tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40198833878908890112024-03-12T16:06:43.295-07:00Baby Fish BreederJust have some fish and quiet.EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-83762761090494808502017-02-08T04:25:00.000-08:002017-02-08T17:08:17.556-08:00Fishroom Fysics"Physics" might have been a difficult subject in high school or college. Why do we need this in the fish-keeping? This is using the natural laws of physics to work for you. Yes, work for you - do some tasks for you. Since fishes live in water, these physics-related tips would revolve around water - specifically, water change. Here are four 'concepts' that I find most useful:<br />
1. <b>Gravity.</b> Things from up have to go down.<br />
2. <b>Balanced level.</b> Water balances out to one level. Higher "levels" of water will flow to lower "levels" of water until both sides have the same level.<br />
3. <b>Sealed systems.</b> In a sealed system, water will continuously flow as it becomes one mass.<br />
4. <b>Density.</b> It is easier to suck up air (light things) than water (heavy things). If air gets in your system, it is no longer sealed and flowing stops.<br />
All of them are connected so it is beneficial to see how they work together. The first three concepts are essential in making water flow. The last one is important as a fail-safe. For example, if you forget you were draining a tank, not all of the water will be sucked away and your fish will survive. The following images are simple designs that uses these concepts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-8FGeoxX9iixjlpQfaiZFmGnISVbCGhwPyQD4PrI52CozIf6lWG542wMn70OaJTBy31LwroGXW7cnAIIAsOtAwa0akmCPSy9FtDcc12e-sdSwTFXvfuZOb1yF9Ibm0nHpUIP8Dnjy7TD/s1600/DSC_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-8FGeoxX9iixjlpQfaiZFmGnISVbCGhwPyQD4PrI52CozIf6lWG542wMn70OaJTBy31LwroGXW7cnAIIAsOtAwa0akmCPSy9FtDcc12e-sdSwTFXvfuZOb1yF9Ibm0nHpUIP8Dnjy7TD/s640/DSC_0471.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My contraption of hoses, switches and Y-joints. These help create a long sealed system and allow water to travel from one end of the fishroom to the other.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL6Rlxn2hFfpRPR5CYVMRoE27iz2bACzaoTGc40i9URDO9Pet-opaZF0fuE9nDhwrsYUuNJWGXKq0kXJ1aVgDHq2JZFU8tGnZLB-ix1oZWRMdFNVOJfDlJTPQNo2SwScW-JpESy80qVVU/s1600/DSC_0469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL6Rlxn2hFfpRPR5CYVMRoE27iz2bACzaoTGc40i9URDO9Pet-opaZF0fuE9nDhwrsYUuNJWGXKq0kXJ1aVgDHq2JZFU8tGnZLB-ix1oZWRMdFNVOJfDlJTPQNo2SwScW-JpESy80qVVU/s640/DSC_0469.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The high end draining water from aquarium. Gravity dictates that things from higher places goes down.</div>
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The low end flushing water to a pond. The water level (at the end of the hose) will never reach a balanced level with the water where it's draining from. Thus, water continuously flows.</div>
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Overflow with net so fish don't escape.</div>
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A smaller example. Water drains from a fry tank to a bucket using an air hose.</div>
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The draining end uses an airstone to prevent sucking in fry. The airstone has holes all around. The higher holes will suck air and thus un-seal the system and not all the water will be drained.</div>
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The draining end.</div>
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The filling end. Gravity, Balanced Level and Sealed Systems.</div>
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Rubber strips are useful for wrapping and sealing leaks.</div>
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I hope you get some ideas about using physics in your fishroom. There are other applications that I have not explored or discovered yet because what you might need may be different from what I need. Apply your ideas to what you find most useful.<br />
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Happy Fish Keeping!<br />
EESDAEESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-81153175242578758302017-01-08T17:45:00.000-08:002017-02-19T00:13:06.451-08:00Marble-based Black that Breeds True?Since I have laid low on betta breeding over the past year, I lost most of my breeders and grow outs. However, I was left with three fish - one female and her two sons (one long-finned and a plakat/PK). The female is black. I only have a vague idea of what color the father is - a green marble HMPK. I'm not certain about that though. Because the female was able to breed successfully, then I assume she is not a Melano-based black. Eggs of Melano females do not successfully hatch - so they are effectively "infertile" in a sense (see the article <a href="http://www.bettysplendens.com/the-different-types-of-black.html" target="_blank">The Different Types of Black</a> for more information).<br />
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One shot of the female after spawning. Her color here suggests that it's a "Black Lace".</div>
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What's common to all three fish is that they are black. Of course, there is a fault of iridescence on the body and fins. The long-finned male started of as a black/red bicolor then changed to a butterfly pattern on the fins and marbling (white area) on the head, with no sign of red. The PK male, on the other hand, started as cellophane when it was juvenile but grew up to be solid black with no red as well. The color changes that these two fish underwent affirms that the black color is Marble-based (check <a href="http://www.bettysplendens.com/the-ever-changing-marble.html" target="_blank">this article</a> to see how the Marble gene can change the fish's appearance). Since these fish don't show any red, they might also be carrying the Red Loss gene.<br />
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The long-finned son when he was a juvy. This fish looks like it will turn out to be a Bicolor.</div>
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The long-finned son now that he is older and has been bred.</div>
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When I crossed the Black PK male back to his mother, I wanted to get some doubletails (DT) back - whether as a DTPK or long-finned carrying PK. Given the broad dorsals of the male and his mother, there was a good chance. I did get one DT from the cross. It is black as well and still with iridescence like his father. Some siblings showed the same black color. Surprisingly, one sibling remained a Green/Red Bicolor. The number of blacks from this cross (backcross) gives a hint that the heredity of the color may be predicted accurately.<br />
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The Black DT.</div>
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Black siblings of the Black DT in the grow-out pond.</div>
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The Green/Red Bicolor sibling of the Black DT.</div>
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The black female was also crossed to a Copper HMPK and two Royal Blue SDs (there was a time I assumed that she is a PK). Due to the small spawn sizes, I decided to put the spawns together for efficiency. An unrelated spawn was also added to the grow out. From the mixed grow-out, I can see there are a few black fish. This hints that the black, like marble, can act in a semi-dominant manner. Most are iridescent colors and a few Marbles. (See <a href="http://www.bettysplendens.com/breeding-marbles.html" target="_blank">here</a> for more information on breeding marbles).<br />
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Black half-sibling. I think from the cross with the Royal Blue SD.</div>
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Non-Black half-sibling. Presumably from the cross with the Copper HMPK.</div>
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The next steps to check if the color does breed true is to do F2 crosses and also half-sibling crosses. The resulting offspring will provide more insight on this color. Will it breed true for another generation? Will it behave like marble - always changing color? Hopefully, I can get my hands on a Melano HMPK male and cross it to these Black fish. It will be interesting to see how this color interacts with the Melano gene. I wish that all goes well and I can write a sequel to this article.<br />
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UPDATE (Feb. 19, 2017): Pictures of other Blacks from the Black Marble SD x Black Marble SD (son x mother backcross) and Royal Blue SD x Black Marble SD (outcross).<br />
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<br />EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-58799778389961095492017-01-04T05:08:00.001-08:002017-01-08T17:48:32.106-08:00Building a Betta Sorority TankIt's been a long time (very, very, very long time) since I last posted. Only recently, I had the time again to get back into fish keeping. 99% of us don't have the whole day to spend for fish keeping. Time-saving, effort-reducing and productivity-increasing have become the rules of the game. Keeping in line with that, I decided to set up a betta sorority tank again. This was how I have always done it until I became very busy and had very few fish left.<br />
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So, what is a betta sorority tank? It is a tank of female bettas. Just google "betta sorority tank", "female betta community tank" and other similar keywords. You'll find article after article about setting one up. For this article, I just want something free-flowing. I'll simply list down my experiences and some points on how I do things.<br />
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<b>Tank</b>.<br />
1. I don't use tall aquariums and I always choose horizontally-shaped tanks.<br />
2. Gravel or no gravel, it doesn't really matter.<br />
3. I make sure that there are many different hiding places for the females. These are places where they can retreat and rest between fights. Hiding places I've used are coconut shells, driftwood, pots, clay tiles and live plants. There are other things you can use.<br />
4. I don't use any aeration or filtration for any of my tanks.<br />
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<b>Number</b>.<br />
1. For me, the minimum number of females for a sorority is five (5). If it's less than that, keeping them separate is manageable too.<br />
2. I allot 1-2 gallons per female.<br />
3. I haven't read an article yet that says it's alright to add new females to the sorority but I have done so in the past. Yes, there is the fighting but I've seen it mellow down in a few days.<br />
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<b>Tankmates</b>. I've had placed different tankmates for my female bettas. These include corydoras, rainbow sharks, guppies, angelfish and even goldfish. The females get out of the way of the bigger fish and ignore the bottom feeders. They do show some aggression to the guppies. The long fins and colorful patterns remind them of other bettas. In my experience, this does some good - the female bettas get distracted and show less aggression to others of its kind.<br />
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<b>On breeding</b>. I have taken females out of the sorority to breed them and then put them back afterwards. There is not much fuss with the females. They do remember tankmates but there might be some nipping as a reminder. It is as long as the returning female is in good shape. If not, then she might not be fit enough for the tank.<br />
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<b>Feeding</b>. I feed my sorority tank as I would any other tank. I drop the food in two or three places (only one if I'm rushing). Leftovers are cleaned up by the bottom feeders and the snails in the tanks.<br />
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That's about it. I just wanted to share. I hope you can find this useful in addition to whatever else you've read in your research.<br />
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Happy Fish Keeping!EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-1945467839411222182013-11-02T20:09:00.002-07:002016-10-21T19:37:42.546-07:00Tubifex Experiments (Day 13)Here's the previous one: <a href="http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2013/10/tubifex-experiments-day-3.html" target="_blank">Day 3</a>.<div>
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Well, I've been away on a family vacation. (By the way, if you want some tips about holidays and fishes, here's a <a href="http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2012/05/going-on-holiday.html" target="_blank">post</a> about it) I left my fishes with a relative.</div>
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What I forgot to tell you is that I bought a starter culture for my tubifex. I dumped it in the tubs containing gravel from my planted tanks. I never had the chance to take a photo (even now because the camera broke during the trip).</div>
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I want home today. I noticed that there are tubifex cocoons. This means that my tubifex are breeding and growing. I've seen a lot of them. But they still don't have the distinct red color (hence the nickname "bloodworms"). They're still a very light brown.</div>
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I continue the drip programme and refilling the 100gal tank every morning.</div>
EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-68705933601528637232013-10-28T19:55:00.001-07:002016-12-06T21:23:13.742-08:00New Bonsai FlowerhornHere us a new flowerhorn I got last month but I forgot I have not uploaded pictures. I got this fish from the same person I got Bonee (my other red dragon bonsai flowerhorn).<br />
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So, here it is (and I hope it's a 'she'). It's a bonsai (short body) flowerhorn.<br />
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<br />EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-24316799595957232232013-10-24T20:52:00.001-07:002013-10-28T01:57:36.855-07:00Working on Symmetrical BettasWell, I'm thinking of working on the three unpaired fins of bettas: dorsal, caudal and anal fin. In my plans, I have two of the three fins down. The sailfin trait for the dorsal and the rosetail for the caudal. Now, I'm thinking of working of the anal fin. Thus, breeding for the symmetrical trait will deal with the anal fin.<br />
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Here are some links about symmetrical betta.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bettaterritory.nl/BT-AABPKTrilogy.htm" target="_blank">The Plakat Trilogy</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bettaterritory.nl/BT-AABPKproposal.htm" target="_blank">Proposal for Adjustment of the IBC Plakat Standards</a></div>
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I see some work in progress in the anal fins in a handful of my bettas. They show a more rectangular anal fin than a trapezoidal of a typical asymmetrical betta. </div>
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Here are some pictures:</div>
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<i>Here is the most prime example of the anal fin I'm looking for. This has the rectangular shape. The outline is smooth from the front part of the anal fin to the back. Aside from the anal, this has the dorsal and D-caudal to boot.</i></div>
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<i>These two have rectangular anal fins. However, as you can see, the anal fin is not as smooth from the front to the back. This hints that the rear part of the anal fin will extend in the future...leading to an asymmetrical form. The extreme branching of the Copper Red Rosetail HMPK causes the anal fin to wrinkle and further make the outline more bumpy.</i></div>
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With more work, I will try to bring the form close to the first fish.</div>
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UPDATE (10/26/2013)<br />
I got several new breeders from a friend. These fish are gonna be symmetrical!!! I'm excited to breed them!!! Then, breed them with my fish!!!!<br />
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Moreover, I am planning to breed the Platinum male to the DTPK daughter of the solid Copper male. If I'm lucky, he'll produce more symmetrical fish for me.</div>
EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-20908706762858421882013-10-22T18:00:00.000-07:002016-10-21T19:37:42.551-07:00Tubifex Experiments (Day 3)Here's from <a href="http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2013/10/tubifex-experiment-day-2.html" target="_blank">Day 2</a><br />
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This day is pretty much nothing.I refilled my 100gal tanks. I will cycle the tubs for at least a week. I also intend to adjust and get used to refilling the tanks everyday.<br />
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Sorry, no pictures for today.<br />
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<b>Substrate</b><br />
I am thinking for substrate. I'll use my coarse gravel found in my planted tanks as a base. That is the easiest solution. It is gravel straight from a cycled tank.<br />
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So, just wait until I update again!EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-83451168553017956282013-10-21T20:19:00.001-07:002016-10-21T19:37:42.558-07:00Tubifex Experiment (Day 2)Here's a link to <a href="http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2013/10/tubifex-experiment-day-1.html" target="_blank">Day 1</a><br />
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The pictures here are taken roughly 16 hours after I started my drip test. The big hose is too strong. It drained the tank to my minimum water level even before the 16-hour mark. The small hose is still dripping and I'll wait for the 24-hour mark. But, I think there is a chance that will also be able to drain the water to minimum level. So far, I plan on utilizing the small hose and if needed, adding a clamp to restrict water flow.<br />
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Here are some pictures:<br />
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The tubs have been filled and overflowing through the handle holes.<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1383367_10200726011576698_1674724536_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1383367_10200726011576698_1674724536_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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tub of small hose</div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1393246_10200726008416619_1934559919_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1393246_10200726008416619_1934559919_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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tub of big hose</div>
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The effects of draining the 100gal tanks</div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/994333_10200726009336642_284145260_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/994333_10200726009336642_284145260_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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effect of small hose</div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1381454_10200726007456595_1298327032_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1381454_10200726007456595_1298327032_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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effect of big hose</div>
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One thing is for certain. The water change for the tub is more than 1; I am guessing around 7-8 times. This is due to the relatively strong drip and the small size of the tubs. I think this will work.<br />
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Thanks!<br />
Keep checking!<br />
<br />EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-83949027014151781042013-10-21T01:39:00.000-07:002016-10-21T19:37:42.562-07:00Tubifex Experiment (Day 1)I'm testing out how I could culture tubifex worms on my own. I asked around what I need to keep them alive:<br />
1. Oxygen (aeration)<br />
2. Running water (water change)<br />
3. Substrate<br />
4. Food<br />
<br />
So, I came up with a no-work (I hope) system to solve #1 and #2. This is using a drip system design. I take water from my tanks to my tubifex. The movement of water solves the aeration problem. The water change is pretty much obvious. The excess water from the tubifex tubs will just overflow to the soil.<br />
<br />
Here are some pictures of what I set up<br />
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"Sipping" from the big tanks<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/944646_10200722378125864_1835025752_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/944646_10200722378125864_1835025752_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1393531_10200722378405871_2001136258_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1393531_10200722378405871_2001136258_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"Pouring" to the tubs<br />
They've just been set up so the water is still really shallow<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1379490_10200722378165865_298544256_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1379490_10200722378165865_298544256_n.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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I chose two sizes of hoses: smaller (first picture) and bigger (second pictures). I did this for comparing which hose size would be more effective for tubifex.</div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1383798_10200722379165890_323469076_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Tubifex%20Experiments/1383798_10200722379165890_323469076_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Fingers crossed. I hope one (and hope more that both) would work. This could help my fish be stronger, healthier and happier.</div>
<br />
So, I hope you keep in touch and watch for updates!EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-77906590080549587312013-10-20T08:03:00.004-07:002013-10-20T23:48:20.422-07:00Daphnia Culturing (With Pictures)I wanna share with you breeders out there how to culture your daphnia for you baby fish!<br />
<br />
Let's start first with the base<br />
<br />
The Fish that poop for me<br />
Some fish can't be left alone without aeration. They need to have filters. So instead of throwing away the waste, why not use them?<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1379607_10200718043177493_1391206157_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1379607_10200718043177493_1391206157_n.jpg" width="265" /></a><a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1375191_10200718041617454_1293738850_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1375191_10200718041617454_1293738850_n.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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The Filter Is Black Magic<br />
Of course, poop has to go somewhere and away from your fish. So we check the filter.<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1209171_10200718045457550_611149779_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1209171_10200718045457550_611149779_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>The Soupy Goodness<br />
Daphnia need water. So we need to make soup for them. I get the filter media and scoop some water from my fish tanks then wash the filter media there. Then I pour all the soup to my culture container.<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1391612_10200718057937862_2104421420_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1391612_10200718057937862_2104421420_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Food of the Food<br />
To grow your daphnia, you need to feed them. Feed them yeast once everyday. Give them enough to cover good part of the surface.<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1381357_10200718068938137_701202943_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1381357_10200718068938137_701202943_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Harvest<br />
After a few days, you will have a booming population. You can harvest up to half of your culture. Make sure to feed them so they keep on breeding.<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1381607_10200718028497126_1876340322_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1381607_10200718028497126_1876340322_n.jpg" width="265" /></a><a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1235086_10200718028537127_1161820791_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1235086_10200718028537127_1161820791_n.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Some notes...<br />
1. watch out for mosquitoes...they can destroy your culture<br />
2. watch out for rains especially during the day...your daphnia can easily float away<br />
<br />
Here's a tip for #2<br />
I use a piece of cloth or filter wool. You can see those in some pictures. Dangle it on the edge: half inside the tub and the other half outside the tank. Water will flow out of your container by capillary action. No need for hose draining or scoop/dipper draining. It will drain when it has to and it won't when it doesn't have to.<br />
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<img border="0" height="265" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1381357_10200718068938137_701202943_n.jpg" width="400" /><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/Culturing%20Daphnia/1381607_10200718028497126_1876340322_n.jpg" width="265" /></div>
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So I hope this would be helpful for you in culturing your own daphnia!!!EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-81315391033198862482013-08-18T23:28:00.001-07:002013-10-21T22:45:50.192-07:00My Betta Breeds 2Here are fish that I have bred in the past few months<br />
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<img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/1157427_10200395515154494_1242761285_n.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Platinum Red HMPK</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/20503_10200395506514278_629830509_n.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Copper DTHMPK</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/1003207_10200395510514378_991753865_n.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Copper Marble DTHMPK</div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/999158_10200370616412041_761575132_n.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/1170717_10200370616172035_184626624_n.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Copper Marble Sailfin HMPK</div>
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Green Broad Dorsal HMPK</div>
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<img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/983791_4869531180171_2074650254_n.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Copper Red HMPK</div>
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Copper Red Rosetail HMPK<br />
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<br />
Here is a link to the old one: <a href="http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-betta-breeds.html" target="_blank">My Betta Breeds</a>EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-11332280658193041492013-08-18T22:57:00.000-07:002016-10-21T19:38:35.907-07:00My Ryukin CollectionHere are ryukins from my local fish stores<br />
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#1<br />
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#2<br />
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#3</div>
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#4</div>
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#5</div>
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I hope you like them!!!!</div>
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Happy Fish Keeping!!!</div>
EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-81618995668843028922013-08-15T06:42:00.001-07:002016-10-21T19:38:35.919-07:00Grandfather VS GrandchildGrandfather<br />
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Grandchild<br />
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<img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/999158_10200370616412041_761575132_n.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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I don't really know what motivated me to compare them. I just want to.<br />
<br />
I will point out the differences that are most significant to me.<br />
[Feel free to comment if you want to add more]<br />
<br />
Dorsal<br />
For me, both are sailfin because the dorsal fin width is at least half of body length. Dorsal bases (where the dorsal is attached to the body) are still wide.<br />
Grandfather has a nicer shape because its more rectangular. More broad<br />
Grandchild has a broad dorsal too (check out the base). However, the shape doesn't give it that impression though.<br />
First rays play an important role. Grandfather has an abrupt increase in dorsal ray length while grandchild has a more gradual increase in dorsal ray length. Hence, grandchild's dorsal shape is more smooth and rounded.<br />
<br />
Body<br />
Grandfather has a typical betta body<br />
Grandchild has a thicker, stockier body...this evidences a strong dt background (even though both of his parents are singletails carrying DT)<br />
Toplines are both smooth.<br />
<br />
Ventral, Anal, Caudal<br />
All are pretty much the same to me. The shape of the anal fin is uniform for the line. I'm seeing a trend to a more symmetrical look.<br />
Caudal is still rounded. I will have to work on that.<br />
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Color<br />
Honestly, I have no idea how Grandfather carried marble. Grandchild's father is a copper marble. When Grandchild was younger, he was a solid copper then marbled out into his current color. It pretty much stabilized now.<br />
Grandfather showed the typical black base my coppers have.<br />
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<br />
The Winner<br />
For me, Grandfather still wins. I am planning to cross Grandchild to Grandfather's two DT daugthers. They are Grandchild's aunties. I hope to get more of Grandfather's blood into the next batches of fry. I am yet to see a reincarnation of Grandfather but I am hoping.<br />
<br />
More about dorsals here: <a href="http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2013/03/what-dorsal.html">http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2013/03/what-dorsal.html</a><br />
<br />
UPDATE (10/23/2013)<br />
I see fry from Grandchild x DT aunts.<br />
They are almost all DT! Grandchild really has strong DT blood in him.I crossed the aunties to other related fish. They threw in some singletails. I'm planning to bump the DT produced by him to these STs. I hope for more Sailfin HMPK to come my way!EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-39589863911931150092013-08-10T07:31:00.001-07:002016-10-21T19:37:14.664-07:00Bonsai UpdateThis is just for Bonie<br />
<br />
Before (2 weeks after I got him)<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/My%20Flowerhorn/17215_4638184476648_39038960_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/My%20Flowerhorn/17215_4638184476648_39038960_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After (a few weeks ago):</div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/My%20Flowerhorn/1010913_10200135098684245_1394971354_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/My%20Flowerhorn/1010913_10200135098684245_1394971354_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bonee was in a 20gal tub so I had to raise him to take a photo.<br />
<br />
This is them today (Aug 15, 2013)<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/My%20Flowerhorn/1186951_10200370617372065_1173415179_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/My%20Flowerhorn/1186951_10200370617372065_1173415179_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/My%20Flowerhorn/999997_10200370618012081_452960274_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/My%20Flowerhorn/999997_10200370618012081_452960274_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The photos are around 3 months apart. I would say he got more round than before. It's nearer the coin shape. The mouth is also not as pointed as before. Kok has definitely grown.<br />
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What do you guys think?<br />
<br />
Update (10/23/2013)<br />
Male is doing better. I put him back to a crate to grow out some more. His colors really intensified!<br />
<br />
The female is starting to fade out. She looks really pale now. Since she doesn't have much pearls, she'll be a pale white fish. :(<br />
<br />EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-2031799122519313302013-04-21T05:11:00.000-07:002013-10-16T18:45:39.965-07:00Scalares without AerationThis is how I keep, breed and raise my Angelfish<br />
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Community<br />
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<br />
Pairs<br />
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Juvies</div>
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EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-11724878259307187762013-04-21T01:11:00.003-07:002013-05-05T15:41:02.306-07:00My way of verifying sex in angelfish<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Here are my steps:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">1. I keep males and female se</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">perate...these are the ones that I am definitely, absolutely sure</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">2. I get two unsexed breeder sized angels</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">3. I place the two unsexed breeders and one sure sexed breeder</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">4. I wait and observe for a few days<br /><br />Normally, the sure sexed breeder will nip at the unsexed breeder that is the same sex. Sometimes, the two unsexed breeders nip at each other which means they are the same sex and want to pair up with the sure sexed breeder.<br />If they all fight, try changing the sure sexed breeder with a sure sexed breeder of the opposite sex.</span><br />
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Here is a sample. The gold in the middle is the mature female. The platinum at the right side (near the female) is a male. The fish at the left, hiding behind the slate is a female. The mature female chased her away because she wants the male for herself.</div>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-67095729646675591712013-04-04T06:19:00.001-07:002013-11-03T00:25:26.201-07:00Multiple Ray Branching in BettasI have been thinking of the factors in determining the expression of heavy branching in betta caudals (tails).<br />
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I have recently been experimenting with the 8-rays trait in HMPK bettas. Here's my male:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIGk38xubgH7ay27hx2EXTZWMpIh8d_cNf1jTfp7CEE7u0HCVfGhYQCB9kcBLwUOH6LVx3SIiHF9D-b7DtbQ5_u3gbUdWqQEd0QC0A9AnlkUjLUfCwLVJ4URhBcpIkDwju0dyL9Kiw5UL/s1600/DSC_3885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIGk38xubgH7ay27hx2EXTZWMpIh8d_cNf1jTfp7CEE7u0HCVfGhYQCB9kcBLwUOH6LVx3SIiHF9D-b7DtbQ5_u3gbUdWqQEd0QC0A9AnlkUjLUfCwLVJ4URhBcpIkDwju0dyL9Kiw5UL/s640/DSC_3885.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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He is the son of a cross between a Red Dragon HMPK male from a friend and a Copper HMPK female from my line. It was a complete surprise that such a fish popped out. Well, he was worth experimenting on and try to produce more of him. From this outcross, I am guessing several factors that should be at play.</div>
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Here are my ideas:</div>
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1. [Phenotype] ray branching is not a good sign for determining 8-rays</div>
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2. A better dose of DT genes can help you out in producing 8-rays</div>
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Hypothesis 1: [Phenotype] ray branching is not a good sign for determining 8-rays</div>
This male's mother is also spawned with a Green Red Bicolor HMPK from another friend. This male has 8-rays branching. One could easily assume that the gene is hard-wired already in the offspring. They might not show it but i thought the trait can be induced. Well, I crossed this male to a female. No 8-ray offspring was produced. In fact, there are even 2-ray offspring. I am quite disappointed.<br />
Recently, I crossed 4-ray females back to him. I hope for better results.<br />
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Family line of cross in hypothesis 1:<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Hypothesis1_zps4693002e.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Hypothesis1_zps4693002e.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hypothesis 2: A better dose of DT genes can help you out in producing 8-rays<br />
This 8-rays male is also crossed to a Copper HMPK half-sibling which is an F2. The cross was a Copper DTPK x Copper HMPK and it produced a sailfin male that I have never seen in my own fish room (DT-gene evdient). This cross with its half-sibling produced better and more rewarding results. Almost all the females are showing 4-ray branching at the minimum and one fish is actually turning out to be a rosetail. I can see that he'll be 8-rays at minimum but 16-rays is possible. However, there is no perfect fish. The more branching a fish has, the more X-factor fish he is. This super-branched fish is the spawn's runt.<br />
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Here is the 8-rays (or hopefully, 16-rays) from the 8-rays HMPK x Copper HMPK cross mentioned earlier<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/944461_4784059163424_1802301037_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/944461_4784059163424_1802301037_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/575509_4784058803415_141856408_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/575509_4784058803415_141856408_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/935231_4784059363429_876235216_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/935231_4784059363429_876235216_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Family Line</div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/CopperRedRosetailHMPKgenetics_zpscd044259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/CopperRedRosetailHMPKgenetics_zpscd044259.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I will see more of these crosses. Right now, I am growing out the backcross in Hypothesis 1. I am also planning several crosses with the fry.<br />
A. F2 of the cross in Hypothesis 2<br />
B. Cross the fish in Hypothesis 2 with the backcross of Hypothesis 1.<br />
---I'm not sure with what to do with the F1 in Hypothesis 1 though. I'll keep some just in case.<br />
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UPDATE (05/22/2013):<br />
Here is the best male in the backcross batch<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/983791_4869531180171_2074650254_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/983791_4869531180171_2074650254_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/943264_4869530740160_2016384493_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/943264_4869530740160_2016384493_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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UPDATE (10/23/2013)<br />
<b>A. F2 of the cross in Hypothesis 2</b><br />
I see no rosetails in the rosetail's spawn!!!! OH NO!!! But, I'm assured the surviving fry have his genes.<br />
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<b>B. Cross the fish in Hypothesis 2 with the backcross of Hypothesis 1</b><br />
The backcross male featured above is crossed to a Green HMPK female. The female has 4-rays and is a sibling of the Copper Red Rosetail male. There are four survivors and they have average branching just like the F2 in Hypothesis 2.<br />
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Now, I plan on doing a cousin cross between Spawn A and Spawn B. I hope they produce some 8+ ray offspring. Here is the resulting effect:<br />
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<img border="0" height="318" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/rosetailplannedspawn_zpsf42f0857.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<i>We can see that the cross (a cousin cross) would be a really close (or inbred) one. The yellow boxes represent the Copper 8-rays HMPK. The blue boxes show that "3 out of 4 grandmothers" is the same female. Moreover, the green boxes represent the "root" female. She is the base for all the fish in this pedigree.</i><br />
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UPDATE (10/28/2013)<br />
After moving some fish, I notice another backcross spawn (not the same spawn as the one with the featured male). There are three surviving fish: one copper, one platinum and one lace (AOC). They are slow growers so I'm trying to pump them to cross with other fish descended from the Copper 8-rays male.<br />
Lately, I have seen a rosetail with late branching. This means that the rays only branch near the edge of the tail. I can see these survivors have some potential especially the platinum red. I am guessing the platinum is female and so is the copper.<br />
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UPDATE (11/03/2013)<br />
Here is the Platinum Red female I was talking about in the previous post.<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/1384142_10200796521459401_2016160031_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/1384142_10200796521459401_2016160031_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/12693_10200796524219470_1816136243_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/12693_10200796524219470_1816136243_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here she is. The caudal is very promising. It shows some signs of heavy branching and possible rosetail. She is from a different backcross spawn. I am looking forward to crossing her to the offspring of the Copper Red Rosetail HMPK and an 8-ray HMPK I acquired from a friend.EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-41898695903775958662013-04-03T05:43:00.000-07:002016-10-21T19:38:35.916-07:00My Flowerhorn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Bonee</div>
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Saia<br />
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I really like the short bodied-flowerhorn (aka bonsai flowerhorn). I prefer them over normal-bodied ones. I like them because they are more than the usual although they can be hard to find. Also, one of the challenges to bonsai flowerhorn is developing their nuchal hump/kok/head bump. If you have one with a kok (a well developed kok), you have quite a catch.</div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/DSC_4659_zps65f0ebc1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/DSC_4659_zps65f0ebc1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am planning to breed these two fish together (Bonee is the male and Saia is the female). Saia is hinting some kok development and I want to further develop the kok in future generations. I am also planning to get a titanium/thai silk female to pair with Bonee because I want to develop the pearling pattern even more. Bonee is showing some very promising pearls. There are other strains that I plan to cross with my bonsai to develop the pearls namely the Heavy Metal strain and the Pinoy Super Perfect strain. Both local strains have very good, very big koks and will help develop the kok too. But, I wonder what the effect will be to the body of my bonsai...I might have to breed out the bonsai body <strike>again after generations of damage control</strike>.</div>
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Hey! I stumbled on <a href="http://www.mypalhs.com/forums/showthread.php?153651-Red-Admiral-(kirin)" target="_blank">this fish in a local forum</a>. I really like the fine pearling on this fish. A friend of mine told me that redness will also help develop the kok. The redder the fish is, the bigger its kok could get. So, this could be a very good candidate and stands as the number one choice in outcross breeders. I just hope I find one that is a short body.</div>
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I'll give you updates when I breed them. I'm still trying to make space for a 50gal tank for them to breed and raise fry in.</div>
EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-36724420493187741782013-03-11T06:12:00.001-07:002016-10-21T19:38:35.913-07:00My Plants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnUmwOdKllFGOiYxOwnAhfU3Xk0eXng-bfgvsSjzcA3l9NfgNT6LcxiqzEkge-03Uh5yMv9L7DTUO1Lbt4CEcHEhnJEXPumqsVJATs9ZchP_BklTXCTjwKRqCKSzoVeLC85ehgKUcz0JY/s1600/DSC_4934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnUmwOdKllFGOiYxOwnAhfU3Xk0eXng-bfgvsSjzcA3l9NfgNT6LcxiqzEkge-03Uh5yMv9L7DTUO1Lbt4CEcHEhnJEXPumqsVJATs9ZchP_BklTXCTjwKRqCKSzoVeLC85ehgKUcz0JY/s640/DSC_4934.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Thanks to my uncle, I was able to get some orchids to start my orchid hobby. I am lucky that my roof is made of mesh and welded wire. I can easily hang my orchids. My new idea for my place is some sort of hanging garden. Fish on the ground, orchids in the air.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jelDHuyWahxUmAbB3Tc_nfqB9OXObDhZ3LpR9gsKiRjUTO-nB_2fDAPTGxYuyefL6xoz9hNlusi663ZbI64xEzPtNHzMrvm1Mduq-eVkLs5RRby1uunJ9qYk34Fn1-vfAikuRreGCf2g/s1600/DSC_4935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jelDHuyWahxUmAbB3Tc_nfqB9OXObDhZ3LpR9gsKiRjUTO-nB_2fDAPTGxYuyefL6xoz9hNlusi663ZbI64xEzPtNHzMrvm1Mduq-eVkLs5RRby1uunJ9qYk34Fn1-vfAikuRreGCf2g/s640/DSC_4935.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are the plants close up. They give a more natural look especially with the vines of my millionaire's vine. Quite forest-y feel to it. I am not sure about what the species exactly are but I remember my uncle telling me that they are cattleyas and vantas. I will do more research to find out.</div>
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<br />EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-77820520036577514122013-03-10T07:32:00.000-07:002013-10-16T18:46:24.089-07:00What a Dorsal!check this out: <a href="http://www.qldaf.com/forums/bettas-79/3-week-old-betta-fry-80851/index2.html">http://www.qldaf.com/forums/bettas-79/3-week-old-betta-fry-80851/index2.html</a><br />
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this guy's got full sailfins on his bettas!<br />
I wish I can produce fish like those!<br />
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I am inspired!<br />
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One thing is for sure though, I have several fish that do show very broad dorsal (but not as broad as the ones in the link) but the genes have not yet been fixed. These fish just pop out from spawn to spawn. It is inconsistent so far.<br />
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Here is what I look at for my bettas' dorsals:<br />
1. base: the base is where the dorsal fin is attached to the body. The broader the dorsal base, the better. I always look at it in relation to the base of the anal fin. I always look for at least 50% ratio (dorsal base length / anal base length).<br />
2. first rays: the next thing I look at is the first rays of the dorsal. The longer, the better. If they are longer, they give the dorsal more volume and better spread.<br />
3. branching: the more extensive the branching, the wider spread and bigger volume. I saw these links in bettysplendens.com: <a href="http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=1126" target="_blank">Dorsals part 1</a> and <a href="http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=1242" target="_blank">Dorsal part 2</a>. I am aiming for this, too but it is the last thing on my list.<br />
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Example:One of my first self-bred "sailfin" coppers<br />
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1. Base: The ratio is 2/3 or around 67%. That means the dorsal base is 2/3 the length of the anal base<br />
2. First rays: The first rays of this fish is very short. They appear as mere protrusions from the body. Generally, the pattern is that the rays are getting longer as they get nearer the caudal. The idea for me is they are of equal length to each other.<br />
3. branching: while the two other traits give the dorsal a broad look already, I will look into the branching. They are basically two-ray branching. Fair enough. But if they could go to 4-rays that would be better as the dorsal will spread more and would possibly flush forward. If it flushes forward, this would give the dorsal a better appearance.<br />
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Family Line:<br />
<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/CopperSailfinHMPKgenetics_zps9823325b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="481" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/CopperSailfinHMPKgenetics_zps9823325b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
May 15, 2013: I have bred this male to a spawn sister. The offspring (F3) produced a good number of DTs but the singletails do not exhibit the sailfin dorsal like the male. I crossed the F3: a Marble HMPK male and a Copper HMPK female. I transferred the small fry today. Some of the bigger ones are showing broad dorsal bases. I hope all of the singletails will be sailfins and I hope doubletails will also pop up. I want to do an F5 spawn in the future.<br />
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Here is a slightly related HMPK female to my sailfin male earlier (they share the same Copper DTPK grandfather)<br />
This is a result of the spawn between a Copper DTPK x Green dtctpk-geno featured <a href="http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-ctpk-project.html">here</a>. The fry in this spawn are consistent with having broad dorsals but some have more than the others. This female has the broadest.<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/942107_4784061403480_1687856906_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/942107_4784061403480_1687856906_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/396889_4784062523508_1773191602_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/396889_4784062523508_1773191602_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/944661_4784060203450_1797951715_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/944661_4784060203450_1797951715_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Family Line<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/CopperBroadDorsalHMPKgenetics_zps285463c9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/CopperBroadDorsalHMPKgenetics_zps285463c9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This female's Copper DTPK grandfather is the father of the previous Copper Sailfin HMPK male. I am planning to cross the Copper Sailfin HMPK male's offspring to this female and this female's brother to Copper DTPK offspring of the Sailfin male.<br />
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Update May 22, 2013: Here is a spawn sibling of the sailfin female<br />
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/960272_4869537700334_866951560_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/960272_4869537700334_866951560_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/482544_4869537220322_787231915_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/endlessbetta/Facebook/EESDA%20Breeds/482544_4869537220322_787231915_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Final Remarks:<br />
Don't always look at the fins individually. Always keep in mind the balance of the fish's fins and your goal. It would be funny to see proud sailfins on 2-ray, not 180 caudals. The fish above is not yet 180 so he will still be disadvantaged in shows. I am improving that and crossing his offspring to better branched cousins. It would really be awesome to see full HMPKs with 100% dorsal ratios!EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-44407263269553958802013-03-02T06:36:00.001-08:002016-10-21T19:37:14.667-07:00Terraphyte tankRecently, I have been looking on terraphyte tanks. I found this simple one <a href="http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=2107446" target="_blank">here on the Planted Tank Forum</a>. Simply as they are, terraphyte tanks are simply tanks with plant roots for filtration. I have noticed that my tanks are "naturally" terraphyte tanks.<br />
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The plant<br />
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This is a millionaire's vine. It fits my set up perfectly. Being outdoor, I can have the vines growing with natural sunlight. The tendrils cling on to the wire, mesh and metal frame of my fish place. It takes root in my tanks and also the soil where I drain my tanks to. The waste water is poisonous to the plants but still nutritious to the plant's roots.</div>
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Obviously, it is a vine and it takes roots in water. I just took advantage of it and just let it be. Simplicity is best. Then, I'm planning to slowly convert all my tanks to terraphyte ones by directing the roots of the vine to my tanks.</div>
EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-25986646337424393472012-12-29T05:39:00.001-08:002016-10-21T19:37:14.658-07:00"Less Strains" Going OnI started to put my <a href="http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2012/12/less-strains-less-strain.html" target="_blank">plans</a> into action. Doing the transition is quite tricky but I know I'll get there. I can not really follow the list I have written down but I will get there when I am able to out/sell/give away my excess fish.<br />
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Here are the steps I have taken so far.<br />
1. Combined spawns of different strains and different fish. <a href="http://babyfishbreeder.blogspot.com/2012/06/raising-mixed-spawns.html" target="_blank">Here's how I do it</a>.<br />
2. I separated the females of my choice to my 20gal tanks and those that I will no longer use are kept in my 100gal tanks.<br />
3. As much as possible, I empty tanks that are adjacent. These<br />
4. I started labeling tanks. I have labeled the tanks that I will use to raise my bettas and guppies because these are just the tanks that are segregated.<br />
5. For some gut feeling, I segregated two pairs of Scalare breeders and placed a pair each with my female community tanks.<br />
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Next on the agenda: Fixing the leaks of the dividers.<br />
I use tanks that have dividers and some of them have leaks. Both sides level out but the problem is, they are not flexible this way. So, I drained them. I dried them up and wiped clean. I will be sealing with silicon in 2-3 days.EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-77773938890245062352012-12-23T15:18:00.000-08:002013-10-24T19:47:03.199-07:00The Pearlscale BettaWhen we say Pearlscale, the round golf ball-like Goldfish with protruding scales comes into mind. You ask people to think some more, people then think of Angelfish, or Scalare. But, I now want bettas to come into mind when we say Pearlscale.<br />
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What is pearlscale? It is the characteristic protruding of the scales. the scales are not necessarily round as the Goldfish version. The betta pearlscale is more similar to the Scalare version. The scales appear to be more like diamonds (so maybe it should be Diamondscale). However, the Scalare pearlscale has a rather random pattern. The betta pearlscale is diamond-shaped and is arranged in parallel rows of scales. But, one problem of the line is the appearance of "wrinkles". Wrinkles are defects that makes the scales look like they were twisted. This has been almost eliminated by choosing my breeders without the wrinkling. The pearlscale pattern is not yet as prominent as I would like them to be and I will be breeding for more pearlscale expression.<br />
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I have been working on the line for a year now. I got my initial broodstock from a fellow breeder who had these fish popping out of his grow-outs. He didn't really care about them much but I talked to him about developing the line together. He agreed and stopped ignoring those fish. However, his pearlscale line has crashed and is still to be revived. Here are some pictures of the pearlscales I have bred.</div>
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<img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96SGXvJEqFrRqS8pi6pEnq3Pn_1cTZR4NWbihWMYdHWhX738Gpmu2VvN4q8Hb5hxB7mciBau6donzQpfhSF33I8MWs5sXP5I0GaNGmO-D58ZNA5Am4rKR6kOEJ1NdB2XudlV7mllq0tFc/s400/DSC_3777.JPG" width="400" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnaitBS2bjsaZo6vbmq3IJBHjji0J04VHY4JfpcIdRXYpG5NsnbTQ6KoeDFfxq-k90RZ8RpCNterExoqXulqyCyWi5sQqPoRKOjxfmgCA1sT9xttVhbxG_q4P7fX6TTFpnobzNyYRN5Sy/s1600/DSC_3773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSwmkjQecvFCwEIa4NMrFuGa3iv_9g9EFSAM2J-uTxizpI0jc_IngLdxhnAPslZRAOlMNg7J8u-eS-IpNHeIYyAUxRSTvqqZcIZP5fOTblffHEWp4R6ZcQ-jtNKxQkJHFfzAiJ_cgJ5wd/s1600/DSC_3874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSwmkjQecvFCwEIa4NMrFuGa3iv_9g9EFSAM2J-uTxizpI0jc_IngLdxhnAPslZRAOlMNg7J8u-eS-IpNHeIYyAUxRSTvqqZcIZP5fOTblffHEWp4R6ZcQ-jtNKxQkJHFfzAiJ_cgJ5wd/s400/DSC_3874.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's entertaining to see the artistic shine of the scales. You see random bright spots as different protruding scales reflect the light. Movement can be quite rhythmic as different scales reflect light at different angles.<br />
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<span id="goog_692251781"></span><span id="goog_692251782"></span>The genetics of the pearlscale is not really drawn out clearly yet but here are some of my observations:<br />
1. Pearlscale x Pearlscale = 100% Pearlscale, little to no variation in the degree of pearling<br />
2. Pearlscale x Normal = most will be Pearlscale but there are a handful of normal scales<br />
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My future plans for the pearlscale is maybe producing it in more colors. So far, I am producing them in Copper, Platinum Red and Marble. Maybe, I will combine it with the CTPK finnage (once I got that fixed) and I don't know if people who will get pearlscales from me will combine it with HM (Halfmoon, long-fin). I will also experiment with crossing these lines to Dragon bettas. Dragon bettas have really thick metallic scales and I want to see how it will affect the Pearlscale expression. I hope those thick metallic scales make the pearlscale protrude more.<br />
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UPDATE (10/25/2013)<br />
This is the last remaining breeder I have for the pearlscale. But, I still have one more spawn: a cross between a broad dorsal copper and a platinum red pearlscale DTPK. I hope that I can revive the line with this male and those fry.<br />
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EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-46395265616906838622012-12-20T20:31:00.001-08:002013-11-04T03:12:44.581-08:00EESDA Guppy Breeding<br />
Guppies are live-bearing fish and are one of the easiest fish to breed. Because of their ease, their population can easily boom. Here are just the methods I use in breeding my guppies. Males and females are easily told apart. Males are more colorful. They also have smaller bodies and bigger fins. The females have bigger bodies, shorter fins and duller than the males. The females also have a more rounded body compared to the males.<br />
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1. Prepare a trio or a quad of guppy breeders. Male to female ratio is 1:2 or 1:3. Just place them in a tank with plants for fry's hiding places. Take care of them as you would as other fish and wait for them to give birth. Female guppies can give birth 6 times using the sperm from one mating.<br />
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2. When the fry are born, I do not remove them unless they are being eaten. If plant cover is sufficient, eating will not be a problem. I give the fry baby brine shrimp at first but they are also big enough to be given daphnia.<br />
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3. When I can discern the males from the females, I remove only a handful of females (6-10pcs). You can also choose to remove all of them but it is not necessary. This is important to keep them virgin so they will be flexible for future use because you know which male mated with them. You can identify females by the black spot at the back of their bellies. The pointed anal fin of the male (or the gonopodium) is not yet developed so anal fin shape will not be an effective tool.<br />
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4. Raise the main spawn group and selected females separately. When they reach about half an inch long, adult food can be given. No need to crush the food. The water will soften those up for the fry.<br />
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5. When you see your potential breeders, separate them and prepare for another generation.<br />
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The challenge with guppies is that they can easily boom. So be prepared with what to do with your excess fish. Well, you can sell them if you have enough space to raise a lot of fry to sell. If not, you can also opt to use them as feeders to carnivorous fish or turtles.<br />
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UPDATE (11/04/2013)<br />
Here are some tips!<br />
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<ol>
<li>Choose a fry tank that is not too wide. Position it so you that you face the "short breadth" of the tank.</li>
<li>When your guppies give birth, catch all fry and move them to the fry tank. Grow them out together.</li>
<li>Every time you feed look for males. Catch them and transfer them to another tank. I put my juvenile males along with the adult males in the community tank.</li>
<li>You can now choose your potential breeders!</li>
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Good luck on your guppy breeding!</div>
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<br />EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019883387890889011.post-31393179118574836262012-12-20T20:30:00.003-08:002013-11-04T02:31:21.624-08:00EESDA Betta Breeding<br />
To start off, I think I should identify with sexing bettas. Some might think that plakat (short fin) males are females. To prevent you from putting two males together and end up with massacre, I am going to give some tips to identify if your "female" is really a she.<br />
1. ovipositor: this is a <u>small salt-looking organ</u> behind her belly, before the anal fin. Be warned though because some chubby males have a similar looking thing on some occasions.<br />
2. triangular belly: the belly of a female is <u>more of a triangular swelling</u> compared to a stuffed male's round belly. Looking from above, the female is wider and still has a triangular outline. If you look at a male from above, the belly is circular and round while the rest of the body is streamlined.<br />
3. generally short fins: female bettas have short fins, even <u>shorter than plakat males</u>. However, I have seen long-finned females lately.<br />
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Now, here are simple steps I do to breed my bettas:<br />
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1. Prepare a barebottomed 2.5gal tank*. Place a few live plants and a piece of styrofoam for a bubblenest anchor.<br />
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*I have spawned in bigger tanks (10gal+) and with a fine substrate but not quite as fine as sand.<br />
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Here are more common <a href="http://bettaterritory.nl/BT-BreedingTanksetup.htm" target="_blank">set-ups</a>.<br />
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2. Add the conditioned male and female. Some would use a chimney to separate the pair first but I have long stopped using those. Just let them be together.<br />
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3. Wait. Check the pair occasionally to make sure that none get too hurt. Although the wife-beating is part of betta love, there is a point where a female betta is too abused. The breeder must use his personal discretion.<br />
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4. After 2 days to a week, the bettas would have spawned already. The spawning process involves the female approaching the male's bubblenest in a bowing, submissive way. The male tries to flip the female and wrap his body around her. The female will release her eggs and the male will fertilize them.<br />
At this point, you will have eggs. Betta eggs look like small pieces of salt hanging on the bubblenest. Remove the female. The male will kill her if you don't. <strike>Trust me. I tried.</strike><br />
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5. Wait. After 24-48 hours, the eggs would have hatched and you will have fry hanging vertically. Just let them be. Wait again.<br />
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6. 2-3 days from hatching, the fry will be free swimming. You can remove the male at this point or opt to keep him with the fry as this method in these links:<br />
<a href="http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=809">http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=809</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=839">http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=839</a><br />
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7. If you opt to remove the male, use a coarse net to avoid taking any fry. When you catch the male, do not remove him immediately. Just dangle the net in the spawning tank for around 10 minutes. This will allow the male to spit out any fry in his mouth.<br />
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So there you have it. Betta breeding is easy. It might be tricky at the start but when you get the hang of it, it will be a breeze. Good luck on your spawns!<br />
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UPDATE (11/04/2013):<br />
What I forgot to add in this post are tips!<br />
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<ol>
<li>Aggressive breeder = more volume, example: add water to a half-filled tank</li>
<li>"Too Battered" breeder = depends on you...if you think they will spawn, add more water; but if you think otherwise, scratch the pair</li>
<li>"Not Aggressive Enough" breeder = less volume, example: drain water to half level</li>
<li>Short-finned male = more volume</li>
<li>Long-finned male = less volume</li>
<li>Female is larger than male = more volume</li>
<li>Male is much larger than female = more volume</li>
<li>No bubblenest = normally, I let the pair be...this type of male builds a small one after he squeezes the female; but other times, I scratch the pair</li>
<li>Female is not moving anymore = separate the female, out of other fish's sight...if she swims fine/properly/upright, put her back in; but if she doesn't, scratch the pair</li>
<li>Judgement and gut feel and intuition = breeders develop some kind of instinct as they breed more fish; trust your self!</li>
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EESDAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898783857744060029noreply@blogger.com0