in shallow puddles
on the floor, and spawn in community tanks where the dropping eggs were
devoured almost as soon as they were produced.

One of the most common misconceptions I've read about betta breeding is
that bettas will only spawn in water that is exactly 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Although it can be agreed that bettas spawn more readily in warmer
temperatures, most bettas will happily spawn in water that is the same
temperature as what they are accustomed to, or with some slight rise in
temperature. My own fishroom is heated manually with several electric floor
heaters, with no heaters in the individual spawning tanks, growout tanks, or jars.
As a result, water temperature varies according to the time of day, with highs in
the 85 degree range and overnight lows sometimes dropping to the low 70's. I
think this is a far more realistic duplication of the rise and fall of temperatures in
their natural environment than the set 82 degrees with no fluctuations. Fry grow
at an average rate, and my breeding lines tend to be much stronger and more
disease-resistant, with the weaker fry dying out early and the larger ones growing

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to adulthood and passing on their genes to future generations.

Because there are no hard and fast rules to adhere to when spawning bettas,
I'm going to give a basic and simple outline to ensure the highest possible
chance of a successful spawn. I've also included a few alternate methods of
spawning bettas, and encourage new breeders to apply these guidelines along
with basic common sense to find the spawning method that works best for them,
with their own unique circumstances and fishroom setup.

Keep in mind the basic rules:

1.) Males and females should not be kept together unless you are attempting to
spawn them. Although it is possible to have a male that is docile enough to
coexist with female bettas in a community situation, much more often than not
the male will be far too aggressive toward the females. In the case of an
exceptionally docile male, the females may victimize him instead, chasing him
and shredding his fins. It is far better not to risk it -- keep your adult males
isolated from other bettas.

2.) Provide refuge for the breeding pair. It is impossible to keep constant
vigilance over a pair of courting bettas, and both fish need to be able to hide from
one another if things get out of hand.

3.) There is going to be some damage done to the fins of the fish. Only on rare
occasions have I had a spawn where neither partner suffered any fin damage.
Most bettas come out of spawning with some torn fins or missing scales. It is part
of a betta's nature to display aggression to a potential mate. In the wild, the
strongest, fastest, and most vibrant individuals are usually in the best health, and
make the best parents. Even fully domesticated bettas will display, chase, and
bite their mate in an effort to impress. As long as they do not seem to be in any
life-threatening danger, you should just let them be. Signs of a betta is distress
are: horizontal stripes, panting hard, or attacked to the point that they are
maimed or bleeding. If a male betta is only chasing the female to bite her instead
of occasionally displaying and trying to lure her to the nest, he's probably intent
on killing her.

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 Example of the horizontal striping pattern commonly found on very young bettas, or bettas which are stressed.
If your female displays her “stress stripes” when introduced to the male, it is a good indication that
she is not receptive to spawning, or is being dangerously mistreated by the male. (V. Parnell)

4.) Be prepared. Bettas can produce hundreds and hundreds of fry, which need
to be fed very small live food within days of hatching. Have your live food cultures
on hand before attempting to spawn your bettas. Although you may be impatient
to begin spawning right away, without the appropriate food the betta fry will
starve to death, which is both inhumane and impractical. Also keep in mind that
an average betta spawn of 200 will produce roughly 50% males, which will need
their own jars or bowls. Stock up as soon as possible!

Now let's get started.

The Aquarium Spawn

Spawning bettas in a fish tank is by far the most common method utilized by
breeders in the United States and Europe. A ten gallon tank works best, although

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some use 5 gallons and even 20 gallons with success. Optimally, the tank should
not be so small that the female can't escape, and not so large that the pair keep
losing each other. I've found that a ten gallon tank filled halfway works the best.
Hiding places are provided for the female in the form of rocks, caves, PVC pipes,
pots, and live or artificial plants. Live plants are recommended, as they don't tear
the fins of the male like plastic plants can, and they provide infusorians for the
new fry. The tank should be bare-bottomed, so a floating plant like Water Sprite
is excellent. The reason for the tank being bare is that it is harder to siphon all
the waste through gravel, and it will be harder for the male to see and retrieve
eggs and/or fry. Fry also can (and do!) get stuck down there in the gravel and
die. A seasoned sponge filter or small corner box filter can be added, but don't
turn it on quite yet. The movement will scatter eggs and make nest tending
difficult for the male. To better your chances of having a successful spawn, a
heater should be added and set to between 80 - 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Because of the reduced water level, submersible heaters are recommended.
Your last touch is to give the male something to build his nest under. A plastic lid,
a Styrofoam cup cut in half lengthwise, or an Indian almond leaf serves this
purpose well. Float the object in the tank where it will give you a good view. You'll
want to be able to monitor the nest later to make sure the male isn't eating eggs
or fry, and that the fry are developing properly. Be warned, though, that many
males do not appreciate being the center of attention when they are nesting, and
will sometimes ignore the nest site you've picked out for them and go build a nest
in the back corner of the tank.

Now you can introduce the pair. The usual method is to give the female some
sort of protection from the male while still allowing her to be seen by him, and this
is provided by placing her in a glass chimney (opened-topped, of course), floating
her in a jar, or putting her on one side of a divider and him on another. The male
is given the run of the tank, and he will usually poke around in the corners, nose
under the lid, and patrol his perimeters before he even starts nest-building.

Once the pair discovers one another, the excitement begins. The male turns a
deeper color and immediately presents the female with a side view of his fully-
flared fins and open gills. He will soar by a couple of times to make sure she is
adequately impressed, and then may start to wag his body at her. If she's
receptive, her color will darken and she will display her "barring" pattern --
vertical stripes along her midsection that indicates her breeding readiness. Her
ovipositor will be clearly visible as a speck of white that looks like a granule of
pretzel salt between her ventral fins. If she's cheeky, she'll flare back at him and
wag her body flirtatiously. Some females are just shy and will clamp their fins in
submission or try to ignore the male. As long as she has the barring pattern and
not the horizontal stripes, she should still be okay.

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 Cambodian butterfly male courting a pastel female. (J. Sonnier)

When the female displays her bars, this is usually the impetus for the male to
begin nest-building. Nests seem to be completely unique to their builder, with
some males building small thick nests and others spreading a single layer of
bubbles across most of the surface area of the tank. One male I had never built a
nest, but instead stuck the eggs to the surface of the water during spawning. So
don't worry if your male's nest doesn't seem up to scratch. As long as the female
approves, spawning will occur and the nest will do its job.

Once the male starts construction of his nest he'll alternate his time blowing
bubbles in his chosen nest site and blustering at the female. At this point many
breeders release the female. Once released, she will often swim right up and
begin checking out the nest. If it’s not to her specifications, she will swim away or
sometimes try to destroy it. When the male discovers he can reach the female,
his display will become even more impressive, as he chases her around the tank
and tries to engage her in the mating dance. When the pair do start dancing, the
breeder is treated to a real visual delight, as both fish spread fins and swim side-
by-side, stopping every few inches to flare their gills at one another and display
their side view. If he doesn't feel she is suitably awestruck by his performance,
the male will nip the female and chase her around for a bit before dancing for her
again. At this point the female usually seeks a place to hide until she is ready to
spawn, and there she will stay until the male discovers her and chases her out,
or until she's inclined to approach the male under the nest.

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 The bubblenest. Some males construct very large nests, like this one, while
others prefer smaller, thicker nests. (J. Sonnier)

Females initiate spawning in a multitude of different ways, according to the

circumstances and the personalities of the fish. Some females swim right up with
their heads down and fins clamped to show their submissiveness, others will
boldly charge the nest and basically challenge the male to spawn. Sometimes
she will dart away again or the male will bite her and chase her away because he
doesn't like her attitude. At any rate, spawning begins with the pair nosing into
each other's sides until the male is able to flip the female upside down and wrap
himself around her midsection. This may take several tries, especially for first-
timers, but the male will eventually succeed in performing a successful embrace.
You know he's doing it right when you see his body "click" into place around her.
The embracing pair will either float at the surface or sink to the bottom, and then
the male releases her and waits for her to recover. The female will float sideways
for a time, and will look for all the world like she is dead. When she does recover,
she will usually check the bottom for fallen eggs before joining the male for
another embrace. The first few embraces are usually eggless, but eventually the
female will begin releasing eggs, which the male will fertilize as they emerge.
When the male notices the eggs falling, he will gather them in his mouth and
place them in the bubblenest. Females usually assist with egg-gathering, but
seem more inclined to eat them than the males do. Females are typically
meticulous about finding each and every egg that may have dropped to the
bottom, whereas males are satisfied just catching the ones that are falling.

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 Embracing under the nest and catching falling eggs. The eggs can be seen here as small white dots
falling from the female’s body. (J. Sonnier)

Spawning takes from 2 to 6 hours, and when either partner decides to

terminate the spawn, the female will retreat from the nest and go back into
hiding. Now the male sees her as a threat to his clutch rather than a mate, and
he will try to kill her if he sees her, so it is best to remove her and put her into
some medicated water for her fins. The male will tend the nest, mouthing the
eggs, blowing more bubbles, perhaps building a nest in another location and
moving the eggs there, catching them when they fall, and eating eggs that are
infertile so that they don't fungus and kill the rest of the eggs. Most of his time is
spent just hovering under the nest looking bored, periodically checking to see if
the eggs have hatched yet. Some males, especially first-timers, will eat the eggs
or fry, leaving the breeder frustrated. Most of them outgrow egg-eating as they
gain experience with spawning, but some males will always be egg-eaters, and
are best retired. Alternately, the breeder can choose to remove the male after
spawning and raise the clutch without him (see 'Raising Fry').

As the fry hatch, their wriggling efforts will often shake them loose from the
bubbles and they will start to fall. If he's sees them, their father will catch them
and put them back. When they are all hatching at the same time, he is kept very
busy darting around catching and replacing fry, and scanning the bottom for any
he may have missed. In another day, the fry will be better able to stay in the nest.
They will hang tail-down from the nest for their first couple of days, gradually
taking on a horizontal swimming position. Once they are free-swimming, the male
can be removed and the fry given their first feeding of infusorians, microworms,
vinegar eels, or any of the other food options available to breeders of egg-layers.

The Plastic Tub Spawn

This is my method of choice, and I’ve had tremendous success with it. What I
have at home is a lot of cheap, plastic tubs that are available at any store like

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Wal Mart. The kind I buy are approximately 3 feet long by 2 feet wide and 5
inches tall. I only get the clear variety and fill it to a depth of about 4 inches; after
that I add some healthy live java moss or water sprite and place the tub under a
bright light for 3 - 7 days. The presence of the live plants introduces infusorians
to the tub, and the bright light encourages the rapid growth of the colony. By the
time the pair is introduced to the tub, there should be enough infusorians present
to sustain the young spawn for 2 days. To increase the growth of infusorians, a
few drops of Liquifry #1 for Egglayers may be added.

Sample plastic tub set up. A.) Shallow spawning tub. B.) Smaller pans
For runts or weaklings. C.) Larger growout tub. D.) Infusoria culture

The pair can be introduced at pretty much the same time. I usually add the
female first, since she will have recovered somewhat by the time the male is
introduced a few minutes later. Now shut off the light and leave them alone.

When the pair have explored their environment and discovered each other,
courtship usually begins in earnest. Bettas seem to really like these shallow
containers, and since the female stays visible to the male, he keeps his mind on
business. I have spawns happen very quickly, and the fish don't harm each other
as much as you might think. There are some torn fins and missing scales, but I
don't think they get hurt any more or less than those fish spawned in thickly
planted ten gallons. The only drawback is, you have to keep an eye on them and
remove the female as soon as spawning is complete, or the male will almost
certainly devastate her.

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 A female that is receptive to spawning will usually have a rounded abdomen, spread fins, deeper
color, and vertical barring pattern. She may also flare and grow visually excited when courted by the male.

I clap a lid on top, check them every hour, and remove the female as soon as
spawning has occurred. When the fry are free-swimming, I remove the male. For
the first few free-swimming days the fry live on the infusorians present in the tub;
after that they are fed live newly-hatched brine shrimp until they are large enough
to start accepting other foods. I siphon the bottom of the container every day,
removing and replacing about a quart of water, until the fry are a month old, and
then move them into a larger plastic tub with a sponge filter. Fry grow quickly and
are very hardy.

Shallow method spawning is very easy, but the breeder must use his or her
own good judgment with regards to the breeding fish. If the female is displaying
her "stress stripes" (horizontal stripes) and seems to be taking excessive abuse
from the male, or vice versa, separate the pair, recondition them, and try again in
another week.

Spawning Bettas in Asia

The methods commonly used by large-scale breeders in the Orient are far
removed from what we are used to seeing here in the states, but it can be argued
that the best bettas in the world are produced there. Because bettas originate in
Asia, not much adjusting has to be made to breed them and raise them to
maturity. Many breeders pour the betta fry from the containers in which they were
bred into large shallow ponds, and all but forget about them until they are old
enough to jar. These are ideal conditions for raising bettas, as it provides them
the ideal climate and food source in the way of daphnia, mosquito larvae, and
other small water invertebrates. The fry swim and grow and feed as food
presents itself.

Most of the breeders we interviewed for this article used a spawning container
that would utterly scandalize the purists in America who maintain that bettas can
only be successfully spawned in a thickly-planted ten gallon tank filled to a depth
of 5 inches. The containers are usually only small bowls, and not even
necessarily clear. Anything that can hold water suffices. Atison Phumchoosri of

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Bangkok uses bowls about 12 inches in diameter, and about 3 1/2 inches deep.
"I put [the breeding pair] into the container with my hands, avoiding water from
the bottles, because I want the spawning water to be...without debris from the old
bottles," he says. He drops a few leaves on the surface of the water and covers
the bowl with a piece of cardboard, and then lets nature take its course. He
reports that spawns usually occur in just a few hours.

Wasan Sattayapun (also of Bangkok) uses a pottery bowl as a breeding

container, asserting that it helps maintain a constant temperature for the fry. He
keeps the pair together for up to four days, disturbing them only to check for
eggs. If no eggs are found by the four-day mark, he chalks the spawn up as a
loss and removes both fish into separate containers.

In this way, the pair is virtually left alone to get the job done without
distractions, and it obviously works very well. A breeder will check their progress
periodically, and as soon as it is evident a spawn has occurred (usually through
spotting the eggs in the nest), the female is removed and the male left to tend the
nest. He's allowed to fulfill his obligations until the fry are free-swimming, then he
is removed by hand and the fry are fed immediately.

The breeding pair is chosen for their health and vitality, and bettas who are in
questionable health are rejected. One of the first things Asian breeders look for in
selecting their pair is a bubblenest in the jar of the male, and bright colors in the
female. They are fed very well prior to spawning, with rich, high-quality foods, so
that they are in optimum health and able to withstand the rigors of courtship, as
well as the accompanying period of fasting.

The first food of the fry varies from person to person, but most of them shared
a common thread -- the vast majority use hard-boiled egg yolk as a staple, from
as early as the first day of feeding. A tiny amount is either mashed into water and
fed a few drops at a time, or crumbled directly into the tank twice a day. Fry grow
very quickly on this protein-rich diet, and even the smallest fry can swallow the
tiny particles of egg yolk that are dissolving in the water. Breeders also report
using newly-hatched baby brine shrimp, infusorians, and rotifers. Once the fry
are poured into outdoor ponds to finish growing, some breeders leave off feeding
the fry altogether, forcing survival of the fittest, as the strongest fry hunt and the
weakest eventually die off.

It must be recognized that, in the areas in which these breeders operate,

external factors such as temperature and water quality are rarely considerations.
American and European breeders can (and do!) most certainly raise their fry in
outdoor ponds in a way comparable to successful Asian breeders, but due to our
colder climes it can usually not be done year-round. Differences in temperament
and intensity of color have been noticed in bettas raised outdoors and those
raised in aquariums.

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Abnormal Spawning Behavior

Even though bettas are a pretty straightforward fish to spawn, deviations from
what is considered the "norm" are bound to happen occasionally. Here are a few
of the variances in spawning, and a few ways to combat them:

Male Does Not Build Bubblenest

Males usually build bubblenests in response to certain physical or

physiological cues, or in response to a change in barometric pressure. In the
wild, there has been noted an increase in nesting activity right before a heavy
rain. This is probably due to an inherent instinct in the fish that senses the
coming shift in weather and begins spawning behavior in response to that shift.
Betta keepers worldwide have observed nests in every jar with a male betta in it
when the forecast calls for rain. Attempting to spawn your bettas when you know
a rainfall is expected can sometimes trigger the nest building instinct in an
otherwise reluctant male.

Bettas seem to prefer building nests under floating objects. This both holds
the nests together better and keeps the bubbles from popping by protecting the
nest from drafts. Floating plants such as water sprite, dried Indian almond leaves,
or pieces of Styrofoam or plastic lids make very good potential nest sites. Most
hobbyists use Styrofoam cups that have been cut in half lengthwise and floated
in the surface of the tank, and male bettas will choose the cups as a nest site.
Presenting a female where he can see her, even if she is kept separated in a jar
or by a partition, will also often stimulate the male to build a nest. Some very
smart males will only begin nesting when the female is actually released in the
tank with him and he knows he can get at her. On the other hand, some males
may be a bit slower on the uptake, and adding a small portion of another male's
bubblenest to the reluctant male's tank will sometimes give him a nudge in the
right direction.

Male Ignores the Female

Males who are in good health will usually respond vigorously to the presence
of a female. Males who ignore the female commonly do so because they are
either A.) Too old, B.) Out of condition, or C.) Have a low libido. Bettas spawn
best between 3 and 7 months old; much older than that and they will begin to
lose interest in spawning. Likewise, a fish that is not in the proper health or
condition will not be interested in spawning. You should only attempt to spawn
bettas that are visually fit and well fed. Certain colors or breeding lines seem to
have a lower than average sex drive, and these will always be frustrating for the
would-be breeder. You can sometimes encourage interest in these fish by
keeping them completely isolated from other bettas for two full weeks. They

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should be fed well and properly cared for, but not be allowed to view other bettas.
After two weeks is up, attempt spawning as usual.

Most males will respond vigorously to the presence of a female

Some males just seem to prefer certain females; this may be related to
natural selection. Male and female bettas alike seem to have overwhelming
preference for mates of the same or similar coloration as themselves. If your
male isn't responding to a certain female, try switching females and see if his
attitude changes. Male/female interaction is complex, and some males may
require certain behavioral signals from a female in order to be put "in the mood".

Male Tries to Kill the Female

If a female is unresponsive to his efforts, a male may switch tactics and attack
her instead. In the wild, males try to lure receptive females to their nests for the
purpose of spawning. An unreceptive female is a waste of his time and an
intrusion on his territory; in addition, her presence may discourage the advances
of a more cooperative mate. Because the standard spawning tank doesn't leave
much room for retreat, the unresponsive female is in extreme danger in this
situation, and should be removed.

If a pair of bettas went through the normal process of courtship with all
positive signs in place, the sudden change of a male's behavior toward the
female may mean a spawn has already occurred when the breeder wasn't
present. Check carefully for eggs in the nest. It helps to shine a flashlight down
from above the nest and look for the eggs amid the bubbles. The male will almost
always miss some eggs, so scanning the bottom of the tank for the odd egg can
signify a spawn has taken place. Experienced breeders will also observe a
change in the male's nesting behavior once he has eggs to guard. He will spend

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more time under the nest, and can be seen burying his mouth deep within the
bubbles as he shoves the eggs higher against the surface or brings them down
for cleaning. He will only leave the nest to patrol the perimeter and look for
intruders, and if he sees the female he will immediately and viciously attack her.

Some males will attack the female as soon as she is released, even if she is
receptive to spawning. Most often these are young males who are overeager in
their excitement at seeing a female, and will mellow somewhat as they get older.
In the same way that some colors and strains have a lower libido, there are
certain colors or strains that are far more aggressive than others, and an
important part of their ritual is shredding one another to pieces. Usually the
females of these lines can hold their own.

Female Fights With Male

It is normal for a female to sneak in a bite off a chunk of a male's fins during
spawning. It's her way of letting him know she is strong and healthy and will not
be pushed around. However, a female that squares off with the male, flaring and
slapping him with her body in a highly aggressive manner, should be removed
immediately. Usually when this happens it is a case of mistaken identity, with
breeders pairing a male longfin betta with a male shortfin. This is a common
mistake with beginners who have purchased bettas from pet stores; most times
pet store employees do not know the difference between females and male
shortfins, and will sell any shortfinned betta as a female. In some cases, the
blame can not fall squarely on the shoulders of the employees, for certain
suppliers do not look carefully enough at the fish they are exporting to the pet
stores, and will label the shortfinned male as a female.

It is normal for both fish to receive some damage to the fins during the spawning process.

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 In other, rarer, instances the female is hyper aggressive and can never be
spawned successfully. Although it is possible to find a male that is aggressive
enough to "control" her, these circumstances will usually lead to one or both fish
being severely injured or killed.

Female Eats the Eggs

A common complaint among new breeders is a female that devours her own
eggs almost as fast as she can produce them. I don't know what causes a female
to eat her own eggs, but to look at some of them do it, you'd think it was a real
delicacy. A quick male can have most of the eggs off the bottom of the tank and
safely in the nest before a female can get to them, but most males ignore the
eggs on the bottom during the spawning act itself, and these are free game for
egg eating females. Once a female acquires a taste for eggs, she will probably
always be an egg eater. However, making sure she is extremely well fed prior to
spawning may reduce her appetite for them.

Male Eats the Eggs

I've seen young males who are spawning for the first time eat their eggs
rather than put them in the nest. It almost seems as though the males, although
directed by instinct to embrace the female and gather the eggs, are at a loss for
what to do with them after that, and simply swallow. These types of egg eaters
should improve with age and experience. Sometimes it happens that a female is
ready to spawn before the male has had a chance to get a nest going. Most
males will stick the eggs to the surface with saliva, or build the nest as spawning
progresses, but some will just eat them. As with females, males that are properly
conditioned and well fed should not eat otherwise healthy fertilized eggs.

Many times a spawn occurs successfully and the male then eats the eggs
and/or fry after a day or so. This can even happen with experienced males who
have been good fathers in the past. My guess is that there is something wrong
with the eggs or fry, whether they were improperly fertilized or infected with
disease, or the spawn was just weak and sickly. In this case, the male is just
doing his job. However, some males will eat their eggs and fry for no obvious
reason, and if the fry are important to the breeder, these males can be removed
after spawning and the eggs hatched artificially.

Male Abandons Nest

Sometimes fatherhood is just too much for a male, especially one who has
been improperly conditioned. Other times, the spawn is so large that the male
just wears out of caring for them all, and will either devour them or abandon his
nest. You will find him sitting in a corner of the tank by himself, looking for all the
world like he is hiding from his offspring. These fathers should be removed, fed

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well, and given a long period of recuperation. The fry will be fine on their own.

Most males are diligent with regard to their nests.

Although it has long been assumed the fry will not develop properly unless
they are near the surface of the water, recent studies in artificial egg hatching
and fry raising have suggested otherwise. It is now believed that the purpose of
the bubblenest has more to do with protection of the fry than any developmental
necessity. Aside from protecting the eggs and fry from predators and
competitors, the male cleans the eggs to keep them from fungusing, eats the
malformed or weak fry, and removes diseased eggs and/or fry from the nest
before they can affect the healthy ones. As long as a breeder uses a good
antifungal, most abandoned fry will be fine raised without their father's
ministrations.

Males who abandon their nests before the eggs hatch should likewise be
removed, and the eggs hatched artificially. Most of these deadbeat dads will
never develop the inclination to care for their offspring, and the breeder should
plan on raising any fry from them by hand.

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 13.

Raising Fry

So now we can assume you have had a successful spawn, and have a clutch
of fry to show for your efforts. Once the fry are free-swimming and the male is
removed, the real fun begins. If you thought spawning bettas was challenging,
get ready for a real feat of courage. Baby bettas require as much care and
attention as puppies and kittens, and there are hundreds of them! The water has
to be kept clean, the food must be in just the right amount and offered at least
twice daily, and they have to be watched closely for outbreaks of sickness or
disease.

Like spawning, everyone has their favorite methods of raising betta fry and
some of them vary considerably. One thing I've learned is that there is no real
"right" or "wrong" way to raise bettas, there is only what works best for you. If
their basic needs are met, fry will grow into adults. I'm going to outline those
basics, then describe the methods I utilize in my fish room.

Basic One - Clean Water

The importance of clean water cannot be stressed enough. Polluted water will
stunt growth, cause disease, and kill fry. Fry tanks haven't been cycled
sufficiently to handle the bacterial overload of hundreds of little fish and their
detritus, and are prone to bacterial blooms, nitrate spikes, and excess ammonia
levels. In addition, fry excrete a hormone that serves to stunt the growth of their
siblings, a mechanism installed by nature to ensure survival of the fittest.
Changing water frequently combats these problems.

There are some who warn against introducing new water too early, as they

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feel it has negative effects on the fry. Those of that school of thought wait until
the fry are 2 weeks (sometimes up to a month) old before adding new water.
Others add new water from the very beginning with no ill effects. I have
personally never noticed harm to fry as a result of adding water too early, as long
as the water is aged, treated, and of comparable temperature and PH to the
water the fry are living in.

Debris, detritus, and uneaten food should be siphoned from the bottom of the
tank before it can accumulate using a very small siphon. You can easily make a
siphon to fit these needs by attaching a 3 feet long extension of flexible airline
tubing to a drinking straw. The straw is rigid enough to be maneuvered by hand
as you vacuum the bottom of the tank, and the airline tubing can be lowered into
a waste water container. Be careful not to suck up fry! Siphon into a clear
container so that when you do accidentally suck up a fry, you can see and
retrieve it later. Check the container thoroughly when you are done siphoning the
fry tank. Use a bright light, and a magnifying glass if your vision isn't perfect. Wait
until the debris settles, then squint your eyes and look very closely for a pair of
black eyes. Catch the fry with an eyedropper, medicine dropper, spoon, or brine
shrimp net, and replace him in the fry tank. Do not ignore this step! No matter
how careful you are you will almost always suck up fry, especially in the first 2
weeks when they are tiny. Even if you went slowly, used a bright light, and are
absolutely sure you didn't suck up any fry -- yes, you did. So check the container
thoroughly. I am extremely obsessive about checking for sucked up fry, and even
then I would probably faint if I knew how many fry went down the drain because I
didn't find them. This is another reason some people wait a couple of weeks
before cleaning the tank -- it gives the fry a chance to get a bit bigger!

Replace the amount of water you took, and if you started with a half-filled
container, then you can either choose to fill it all the way up now, or replace a bit
more water with each water change until it is full. Because I use shallow plastic
tubs for spawning, I siphon and replace half the water every other day until the
fry are 2 weeks old, then I do it every day. When the fry are very tiny, I
recommend adding new water with your airline tubing so that it is introduced
slowly and doesn't swirl the fry around too much. I'm not as good about this as I
would like to admit; in fact I usually add water to the tank using a pitcher and
either pour it in slowly or gently submerse it and then slowly tilt it until it is empty.
With the latter method, the weight of the pitcher compensates for water
displacement, and if done right hardly disturbs the fry at all.

At about 2 weeks, the fry in tubs are moved into a ten gallon tank and given a
seasoned sponge filter set on low. I also change 30-50% of the water daily now,
and start offering non-live foods like decapsulated brine shrimp, frozen daphnia,
and frozen mysis shrimp. At first most of that will be uneaten, so daily siphoning
of the untouched portions is essential. This routine maintains good water quality
and rapid growth in our bettas.

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 I start jarring my fry early by many people's standards, at about a month to 6
weeks old. Although maintaining the fry in individual jars does increase the time
you will have to dedicate to water changing duties, you also do not have to worry
about fin damage and outbreaks of disease wiping out your entire spawn. The fry
also tend to grow much faster once they are jarred. I would only recommend
jarring them if they are at least an inch long from nose to the base of the tail.
Jarring while too small will "force the finnage" on your males, causing them to
grow adult-sized fins before their bodies are large enough to support the weight
properly.

At about a month I start jarring the largest youngsters and move the rest into a
30 gallon grow-out tank. I do partial water changes in the jars every other day,
siphoning from the bottom about 70% of the water and replacing it with clean,
treated water. When they are 8 weeks old I move them from their quart jars into
half-gallon containers, and start doing 100% changes three times a week. As fry
in the grow-out tank become large enough, they are also jarred. At about 8-12
weeks old I look over the spawn and select who I am going to keep. Mine are
usually sexable by 6-8 weeks, though it may take longer depending on your
water, temperature, and food. The select males and females are given special
attention and extra care and feeding while I decide who is going to be shown and
who will be kept for breeding purposes only. The rest of the fish will stay in jars
until they are sold, though sometimes I will keep the females from the same
spawn in a tank together if they are peaceful enough.

Basic Two - Feeding

Fry prefer live and moving food (it stimulates the snap-and-gulp reflex), and
some would rather starve to death than eat something that doesn't wiggle. For
the first week to ten days fry have to learn how to eat, so small moving food
should be made available to them. For this reason, nearly all betta breeders keep
live cultures on hand, whether it be vinegar eels, microworms, newly-hatched
brine shrimp, infusorians, or something else that works for them. Here are the
most common:

Paramecium
Paramecium is a complex, single-celled protozoan that is a great
supplementary food for your fry. Better yet, it is very easy and cheap to prepare.
While these protozoa would be too small for juveniles and adults to see or even
care about, they are heartily consumed by small fry. To prepare a culture, you
will only need a small container, Liquifry for egglayers #1 and a starter culture.
The Liquifry will serve as food for the paramecia. Pour your starter culture into
the container of choice (it helps if it is transparent), add a few drops of Liquifry
and put it under a bright light for a few days. This setup will provide you with
enough paramecium for a once-a-day feeding. To harvest the paramecia, just
pour a cup or so of the culture into the fry tank and top off the container with

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fresh water.

Infusorians
These are an excellent first food for fry, as the tiny microorganisms can be
caught and eaten by even the smallest fry. Most tanks used for spawning already
have infusorians present, but not in enough numbers to sustain an entire spawn
for very long. I have had very good cultures in gallon pickle jars using water
siphoned from the bottom of a planted and established aquarium, a rabbit food
pellet (or a few dead leaves from an aquatic plant), and plenty of bright light. In a
few weeks, millions of infusorians will be ready to harvest and feed to the fry. I
suck the water directly from the jar with a medicine dropper, mix it with a tiny
amount of finely-crushed hard boiled egg yolk, and feed it to new fry by the drop.
This stuff goes a long way, so only a few drops are needed for a medium-sized
spawn. In some larger spawns I elevate about a pint of infusorian-laden water
over the fry tank and run a clamped piece of tubing from the jar into the tank, so
that the infusorians drip slowly into the tank and the fry have a steady supply at
all times. I start infusorian cultures as soon as the fry hatch, and stop using it
when they are about a week old.

Vinegar Eels
These are actually not eels, but tiny nematodes that are generally smaller
than microworms and also a good first food for fry. I've found that most betta fry,
in the first few days, like to stay near the surface for the most part (in about 2
weeks this changes, and they tend to stay near the bottom more). Unlike
microworms, which fall through the water and wriggle around on the bottom,
vinegar eels swim through the water all over the place, making them easy for the
new fry to find. They can also survive for a few days in the fry tank, so they stand
a greater chance of being eaten before they can die and pollute the water. I have
found that one good feeding of eels at 4 days old will sometimes last the fry until
they are large enough to eat baby brine shrimp at a week. Cultures can be
maintained in clean gallon milk jugs. Add half an apple to the container, fill it
about 1/3 full of cool tap water, then fill another 1/3 with apple cider vinegar. Now
add the starter to the jug, cover it up, and forget about it. In one month's time, it
will be ready to harvest. Take the jug back out and look for tiny thread-like
worms. They may be hard to spot at first, but they're there. There are lots of
different ways to harvest, but what I do is strain some of the medium through a
coffee filter, strain it a second time with fresh water, then swish the filter in a cup
of clean water and feed them to the fry with a medicine dropper.

Microworms
These guys are quick, easy and readily available. Micros can be used from
the first free-swimming day of the fry's lives with good results. Cultures can be
purchased for next to nothing from biological supply houses or other hobbyists,
and are easy to maintain. They can be kept in mediums of oatmeal, baby cereal,
corn meal, or moist bread. Just water the meal so that it is thick/soupy, add a
pinch of baker's yeast, and the culture. In a few days to a week you will see

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thousands of microworms crawling up the sides of the container. You can harvest
them by swiping the sides with your finger or a cotton swab, and then feed them
to the fry.

Some people are put off by the odor of the cultures, but I've found that using a
masa flour medium produces very little odor, and is almost pleasant-smelling for
quite a while. I also dampen a piece of paper towel, lie it over half the surface
area of the culture, and in days it is teeming with worms that can be sucked right
up from the paper towel. When it's time to start a new culture, I prepare the
medium, lift the paper towel out of the old culture, and put it in the new one.

Please be aware that new evidence has come to light recently that associates
the feeding of microworms with missing ventral fins on fry. It is most likely caused
by a bacteria that grows on the bottom of the tank caused by decomposing
microworm bodies, which erodes away the sensitive ventrals in fry that spend a
lot of time on the bottom of the tank. Using snails or small catfish in your growout
tanks can help keep fry from the bottom of the tank for extended periods of time,
and also clean up excess waste.

Baby Brine Shrimp

By far the most common live food used for a variety of tropical fish fry, baby
brine shrimp are also referred to as "BBS" or newly hatched artemia (nauplii).
They are easy to hatch; simply fill a container with about a quart of water, add a
tablespoon of non-iodized salt, and a pinch of eggs. Aerate the container so that
the eggs are kept continuously suspended. The eggs hatch in about 18-48 hours,
depending on room temperature. The empty shells will float to the surface, and if
you shine a light on the bottom, the shrimp will congregate there. You can extract
them with a turkey baster or small siphon, filter them through a sieve, rinse them,
and feed them to the fry. It's good to have two hatcheries going at all times about
12 hours apart, so that fresh hatches are always available.

There has been some speculation about Swim Bladder Disorder and the
overfeeding of brine shrimp. Personally, I believe that overfeeding any protein-
rich food like BBS will set you up for swim bladder problems in young bettas, so
remember that moderation is the key. Each fry will be fine eating 3-5 shrimp per
meal during their first month, so watch carefully how much you're putting in that
tank. Fry gorging on BBS until they are about to burst may look cute, but it's not
very practical. In addition, uneaten shrimp will die quickly and pollute the water. I
always rinse my sieve with the shrimp into a clear cup of water and feed them
with a dropper. This way I can more easily control how much BBS is going into
each tank, and adjust accordingly. I also alternate feedings of BBS with other
foods, and I've had very few cases of swim bladder disorder.

At about a month old, I will offer freeze-dried and other frozen foods, and find
they are accepted readily enough. Chopped frozen bloodworms, live or frozen
daphnia, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, shaved frozen krill, freeze-dried

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bloodworms, brine shrimp, and very small pellets are good foods to use. Bettas
fed good food twice daily and given good conditions will probably grow fast
enough to start being reliably sexed at 6-8 weeks of age.

Basic Three - Health

Usually, if you maintain good water quality, rinse live food well, and don't do
anything silly like net-sharing, your fry should stay pretty healthy. However,
sometimes the worst happens and an outbreak of disease can wipe out an entire
spawn if you're not careful. It only takes one sick fry to kill a whole spawn, so
watch for the signs. Fin-clamping, lethargy, and sudden die-off can mean a
problem in your fry tank. An occasional dead fry is normal, but several of them
dead every day means trouble. We lost many fry one year when there was a
problem with harmful bacteria in our local water source. The paper published a
suggestion for residents to boil their water, and the effect of the unboiled water
on the fish never even occurred to me. I lost many fry to bacterial infection before
it dawned on me what was going on. So you just never know, and even the most
careful betta breeder will have to deal with sickness at some point in time.

Fry in particular can be difficult to diagnose. Make allowances for a sudden

die-off at around the 10-day mark, as fry absorb the last traces of their yolk sac
and either hunt or starve. Don't be alarmed, it's a natural process. Just remove
dead fry as soon as you see them so they don't pollute the tank.

Most of the remedies outlined in the chapter Health and Care can be used on
fry. Velvet is the most common lethal disease of fry, but it can be kept in check
by keeping a half teaspoon of aquarium salt to every gallon of water in the fry
tank at all times. Great fluctuations in temperature will weaken fry and make
them susceptible to many diseases like parasites, fungal infection, bacterial
infection, and just about everything else under the sun. The number one fry killer
is water pollution caused by overfeeding and infrequent water changes, so be
careful not to slack off in those duties.

If you do suspect outbreak of disease in your fry tank and don't know what is
causing it, I recommend jarring the largest and best fry until you can figure it out.
This makes them easier to observe, and if they aren't already sick, this will help
prevent it. That way if you do end up losing the entire spawn, at least you'll have
saved the best individuals, so it's not a total loss.

When you have diagnosed the disease, treatment can begin. Most treatments
take a few days to a week to complete, and usually several doses. Once
treatment is complete, I would recommend moving all of the fry into a new tank
full of clean water of the same temperature to prevent reinfection. If they are very
small, you can siphon out about 90% of the water and catch them with a brine
shrimp net. Completely strip and disinfect the old tank before using it again.

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 Now that the basics of fry rearing have been covered, here is a week-by-week
account of how your fry are growing, and what care they should be receiving at
each important stage of their development.

Weeks One and Two

Newly-hatched fry in the bubblenest. Fry will hang tail-down in the nest for the first 24 hours,
gradually taking on a horizontal swimming position. During this time they are living on their yolk sac
and do not need to be fed. The male will continue to tend the fry during this period. (V. Parnell)

The eggs hatch in 24-48 hours, depending on the temperature and water, and
the new fry hang tail-down in the nest for another couple of days, gradually taking
on a horizontal swimming position. Sometimes their wriggling will cause them to
fall from the nest, and their father will catch them and replace them. The male is
usually kept very busy during this time, and sometimes a lot of fry will lie on the
bottom waiting to be found. Lying on the bottom doesn't hurt them, and they will
eventually dart back up to the nest themselves, or just lie there until they can
swim away.

This is an exciting time for the breeder, as the formerly barren spawning tank
is suddenly teeming with life. The first day the fry hatch, the bubblenest looks like
it is literally raining fry, as the little ones fall from the nest, dart back up (or get

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blown up), wedge themselves into bubbles, knock a brother loose so that he falls,
then fall again. From a distance, you'll see the male turning this way and that and
swimming to the bottom and back up with a near-frantic determination. The fry
are pretty easy to spot, even though they are tiny, because they have a full, white
yolk sac. I recommend using a magnifying glass, because observing newly-
hatched fry is a real treat.

It isn't necessary to feed the fry while they are still tail-down in the nest, as
they are living off of their yolk sacs. Once they start swimming horizontally, they
will escape the nest and go on the prowl for food. The male will try his best to
keep them all in the nest, but his job becomes harder and harder as 50+ fry all
make a break for it as soon as his back is turned. Most breeders remove the
male at this point, as he is likely to become frustrated with his children and
decide to make his job easier by eating a few of them. Use care when catching
the male so that you don't accidentally net fry or decimate the bubblenest. You
can lure him away with some food and then either net him or remove him gently
by hand. When using a net, its a good idea to hold it near the surface, still
immersed in water, after you catch the male, so that any fry he has in his mouth
can be spit out. It's a good idea to keep him isolated from other fish for a few
days, as some males go into depression when they are separated from their fry
and are more vulnerable to illness and disease.

Fry with bellies full of baby brine shrimp. This photo

illustrates the size of the fry in comparison to a standard
aquarium thermometer. (J. Sonnier)

You can start feeding the fry as soon as you see them swimming horizontally.
They do this at different times, so don't make the mistake of thinking that just
because there are still fry hanging in the nest, you don't have to feed them. Fry
will starve to death if something to eat is not immediately available. For the first
week, I feed my fry infusorians that are already in the water (see "Spawning
Bettas"), and sometimes supplement very large spawns with egg yolk once a

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day. They grow well on egg yolk, and it’s simple to prepare -- just hard-boil an
egg, and then break off a tiny piece of yolk (about the size of a grain of rice),
mash it in some water, then feed to the fry with an eyedropper. It makes a
suspension liquid of tiny particles of yolk that even the smallest fry can eat. The
downside is, it starts to rot and pollute the water pretty quickly. What I do is,
instead of scattering the yolk throughout the tank, I put a few drops in where the
fry tend to congregate and then I siphon out the uneaten portions.

Two week old fry. (Left) Royal blue singletail. (Right) Extended red doubletail.

By two weeks old your fry should be from a quarter of an inch to half an inch
long, and you should be able to see their tiny dorsal fins with the naked eye. You
might even see shades of iridescent color on some fry when they are under a
strong light source.

Weeks Three and Four

When the fry are two weeks old, they should all be large enough to start
eating baby brine shrimp, or BBS. I have a hatchery going at all times, because I
invariably have fry at all different stages of growth at any given time, but if this is

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your only spawn you should start setting up your BBS hatchery at the end of the
1st week.

Whatever type of container you use, you should fill it 3/4 of the way with
salted water (1 tbsp of salt per quart) and add about a 1/2 tsp to a tsp of eggs,
depending on your feeding needs. A little of this stuff goes a long way, but it's
better to make too much than too little -- you can always freeze the leftovers.
You'll need to connect an airstone to a pump to keep the water aerated and
circulated. The eggs should be kept suspended at all times, and make sure the
airstone is at the bottom and is making enough movement in the water so that all
of the eggs are moving around. The eggs will hatch in 18-48 hours, depending on
water temperature. You should be able to tell when they hatch, because the
water will look more reddish-colored than it did before. Stop the airflow into the
hatchery, shine a light up toward the bottom, and wait 15 minutes for the empty
eggs to float to the surface and the shrimp to congregate near the light source on
the bottom. They can now be siphoned out with a turkey baster or the airline-
tubing siphon that you use for the fry tanks. Strain them through a brine shrimp
net. If you don't have one, a coffee filter works well, but my favorite thing to use is
the cut-off toe of a pair of white little girls' stockings. The brine shrimp are
orange-red in color, and very small. Rinse them well under the faucet, then feed
them to the fry. You can swirl the net around in the water of the fry tank to feed,
but I prefer inverting it and swirling it around in a cup of fresh water, then feeding
it to the fry with a medicine dropper. This method is visually easier to control, and
decreases the chance of overfeeding.

I feed BBS to the 2-3 week old fry once a day, in the morning. Around noon I
offer a dry food like decapsulated brine shrimp or spray dried daphnia, and in the
evening I siphon off any uneaten food. This routine continues to end of the 3rd
week and beginning of the 4th. Around the end of Week Three I offer finely
crumbled brine shrimp flake along with frozen/live daphnia and discontinue the
BBS.

If you are breeding in a half-full ten-gallon tank, you will want to start
siphoning the tank and replacing about twice as much water as you take until the
container is full. The siphoning and replacing will need to be done every other
day, or, at the very least, twice a week. Depending on the size of your spawn you
may decide to do the water changing more or less often. A hundred fry in a tub
without a filter will require a 50% water change twice a week, whereas 50 fry in a
10-gallon with a filter will be fine on a weekly schedule. Daily removal of uneaten
food, feces, and debris on the tank bottom is a good idea, because these things
breed bacteria, and bottom-loving fry that are exposed to too much of that
bacteria might not develop their ventral fins. So keep those bottoms clean.

Somewhere around 3-5 weeks old, you should see your fry come to the
surface for a gulp of air. For this reason, you should make sure the surface of the
water is clear and not covered by a filmy substance. If water changes alone

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aren't enough to keep it clear, then give them an airstone set on low -- just
enough to break up the surface scum. This is also a good age to move the
spawn to a larger tank. The growth on the fry will slow considerably at about 3
weeks of age, and a move to larger quarters will cause them to resume their
normal development. "Larger quarters" does not necessarily mean a big,
expensive tank. Large plastic tubs are available at many retail stores, are sturdy,
and do the job well. You can try catching individual fry with a net and transferring
them to the growout tank, or you can siphon out most of the water and then pour
them gently into the larger container that has been prepared for them.

By the time your fry are 4 weeks old, they will start developing their own
personalities and appearances. Colors such as reds and yellows will begin
showing up now, and the colors of your blue or green fry will deepen and become
brighter. Some color strains, such as extended red, may begin sparring and
chasing one another at this age, and will require jarring. However, if your fry
seem to be coexisting relatively peacefully, it is far better to keep them together
for as long as you can. They are very lively and interesting to watch at this age,
and may start coming to the glass to interact with you and beg for food.

Weeks Five and Six

Five weeks old is an important milestone for the fry. You will notice some
huge differences in size between siblings, and may even see, to your shock and
horror, the larger fry eating their smaller spawn mates. Some breeders divide the
spawn at this age to minimize the risk of damage to small fry, and to give them a
chance to grow; others let nature take its course and allow the largest and
strongest fry to eliminate the weaklings. Betta fry excrete a hormone as they
grow that inhibits the growth of other fry -- another survival tactic -- and the larger
they are, the more hormone they are able to excrete. If you divide the spawn by
putting the largest fry in one container and the smallest in another, everyone

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should resume growing at a normal rate.

Between the ages of 5-6 weeks, the fry should be offered a wide variety of
dried, freeze-dried, pelleted, live, and frozen foods. I reduce their feeding of BBS
to once a day, or perhaps once every other day, and start offering them chopped
frozen bloodworms, small pellets, grindal worms, whiteworms, and frozen/live
daphnia. The smaller fry may still need BBS for another couple of weeks.

Between six and eight weeks of age I start catching and jarring the largest or
most aggressive fry to minimize the amount of torn fins in the growout tank. By
this time it should start becoming pretty evident which fry are males and which
are females. Males will begin growing longer fins at around this time, and are
more likely to chase and nip their siblings. There are also slight differences in the
body types of males and females. Males tend to be slimmer, with a heavier jaw
and larger gill covers, whereas females are more rounded in the abdomen and
slightly shorter in body with smaller ventral fins. Developing an eye for
distinguishing body differences will prove very helpful to you as a breeder,
especially if you begin working with Plakats!

When you first jar your fry, it is a good idea to keep them in clear containers
so that they can continue to see and interact with their siblings, otherwise they
might become lonely and listless. Males will start to look more like males within a
week of being jarred, and will increase the development of their male finnage and
start flaring at their neighbors and working on their first tiny bubblenests. You will
be able to start distinguishing your best individuals at this time.

Weeks Seven to Adulthood

Between seven and ten weeks, all of your male fry should be in jars. The
females can continue to live in the growout tank together as long as they are
getting along, but occasionally you will find yourself with a particularly aggressive
female, and she should be removed and jarred as well. Sometimes it turns out
that these "females" are actually young males that have not begun finning out

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yet! If you are hoping to show your fish, it might be a good idea to put your best
females in jars as well, to decrease the chances of them getting their fins nipped.
Remember that the largest fry in a tank do not necessarily grow into the best
adults, so don't disqualify a fry just because it is smaller than the others. Look
carefully for whatever traits you are breeding for, be they width of dorsal, angle of
caudal, color, pattern or something else.

Be prepared ahead of time with plenty of containers to isolate your young males.

As they develop their adult finnage, it is a good idea to let your young male
bettas flare at their neighbors or at their own reflections. This exercises their tails
and improves the spread, and it also increases their territorialism and
aggression. If they are constantly in view of another betta, the novelty will soon
wear thin, and it is a common practice at this age to start "carding" the young fish
-- sliding index cards or dividers between the containers so that each betta is
isolated and blocked from view. Once a day, for a couple of hours, you can
remove the cards and let the fish flare at one another.

Breeders conditioning their bettas for a show also utilize this method of
keeping the bettas carded except for a few brief flaring sessions. Some show
bettas with massive finnage and wide tails can "blow" their fins if they are allowed
to flare too aggressively and for too long. The membranes between the fin
webbing is usually quite thin, and the rapid wagging of the fins typical of a betta
in full flare can cause tiny pin holes and rips to appear. Though this does not
harm the betta in any way, fin damage is faulted in a show class. Keeping them
carded also ensures an appropriate aggressive response ("deportment") when
they are uncarded for show purposes.

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 Breeding adults and show fish should be fed high quality food several times a
day. Pet fish or non-breeding adults can have their feedings reduced to once a
day and can be kept in full view of other bettas at all times.

Surplus Stock

Eventually, any breeder who masters the basics and is able to reliably raise
baby bettas from egg to adulthood will be faced with the problem of what to do
with surplus stock. Naturally, some fish from every spawn will be retained to
continue the line, whether the breeder is concentrating on a particular color, fin
type, or other project. But what should you do with the fish you are not planning
to use? Here are a few of the more popular options available to breeders.

Give Them Away

Bettas make great pets, are low-maintenance and easy to care for, making
them ideal as gifts for friends or family members. I know a breeder who jars up
his surplus stock and then sits outside on his front porch waiting for
neighborhood kids to pass his home while returning from school. Another
hobbyist puts her extra bettas into unique and creative glass containers and sells
them from her store; still another donates bettas to schools in her area as class
pets. Most privately-owned pet stores will gladly accept free bettas as well.

Sell Them
This is infinitely better than just giving them away, if you have the resources.
Some pet stores will take your extra stock from you for about a dollar per fish, or
in exchange for store credit. The internet is also a popular venue for selling
bettas, with resources like online aquatic auction houses available at cheap (or
free!) listing fees. If your skills as a breeder become good enough and your
reputation as a seller grows, you can also try your hand at selling surplus stock
from your own website. Be prepared with the proper shipping boxes, bags, and
heat packs, and invest in a decent camera. All potential buyers would much
rather see a photograph of the actual fish in question than a stock photo
representation that ensures them their fish "Looks something like this". More
times than not, the fish they receive looks nothing like the one used in the ad,
leaving the customer disappointed. And disappointed customers are not return
customers!

Keep accurate records of your stock's genetics and ages, as those will be
helpful to a prospective buyer. Only sell healthy fish that are free from deformity
and genetic defects. Be prepared to answer lots of questions about your fish,
both before and after the customer receives them. Be wary of using your own
strain names; although these can be fun and catchy, they are also confusing and
will not help your credibility among experienced betta buyers and fellow
breeders.

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Cull Them
For the purpose of this section, I'm far more comfortable using the term "cull"
than "kill", although that is essentially what most betta breeders mean when they
refer to culling their spawns. Although it may seem brutal and heartless to kill a
perfectly healthy betta just because it may not show a trait you want, or you do
not plan to use it in your future breeding program, breeders who face the problem
of hundreds and hundreds of bettas and no outlet for them may have to consider
their options. Until a new breeder gains enough experience, I wouldn't
recommend culling for anything except poor health or physical deformity until the
fish finishes developing. Many times a young betta will not look like it will amount
to much, then suddenly develop into one the best fish from your spawn. You will
develop an "eye" for what to look for as you look at enough baby bettas, but until
then just look for the usual problems -- crooked spines, swimming problems,
weakness, deformities, excessive color wash, etc. Although I've always been of
the opinion that an ethical breeder should take responsibility for the lives he or
she brings into existence through intentional breeding, any breeder who is so
overwhelmed through sheer numbers of bettas to care for that they can't take
proper care of their fish needs to find a way to cut back on their numbers. If you
can't sell them or give them away, euthanization is an option.

There are several methods of euthanization. Out of all of them, I think feeding
them to a larger culling fish is the least painful, quickest, and best way of
destroying an unwanted betta. Oscar cichlids are great for this job. Get one at
least 5 - 6 inches long; at that size they can handle anything up to medium-sized
adults in one quick gulp. Keep in mind that Oscars can reach a size of twelve or
so inches, regardless of the size of their tank, and produce a lot of waste. An
adult Oscar will require a tank of at least 40 - 50 gallons and weekly partial water
changes.

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 Large carnivorous fish like Oscars will make quick work of unwanted bettas

I have used freezing as a method of euthanizing fish that were sick beyond
recovery and suffering. Just place the fish in a small cup or bag of water, place
him in the freezer, and try not to think about it too much. I know a breeder that
culls all his fish this way, taking his young culls and putting them all together in a
large bag and then freezing them. Supposedly their temperature drops and they
just go to sleep. Well, it seems a blessed relief for sick fish (they truly do look like
they just quietly and peacefully die), but keep in mind that young, healthy fish
have been observed to struggle during the freezing process, which may not
make this as humane an option as originally thought.

If you have access to clove oil, you can put the fish to sleep seemingly
painlessly. Mix it with water about 3 drops oil per 1 liter of water. This is sufficient
to put the fish to sleep, and once it is unconscious add 3 more drops to kill it.
There has been some suggestion of using clove oil with vodka, but vodka is an
irritant to the fish, it seems to hurt the fish, and it isn't necessary. You can get
clove oil at your health food store, or in the toothpaste section of most
pharmacies.

Whatever you do, never flush a live betta! This is the cruelest and most
inhumane way to dispose of a fish. Contrary to popular belief, sewage treatment
doesn't typically involve harsh chemicals on the outgoing side of things.
Furthermore, the majority of the waste product running through sewer pipes is
water. It is not only possible, but also probable that the fish will survive the
flushing only to die a slow and painful death in the sewer. Flushing a fish is also
not an environmentally sound practice; so don't flush the dead ones either. Your
best bet is to put the dead ones in a bag of water and throw them away, or give
them a nice funeral in the garden.

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 14.

Health and Disease

As with all aquarium fish, sometimes bettas get ill. It is important to be familiar
with your fish, so that any unusual behavior can be detected early. Bettas are
basically sedentary fish, so inactivity alone is not enough to diagnose your betta
as "sick", although sudden inactivity in an otherwise healthy and active betta can
be suspect. Your betta could be sick, or just feeling blue. Behavior that should
trigger an immediate red flag is clamping of the fins, lying on the side (although
some bettas actually like sleeping this way), panting, clouded eyes, swollen gills,
paleness of color, bouncing and rubbing on the sides of the tank/bowl, spots,
dusting, or "strings" on the body, and sudden lack of appetite.

Betta diseases can usually be broken down into three categories: Parasitic,
Bacterial, and Fungal. Here are the most common:

Parasitic

Ich
Short for Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, also known as "White Spot Disease", the
most common behavior associated with this highly contagious disease is
clamped fins with intermittent darting around the tank and brushing against
objects as the fish attempts to rid itself of the parasite. The protozoon spends a
phase of its life living within the skin of the fish and feeding on the tissue. The
white cyst that encapsulates them gives the fish the tell-tale white spots on fins
and body. These parasites are commonly found in healthy aquariums, and fish
are generally immune to them unless poor water conditions, extremes in water
temperature, or very cold water weakens the immune system and gives Ich an
open door to wreak havoc. After infecting the fish, the adult organism falls off into
the gravel and becomes encysted in a free-living dormant stage that is
unresponsive to medication. In a few hours to days, the parasite divides into 200
- 800 larvae, which then go in search of a host. The best way to treat Ich is to
turn the water temperature up to 85 degrees to speed the life cycle and treat with
a medication containing malachite green or copper, such as Quick Cure or
Coppersafe. Ignore the dosage on the label that recommends treatments 2 - 3
days 'until ich is gone'...you need to treat for the entire lifecycle of the parasite, or
else do complete water changes every 2 days. Fish must be treated for at least a
week, or you run the risk of reinfestation. If treating an aquarium, first remove the
carbon from the filter, and remove any live plants and fish such as Tetras and
Scaleless Catfish, which need to be treated separately as they require a half-
dosage.

Velvet
Also known as Oodinium, a fish infected with Velvet will often display clamped

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fins, rapid breathing, and small spots or a "dusting" over fins and body. Like Ich,
the fish will sometimes dart around trying to scratch itself. Velvet usually only
arises when poor aquarium conditions prevail, and fry are particularly vulnerable
to infection. The parasite is extremely deadly, but most cases respond to
treatment. A copper-based medication like Maracide can make quick work of
Velvet while the parasite is in its free-swimming stage. Raising the temperature
to 82 - 84 degrees, dimming the light, and giving the sick fish a 3% salt bath can
also be effective.

Internal Parasites
This can be a tough one to catch! Sometimes a fish will show little or no sign
of sickness, but will gradually get thinner. You have to really know your bettas to
even see this one coming. As always, prevention is the best medicine. Rinse live
and frozen food thoroughly with clean water, and do not pass bowls, nets, or
other equipment between healthy fish and sick ones. If you suspect internal
parasites, put your betta into clean water and treat immediately with a parasitic
medication such as Clout, Maracyn-2, or Hex-a-Mit. Clean containers well that
have been holding infected fish; scald with boiling water or clean with a bleach
solution.

Flukes
Usually the gills are infected. This is a pretty obvious problem to spot, since
the gills become inflamed, red, swollen, and may even fungus or bleed. The fish
looks and acts miserable, often clamping his fins and panting. He will also
probably try to bash himself against anything he can -- plants, rocks, sides of
tank, other fish, etc -- to rid himself of the flukes. In some cases you can actually
SEE the flukes hanging from the fish, like long threads. You need to treat the fish
with a good parasite medication like Coppersafe, Formalin 3, or Permoxyn, and
raise the temperature to 82 - 84 degrees.

Fungal

Cottonmouth
Exactly what it sounds like, it looks like your fish has cotton growing out of its
mouth and around its face. Sudden changes in temperature, poor water quality,
and severe shock are contributing factors to this disease, and it can knock a
betta out fast if untreated. Fungus Eliminator (by Jungle) and MarOxy should
take care of it. Put your betta in clean water during treatment, and always make
sure his water conditions are good when he recovers.

Fin & Tail Rot

Fish has holes, tears, or lesions in the fins, and the disease will eat the fins
completely away in a matter of days if left untreated! Fungal finrot is extremely
fast-acting, so treat immediately with any of the fungal medications available at
your local pet store.

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Popeye
One eye or both will protrude, or will appear cloudy. Rough handling can
cause Popeye (as well as a host of other things), so always handle the betta
gently. Extreme temperature changes, dirty water, and over-aerating have also
been named culprits. Treat the fish with Melafix, Maracyn-2, Ampicillix, or
Penicillin.

White Slime Disorder

Stringy, white mucus on the body, this disease is highly contagious. Treat the
fish with an antifungal, treat fish he has had contact with, and scrub the tank or
bowl with a bleach solution. If he's been in a community aquarium you're going to
have to dismantle the entire thing, sterilize it, and recycle it before putting the fish
back in. Yes, it is that bad.

Bacterial

Bacterial Fin Rot

Usually starts with a hole or tear in the betta's fins (often as a result of a
spawning injury), and then bacteria sets in. This can be a stubborn form of fin rot,
and the betta will be prone to relapses, even after treatment. If I have a fish that
contracts bacterial fin rot, I know he is going to need special treatment for the
rest of his life. First he's put on an antibiotic regimen (I use Maracyn-2 or
Tetracycline) for five days, changing the water every day. Then I give him 2 more
days, and if he isn't improving, the antibiotic treatment is repeated, ONCE. After
that, if he hasn't improved, we move on to Penicillin. If I do finally manage to stop
this horrible affliction, the betta gets a 100% water change, every single day; his
resistance to the disease is now low, and chances of reinfection are high.

Other Problems

Dropsy
This is one of the most fatal diseases to attack bettas; unfortunately, its also
one of the most common. The jury is still out on exactly what causes it, and
therefore what cures it. There is a belief that it may be a bacterial infection of the
kidneys, but nobody really knows for sure. The usual recommended treatment is
Tetracycline, but this is so seldom completely effective as to be inconclusive. To
further complicate matters, there seems to be several variances of dropsy. The
most well-known causes the abdomen of the to fish swell up grotesquely, the
scales protrude like a pinecone, and the fish can't seem to get out of the "belly
down" position, with its hind-end raised. The bloating is caused by excess fluid in
the body tissues, and is usually evident in all dropsy cases.

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 Sometimes the fish will get only mildly pineconed, and still die of dropsy. I had
a female act lethargic, go off her feed, and she wasn't improving...I couldn't figure
out what was wrong with her. Then I noticed the belly area was looking slightly
swollen and very pale, so I looked at her from above -- voila! There was the
pineconing. Incidentally, this female died 2 days into treatment, and I didn't even
know she was dead until a day or so after that. The fluid caused her to stay in an
upright position with her nose to the surface, and if it wasn't for the fact her eyes
glazed over she looked for all the world exactly as she had when she first got
sick.

Another interesting version of dropsy is when the fish looks normal (or may be
slightly pale), but is off its feed and not acting right. These will sometimes do the
belly-down-tail-up behavior, but will not be swollen, and will not be pineconed.
This form of dropsy is the MOST deadly! Within 24 hours the fish is dead, and
you don't even get a chance to try to cure it. Personally, I have never been able
to cure a betta of dropsy. I have read accounts of others who have cured them,
but usually they die a month or so later. It's not really certain if the disease is
contagious or not. By observing the disease in my own fishroom, I can only
conclude that there are a lot of contributing factors. Dropsy seems to be in some
part genetic; or, rather, the vulnerability to dropsy is genetic. I often combine
unrelated spawns of the same age in growout tanks, and I have had incidences
of dropsy outbreaks in these tanks that only affect members of one spawn. I think
that if one fish gets it, it can be passed to other fish that are predisposed to
catching it.

Swim Bladder Disorder (SBD)

The most common assumption is that SBD is caused by overfeeding protein-
rich foods like artemia (BBS) during the developmental stage of the fish.
Sometimes a 24 hour fast is sufficient for getting the problem to take care of
itself, and sometimes the fish just outgrows it. A betta with SBD will either swim
around with it's backside dragging like a cripple, or just lie on its side on the
bottom of the container. Some of these fish live perfectly happy and healthy lives
in spite of their infirmity, but if it is so extreme that the fish can't feed or come up
for air without struggling, it may be best to euthanize it. I find that it is a common
misconception that BBS causes SBD. The overfeeding of any food can contribute
to SBD; fry just seem particularly wont to gorge themselves on BBS.

Depression
Bettas are intelligent fish and are therefore sometimes prone to bouts of
depression. New fathers recently separated from their fry will usually appear
listless, pale, and may not eat for a few days. Newly-jarred fry, suddenly isolated
from their siblings, may also look sulky. I had two females, sisters, who had been
together their whole lives, die within days of each other. The first one jumped out
of the tank, and her sister promptly stopped eating and died 2 days later,
apparently from a broken heart.

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There is not much to do for depression except wait for the fish to snap out of it,
which they usually do. For mourning fathers, Bettamax will reduce stress and
give them beneficial nutrients that their bodies need to see them through. Newly-
jarred fry can be put next to the jar of their siblings so that they can still see each
other and interact. Bettas suffering from loneliness will often perk up if provided
with a mirror or a view of another betta.

Disappearance

Laugh if you will, but I have had enough incidences of betta disappearances that
it now warrants its own section. Obviously the great majority of disappearing
bettas are lost due to jumping from their containers. They are hard to find once
they have dried out and shriveled up, and it seems that every Jumper magically
finds a way to wedge itself up against the nearest chair leg or into the crack of a
floor, craftily hidden. However. I have had jars with lids screwed on tight turn up
the next morning missing their betta. A friend of mine once told the story of a
betta she found dead in its jar. Pregnant at the time and easily nauseated, she
left the dead betta and ran to the bathroom. She didn't have the willpower to face
the corpse again until the next day, and when she mustered up the courage and
went to get the dead betta for its Last Great Adventure down the commode...it
was gone.

It does happen, of this I am fully convinced. Unfortunately, there isn't much I

can say to help you if you have a Disappearing Betta. Just promise me this -- if
you have a betta go missing and then reappear in his jar, contact me
immediately!

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 The Story of the Halfmoon
As told by Rajiv Massilamoni

“Mr. G” – the photo of a fish bred by American Peter Goettner that was considered nearly ideal by Rajiv Massilamoni and
recognized as one of the best of its time.

In 1982, American breeder Peter Goettner bred a fish that was well ahead of
its time. This fish was a green STM with a caudal of almost 180 degrees, and
was dubbed "Mr. Great" by the admiring betta community. Goettner revealed that
he acquired the stock that ultimately produced Mr. Great (or "Mr. G" as he was
later called) by another breeder, Parris Jones of the US, who had been improving
on a line he had procured from yet another American breeder, Chuck Hale, in
1977. Between 1983 and 1986 a group of French breeders began importing
stock from several top American breeders, including Goettner and Jones, one of
which was Guy Delaval.

Delaval was already an accomplished Guppy breeder, and several years

before had decided to try his hand at bettas. He started with pet store fare,
working the quality up to spec by selectively breeding the finest fish from his
spawning attempts in a very particular pattern: brother to sister, and then father
to daughter, for several generations. A peculiar feature of Delaval's line was that

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many of them had a white edge to their fins, a trait still seen in many Halfmoon
bettas today. As the quality of Delaval's bettas increased, he began to realize he
was on to something special, and worked even harder to perfect his "ideal".
Working with only four tanks and about twenty jars, Delaval bred hard and culled
hard, keeping only the very best to continue the line.

In 1987, Delaval exhibited his fish at a betta show in Lyon, France. Although
the early Halfmoons (as they were later to be called) were amazing in both form
and symmetry, they did not get much more than a passing interest from the
judges at the show, mainly due to the fact that judges were used to seeing a
particular form in the show betta and, as a result, were loathe to change their
vision of the "ideal" show betta. At that time, the types of betta that was winning
shows were roundtails and doubletails, and Delaval's fish probably looked eons
apart from what they were accustomed to seeing. After the show, the President
of the Anabantoid Association of Germany wrote a brief report on the show,
generously praising the winners and contestants. Of Delaval's groundbreaking
entries he wrote only that they were "nice".

In 1988 Delaval then exhibited his fish at a show in LeMann, France. Although
his fish were again overlooked in the judging, at least one fellow breeder was
thunderstruck by what Delaval had been able to accomplish: Rajiv Masillamoni.
Masillamoni had a habit of carrying with him at all times a photograph of Mr. G,
which he showed to everyone at every betta event he was able to attend,
enthusing about the perfection of the form and asking where he might acquire a
fish of it's caliber. Needless to say, when he first laid eyes on Delaval's entries,
which were even better in spread and symmetry than what he had dared to
dream, the photo of Mr. G slipped forgotten from his fingertips. He immediately
began drilling Delaval about his fish, and was able to purchase two of the three
180 degree caudal males that Delaval had brought with him to the show, as well
as five other males and two females from the same line. Masillamoni spirited his
treasures back home to Switzerland, where he began breeding them with a
passion. To his shock and horror he came to realize that every one of the seven
males he had purchased from Delaval were unable to spawn properly. Although
they would build a nest and court the female, they didn't seem able to perform
the embrace and sire offspring. This didn't seem to be a fault of the form so much
as a result of too much inbreeding, confirmed when Masillamoni consulted two
other breeders who had acquired stock from Delaval -- Laurent Chenot and Marc
Maurin -- who reported similar failures. Reduced to relying on the females alone,
Masillamoni crossed them against pet store bettas, producing fish which were
nowhere close to the quality of the original Delaval stock in either form or
symmetry. When a stroke of bad luck killed one of the females, it seemed the
entire venture would be doomed. However, Fortune was with Masillamoni and his
project, and he was soon introduced to an American IBC member who happened
to be visiting Switzerland and was able to give him a melano doubletail male from
the Parris Jones line. Masillamoni bred the male to his one remaining Delaval
female, and was rewarded with one fish that stood out from the rest. The fish was

127
given the number "R39", and was a green male with a perfect 180 degree caudal
fin.

Desperate to continue the line, Masillamoni bred the fish with every female in
his possession, and then teamed up with Laurent Chenot and breeder Jean Luc
Corso, who bred him to their females as well. The offspring of these crosses
formed the very foundation of the first true Halfmoon breeding line, and it can be
reasonably stated that all Halfmoon fish today are descendants of this one male -
- R39.

In 1991 Masillamoni brought his 180-degree bettas with him to the 25th
Annual IBC Convention, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that year. He was
flabbergasted to discover that, once again, the judges were completely
overlooking his fish in favor of the more standard fin types of doubletail and
roundtail. However, the European entries did not escape the notice of several top
breeders of that time, including Jeff Wilson, Peter Goettner, Parris Jones, Paul
Hardy, and John Benn, who brought some of Masillamoni's fish home with them
to breed into their own show lines. It was at this show that Jeff Wilson first
quipped that the new tail shape looked like a half moon, and the term "Halfmoon"
stuck.

Inspired by the mutual interest, Masillamoni joined forces with Wilson and
Laurent Chenot to try to cement the trait into a solid line. The three breeders
frequently exchanged their best fish, with one fish often being passed to all three,
siring spawns in America, France, and Switzerland. By spawning the best fish
from all three ventures, they were able to more quickly and effectively produce
the Halfmoon betta, carefully documenting in both film and writing whether each
successive generation was better than the previous.

In 1992, the Masillamoni and Wilson decided to show their best Halfmoon fish
at the 1992 IBC Convention in Alabama, quietly making a pact between them
that, even if their fish were again rejected in competition, they would continue
working the line. Although they showed many Halfmoons, only one of their fish
placed -- a green that took 2nd in Form and Finnage Variations. The class titles
and Best of Show were again awarded to the popular roundtailed entries.

The Halfmoon team was saved from disappointment by the increased interest
shown by other breeders. Eventually enough interest was shown to warrant a
new betta club just to perpetuate and preserve the Halfmoon form, and the
International Betta Splendens Club was born. While breeding and exchanging
stock over international borders, Masillamoni was approached by Marc Maurin,
who requested a Halfmoon pair that would serve as his starter stock in France.
At that time, Masillamoni only had 5 Halfmoon males good enough to breed, but
he nevertheless selected his least favorite from these and gave it to Maurin. Two
weeks later, Masillamoni was preparing to leave for yet another betta show in
America when Maurin sent his male back to him from France, stating that it

128
would not spawn. Although Masillamoni did not consider the fish of good enough
quality to meet his standards, he made the last minute decision to include it with
the other entries he was bringing to the US, including the four superior Halfmoon
spawn brothers.

In transit to the show, Masillamoni was detained by a flight attendant, who

informed him that the bag containing his 25 show fish was too large to fit in the
overhead compartment and would have to be taken to the cargo hold.
Understandably he protested, informing her that the bag contained valuable live
fish on their way to an important fish show in America, and he would not let them
out of his sight. When the attendant insisted, Masillamoni (his jaw set firmly in
determination) informed her that he would not be taking the flight if his bag
couldn't be kept in the cabin. With both parties frustrated, a compromise was
finally reached -- the attendant would take the fish into First Class, where they
could complete the journey in the roomier overhead compartments.

Midway through the flight, Masillamoni decided to check on how his fish were
getting on, but when he inquired after them in First Class he was told they had
been moved to the cargo hold after all. Fearing the worst, he searched frantically
for his bag, and finally found it in the unpressurized hold. All 25 bags had burst,
and the fish were barely alive and flipping weakly in their empty bags. Panicked,
Masillamoni made such a ruckus that he attracted the attention of the Chief
Steward, who happened to be a fish lover and took control of the situation. He
provided plastic bags, and ordered the stewardesses to bring him bottled water.
Because it was refrigerated, the stewardesses were instructed to warm each
bottle up with a hair dryer until the water was room temperature, and he and
Masillamoni then carefully placed the struggling bettas into fresh bags of water.
Happily, every fish survived.

Because he was an apprentice Judge, Masillamoni was kept quite busy at the
show, but couldn't help but notice that, once again, his Halfmoons were getting
overlooked in favor of the roundtails and deltas. Concealing his disappointment,
he instead threw himself into the task at hand and tried not to think about it.
However, while lining up the class winners for the Best of Show judging, he
noticed the first place award on one very unique green male -- a Halfmoon! On
closer inspection, he found that it was the very same fish returned to him by Marc
Maurin, the fish he did not consider good enough to compete. Somehow, even
though the judges had failed to even place the better Halfmoon specimens, this
fish had taken the Turquoise/Green class and was now in the running for Best of
Show.

As one after another of the Best of Show contestants were eliminated,

Masillamoni was biting his fingernails. The green Halfmoon was still in the
running. The judges continued to pare away the competition, until the decision
was left between the Halfmoon entry and a royal blue male bred by Peter
Goettner which showed a 160 degree caudal spread. It was clearly evident that

129
the judges preferred the Goettner fish, but the outcome remained in contention.
As a last resort, they called in a highly experienced Judge -- Mr. Jim Williams --
and asked his opinion. Since this was the same judge that placed the Goettner
fish first in the Blue class, Masillamoni felt the matter was already decided.
However, Williams examined both fish carefully under a bright flashlight for ten
minutes, then switched to a magnifying class. "There it is!" he finally announced
to the waiting crowd. "The blue is missing a scale." IBC Convention Best of
Show Male was awarded to the Green Halfmoon from Switzerland.

As it happened, a reporter from FAMA Magazine was in attendance, and

recognized the Halfmoon as extraordinary. He featured the Best of Show male
on the cover of the magazine and also ran a story about the origin of the
Halfmoon. With the increased exposure, more breeders throughout the United
States and Europe became intrigued by the form, and clamored to acquire fish
from the line. Peter Goettner, Sieg Illig, Leo Buss, Bonnie McKinley and others
started breeding for the 180-degree caudal form. A combination of the popularity
of the breeders and the quality of the fish helped to popularize the form, and
soon Halfmoon bettas were winning competitions across the United States.
Always passionate about their little native fish, breeders from Thailand sent
special requests to European and American breeders for Halfmoon stock in the
late 1990's, and many breeders were able to part with enough good breeding fish
to give the Asians a leg up into the tree. With their ideal breeding and raising
conditions, they were able to take the form and run with it, and by 2003 were
consistently producing fish of an even better quality than those seen in Europe
and America. Today the Halfmoon form is the overwhelming preference of
breeders the world over, who strive to breed the very best while incorporating a
passion and science unseen in most other hobbies. It is truly the form that
redefined the standards of the Show Betta.

130
 About the Author

Victoria Parnell is owner of the popular BettySplendens.com website, and has

been breeding and raising bettas since 1992. She started as a Junior Member of
the International Betta Congress and now serves as Publicity Director for the
Midwest Betta Club, American Representative for the Betta Club Alliance, and
Advisor for the American Betta Forum.

She specializes in Halfmoon bettas in green, copper/gold, extended red, and

Patriot. Her bettas have won awards in International competitions in the United
States and abroad.

131
 ONLINE RESOURCES

Breeders:

Betty Splendens (Victoria Parnell)

http://www.bettysplendens.com

Bettas by Jim Sonnier (Jim Sonnier)

http://www.bettas-jimsonnier.com

Betta Territory (Joep van Esch)

http://vanriel.myadsl.nl

Bluebetta (Suporn Khumhom)

http://www.bluebetta.com

Halbmondbetta (Markus Gutzeit and Rajiv Massillamoni)

http://www.halbmondbetta.de

Siam Imbellis (Sarawut Angkunanuwat)

http://www.siamimbellis.com

Clubs:

International Betta Congress

http://www.ibcbettas.org

Species Maintenance Program

http://www.ibc-smp.org

Midwest Betta Club

http://www.midwestbettaclub.com

Betta Club Singapore

http://www.bettaclub.org.sg

European Halfmoon Betta Breeders Club

http://www.ehbbc.org

Indo Betta Splendens Club

http://www.inbsc.com

Swiss Betta Club

132
http://pageperso.aol.fr/swissbettaclub/sbc

Betta Australis
http://www.betta-australis.com

Texas Betta Society

http://www.texasbetta.com

Great Britain Betta Society

http://www.gbba.co.uk

Betta Club Alliance

http://www.bettaalliance.com

Forums:

Betta Forum
http://groups.msn.com/bettysplendensbettaforum

Bettas For All

http://www.bettas4all.nl

133
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________
Granddam

134
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________

135
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________
Granddam

136
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________
Granddam

137
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________
Granddam

138
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________
Granddam

139
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________
Granddam

140
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________
Granddam

141
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________
Granddam

142
 BETTA LOG

Name/Number___________________________________________________

Spawn Date:_____________________________________________________

Description:______________________________________________________

_____Male _____Female

Genetics

DT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno

HM Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
CT Factor ___Geno ___Pheno
Giantism ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red ___Geno ___Pheno
Non-Red 2 ___Geno ___Pheno
Cambodian ___Geno ___Pheno
Spread Iridocytes ___Geno ___Pheno
Melano ___ Geno ___Pheno
Marble ___Geno ___Pheno
Butterfly ___Geno ___Pheno
Metallic ___Geno ___Pheno
Mask ___Geno ___Pheno

Pedigree

_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Sire
_____________________________________
Granddam
_____________________________________
Name/Number
_____________________________________
Grandsire
_____________________________________
Dam
_____________________________________
Granddam

143
NOTES

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