AMAZONIAN

Go girl I am pleased that swapping the female worked. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. You were the lucky one. :lol: Did you look at the piccy I managed to post? That will give you an idea of just how basic a setup you require. It is usually, (IN MY CASE) that BOTH parents pick up the eggs and put them in the nest, but it will be the male who in his own lethargic way will keep the nest in repair and look after the fry until they are free swimming. The nest may only end up being 10 -20mm across. When you see the female cower away in a corner; sometime today and not want to know the male, take her out.

Hi Alan I'm pleased that I am not on my own thinking I can breed fish. I Cant. I just set it up so the fish want to breed for me. Penejane, this is a pic of the tanks I use for breeding fighters. It was set up on 30 - 01- 06, The fish spawned two days later and I have already started moving fry out of the tank. I cant seem to load Pic. But will work it out and then post. "I think I got it"

Hi Penejane As I had posted for you earlier, the female will take a bit of a battering from the male and that is why I said to put in some plant for her to hide in. I havent seen a piccy of your fish but no doubt you are fond of them and concerned for their welfare. I love mine also and do get concerned if things dont go as I think they should. NOTE the "I", not the fish. One thing everybody seems to forget, I think, is that we are trying to control nature when we setup a species to breed. I regard a tank as no more than a section of a river, stream or creek...an ecosystem where I am a total foreigner, but not the inhabitants; they know best and they have a "blueprint of their future" imprinted on their brain from the moment of hatching. Plus their natural instinct, which is survival of the fittest. Dont change the fish around. Seperate them totally for a week and try again, that will relieve some of the stress they are under at present. Once again good luck, keep me posted.

Hi Alan At this point in the proceedings with all that is being said then I will take a plantlet off the runner and go for broke by growing it emersed, terrarium style to start with. I'll keep you all posted, because it only the flower thaty should tell us forcertain what it is.

Has Nobody read and thought about following what I have posted. I posted what I know works for your benefit...........Not mine I can breed Betta's. Shiuh, in the 20+ years I have dedicated to breeding anabantids; Betta's and Gouramis. Never in all those years have I left a light on at night. Like you, (and ME).... "FISH SLEEP AT NIGHT" but the male betta can sense the vibrations of a fry falling from the nest, pick it up and blow it back where it belongs.. The fry mainly only fall from the nest as they are hatching. When they wriggle to break out of the membrane of the shell. After that they are basically motionless and hang from a bubble by a secretion in their head. For those who want to breed Betta's or any other anabantids: ask me how do I do it. I am willing to explain, but I am not going to bother if you dont want to take the advise I am offering.

Hi Alan Thanks for that. I had a look at the "TROPICA" site and yes, I dont know and now would not swear to anything in a "Court of Law" :oops: All I know is that when I got it that was what it was, and it is a good looking little plant. Tropica, wasnt around then. With all the reclassification that's going on it could well be a Valis or a sagg. or MARAHOOCHI.. :roll: Maybe someone will get a plant specialist to dissect the plant and count the veins etc.. I give up. I'll just keep it as E. tenellus until I am told otherwise. You pays your money .... You takes your chances.

Hi all The plant in question came from me. I have had the parent plant about 15 odd years. It was possibly aquired from "A mates" tank on oc "COOKS TOUR" around the country. At the time it was aquired as Echinodorus tennellus var. latifolius, this was ascertained when I read up some of my plant books. My main reference then,as now is Encyclopedia of Water Plants by Dr. Jiri Stodola. Published in 1967. Back then the list of plants available wasnt what it is now so if you saw a plant you didnt have you tried anyway possible to get your hands on it. Also since then I think everything (Including man) has been reclassified and renamed by some "DEGREE HOLDING IMBECILE" :evil: who wouldnt have a clue of life in the real world, or even what way is up; but just hide behind their degree. My point is this:....I got it and understand it to be E. tenellus var. latifolius as attested by (MARTIUS) BUCHENAU and (SEUB) FASS to quote the book. IT MAY WELL HAVE BEEN RECLASSIFIED, I aint privvy to that information but I will stand corrected and learn if I am wrong. Good luck all in getting some opinions: Maybe it could turn out to be a submerged form of "MARAHOOCHI" :roll:

Hi all Yep this is the way "WE" do it. After fortysix years in the hobby I have learnt a lot; Mainly by trial and ERROR away back then but the "way we do it" still works and I can still turn out a 95% rearing rate with Betta's, Not quite so good with some of the "Newer Dwarf Cichlid species but......75 / 80% still aint bad. Go the oldies, younger hobbyists read and LEARN.

Evil is right, and if I had looked a bit harder I could have added this in the original post. Betta's are a "LABYRINTH" specie and Have a specil organ (the labyrinth) in their head. This allows the fish to actually breathe "AIR" from the surface and not from the water. This is because in nature these types of fish live in highly poluted waters. At the time of formation of this organ the surface and "ABOVE THE SURFACE" temperature is critical. As the organ develops the fish need to breathe air so the temperature must be about the same as the water in the tank. For this reason the tank must be closely covered, at least from the age of two weeks to two months as it is usually in the third to sixth week that the labyrinth starts to develop. If the tank is not covered you will get massive die offs as the labyrinth will not develop properly. Anything else you need to know; Just ask. :lol:

Congrats on your successful spawning. I have bred fighters for years and if you look back through the forum you will find a bit of infromation I have posted. Get the female out!!!!! A day before the fry should start free swimming put about 250mls of "GREEN WATER"" in the tank. Pour it in very slowly and carefully so as not to disturb the surface of the water near the nest. The day the fry start free swimming REMOVE the Male and lower the water level to 50 to 60 mm. Then each day for three days add the same amount of "Green Water" 250ml. The next day or two should see you feeding NEWLY hatched Brine Shrimp; at least twice a day. Good luck.

Hi Paul In all my experience of breeding fighters, I have found that the first "Breakaway " group with regards to size and a bit of pushyness are all going to be males. This has been the case for me over many years, so I suggest you start getting the "Jam Jars" ready. Good luck, they appear to be doing fine and colouring up nicely.

Hi All. With regard to Brine Shrimp Eggs there is a little bit of waste in the packaging: EXPLANATION: When the cysts are packed the are packed in a vacuum and then Nitrogen is injected into the conatiner and the lid put on; all this is done in a chamber. That is supposed to keep the eggs free of moisture, which it does until you buy the pack and open it. Out goes the Nitrogen and in goes the air. And that has cost you a few dollars. If the container is in your fish room then you will get moisture into the eggs which makes them loose their viability. The best place to keep an open container of BS Eggs is in the "FREEZER" of a "FROST FREE" fridge. The way we pack our eggs uses moisture absorbing pillows that pull the moisturev away from the eggs. This is the best method we have found to maintain the integrity of the eggs hatching viability. You Pays your money - You takes your chances.

Welcome to the site gizmo. Enjoy your Tropical while you can. Remember every day above ground is a bonus. I hope that like me, you will still be involved with "The Fish" forty six years hence.

Hi jaymanson Dont be alarmed too much. What has happened to you hasnt happened in my breeding Betta's, but I have read that it is a common occurance with some males that they do not wish to breed at that time. Consequently, the females who are ready to breed drive the poor male to distraction, to the point that you will never be able to breed from that male after that happening. He will just cower in a corner and keep being bullied till he finally succumbs. The only use he is after that is to leave him on his own in a community tank devoid of females who will keep picking on him.

Do you mean the bacteria in the filter or the dreaded Cyanobacter? Cyanobactor spores are water borne and are present all the time. It is just that Tanks are a good breeding ground for the bacteria to break out of their spores and multiply feeding on whatever is in the tank that suits them. You CANT ELIMINATE CYANOBACTER.... You can only control it by maintaining a healthy tank.

Hi Penejane Breeding Betta's is not a hard task. Rearing the fry is. I regularly breed fighters and this is what "I" do. The female is placed into an 18 x 9 x 9 (inches) tank in the evening to get used to being in a "new home". The water level is 7 to 8 inches deep, and has a bit of Riccia and Indian fern floating on the surface. A small bunch of Lymnophilla is weighted down in one back corner. (You could use a bit of Java Moss) The next day at about lunchtime I add a divider to threequarters of the tank, the female being kept in the smaller section. The male is added before bed that night and by lunchtime the next day he has aBubble Nest, big or small. Once the nest is finished, or before bed that day I remove the divider and let nature take its course. You may be fortunate to see the actual mating, if so remove the female asap after as the male may kill her or at least beat her up pretty badly. FACT FILE: Betta's only come together in the wild to breed. The females staying right away while the males stay in their chosen territory keeping all others at bay, except a ripe female. (If she isnt ripe then she is "Brown Bread". Good luck with your endeavours.

Drugs work in ways that the uninitiated dont know about or understand. They will work against some bacteria or viruses but not others in the same area. Carbon only "Strips" the smell and heavy ions from the water in a tank. It will not neccesarily strip out a drug. I suggest to people that when buying new plant that they quarantine it for a few days in a bath containing a small dose of "FORMALIN" this seems to work well by killing any snails that are present and also any obnoxious algaes that would be introduced to your tanks. That is "MY METHOD" and it works for me so I'll keep using it. You may choose to try it as well, it's up to you. From the conversation, I gathered that the Blue/Green appeared by itself. That is caused by a problem within the tank, not external forces. The cause of the problem must be remedied before any success at elliminating the bacteria will be effective.

If you have the dreaded "Blue/Green" algae "cyanobacter" you have problem, and the cause has to be remedied BEFORE the cure is administered. Overfeeding, too much detritus on the tank floor, too much sun light, are all good aggravators to encourage the dreaded Blue/Green. As the Name implies it is a bacteria, and is Very Successfully treated with erethromycin in a couple of days. In even ends up looking like it's gone; but short of redosing after three days, IT WILL COME BACK. Your local pharmacist would probably be more than willing to let you have a couple of capsules....400mg, but make him aware that you want the capsules that you can pull apart. Pull ONE capsule apart and add it to 1/2 Litre of waterand sitr to dissolve then add it to a tank of up to 100Litres. TURN OFF ALL FILTRATION, but you can use an airstone or your hand to stir it through the tank. Leave it for three days and then redose exactly the same. At the end of the second dosing you can turn the filters back on again. Good Luck.

It is amazing to me after soooo many years in the hobby, seeing the younger, and the not so young devotees simply NOT KNOWING the basics, or simply IGNORING them. Oh, how times have changed. Fortysix years ago we didnt have all the paraphenalia that is available today; Heater/Thermostat Combos, (We had seperate heater and thermostat that you had to really keep an eye on) Frozen ( Maybe you HID a jar of Daphnia in the Freezer) and Freeze Dried Foods, Water Test Kits to name a few. To rear my first Bettas (and other fry; I was 16) I used green Water out of a puddle at the rubbish dump, Then Hard boiled egg, the yolk squeezed through a handkerchief (much to mum's disgust) Then if the pocket money allowed it was a tube of "LIQUIFRY" for variety. Then a bit later it was off to the Botanical Gardens to catch Daphnia. Luckily I had the honour of learning from one of New Zealands greats (Bill Sievewright who was a near neighbour)It worked then and it still works.. Everybody has their "best way" of doing things and they will all tell you that "This is how you should do it". Take notice and then think back to "THE BASICS" and combine BOTH METHODS. If you dont "Know the basics", get some of the EARLY (circa 1960) books from the library. They are all in them. A lot less fish species then as well. "IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT"

HI All. Alan dont take it on board that bbs is inferior and you are going to kill off the baby Odessa's. :oops: One has to remember that the fry of "Betta splendens" is the tiniest of fry of ALL the egglaying species. (FACT) YOU ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER ANOTHER OLD ADAGE; Feed your fish food particles NO BIGGER THAN THEIR EYE. Anybody seen the eye of a newly hatched Betta, without a good magnifying glass? I have found that they can see microscopic "food" in the green water and just swim around with their mouths open ingesting that food. I find that "Green Water" given to fry or put into the tank a day or two before hatching works better than anything.Theres food on the table the moment they arrive, so to speak. Green water for a couple of days and then newly hatched BS.

Thanks for those words Alan. I may be from the old school but the old adage is correct. "IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT" There is more nourishment for the fry in green water than you would realise without a good microscope. And Alan is correct..... You wont get the high mortality rates if you start with the green water. in fact you will have such a high survival rate that I can see the jars of males all aroud your walls, and you wondering , "What the hang am I going to do with this lot" Trade me is ok but it dont soak up a couple of hundred fry in a hurry. :lol:

I find that the fry thrive one green water ( the grener the betta :lol: )for the first week and then onto newly hatched brine shrimp. I use New Zealand brine shrimp so am able to start feeding it a bit earlier than imported eggs. Remember to remove the male as the fry start free swimming and keep the water level at about 75mm deep. Only increase the deepth after the fry start to get a bit larger. Good luck.

I seccumbed and brought one on Friday morning (16th) but only because my blue male doesnt REALLY LIKE the red female he has bred with. They are extremely young fish and are definitely not "CROWNS" and it will be at least 4 months on live food before I would even try breeding from her. You would have seen that the pink body/redfin girls all had a bit of blue on their body (one was extremely noticeable) so that told me they were crosses, so not TRUE Cambodians or Butterfly's. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

Looking at the third picture that is label Aggassi, I wouldnt mind betting even money that it A. viejeta. I have a breeding pair and it's identical to my male. I'll try and post a piccy if he'll stay still long enough. Not an expensive fish; $15.00 tops in Christchurch.

Hi, Yes it does work and it was a "vogue" thing in the late 1960's. I did my apprenticeship at PHILIPS in Naenae and I got a regect cabinet and got the guys in the woodworking shop to modify the top so that it hinged upwards from the back. I also had the back braced where the cover panel goes on. I didnt go to LEXAN 'cause it werent around then so just built a tank to fit tightly into the cabinet. The picture tube escutcheon was carefully cut to have it sit flat on the tank front and the speaker grill was modified so as it could be removed to get to a small tank that I reared my livebearer fry in. Great memories, that was forty years ago and I still have fish, , except now its about that many tanks. Go for it, but remember to keep some weight in the base to stop it tipping over.