Pictorial Betta spawing log

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

Well they babies are doing well...A smaller spawn then I would of liked, but oh well...You can see them much more clearly in this latest pic...Still mostly belly, but definitly looking more like fish and less like E.T.
http://themightyqueenpixie.tripod.com/spawn_pics/index.album?i=6&s=1
Water quality is very important now...They are actively growing, eating non stop really and it is critical to maintain great water in order to carry them on through their development...This is one of the reasons why the 10 gal is only filled half way during spawning...Removing water is almost impossible with the microscopic fry in there, so we add instead...Now that they are actually big enough to see, I carefully "vaccuum" the bottom with airline tubing into a clear glass container...Wait for it to settle (making sure no babies are in there) dump and repeat...Water is replaced via another piece of airline tubing...It is a slow method, but the only way to ensure they are not getting "jacuzzised"...
updates are they happen

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

growin, growin, growin....Well the "brood" has finally hit some sort of photographical size....Look MUCH more like fish and not aliens...Or some sort of slide at a "clinic"...

Here is a good close up...

Look at the size of that BELLY!
They are all a pretty consistent size, 4-5mm now...As always, updates as they happen...

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

New pics

Ok, finally got a few pics of the little guys and gals...They are really starting to grow out nicely...The largest being almost a half inch, the smallest around a quarter inch or so...Still a nightmare to photograph, but you can see all of their internal organs in these pics...Hopefully they will start to show a bit more colour in the next couple of weeks...The largest is starting to colour up, he has a slightly bronzy sheen YA!

aww, look at his little face

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

New pics... A few of the larger babies...

Their colour is really starting to fill in now...Still seems to take FOREVER lol

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

I shall post some new pics in the morning...The 2 largest fry have decided to eat their smaller sibs ...Soooooo, it is one puny spawn...The are currently in segregation and probably will never go back into the tank without a divider now Ahhh, the painful jarring process...They are barely over 1/2" and are already showing the sterotypical Betta agression...It doesnt take them long to go from helpless fry to "warrior"...

on a lighter note, my black masked blues did the "deal"...A nice big spawn that I have high hopes for...

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

It was a tiny spawn to begin with and honestly I wouldnt normally continue to raise it, however I had to produce SOMETHING for this log LOL...Im not too bent out of shape about it...The parents are being conditioned right now for another round...i am running out of spawning space lol

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

Oh jeeze, maybe about 4 little dudes plus the 2 brutes...It started off about 200 or so, then dad ate 3/4 of the eggs, lost the odd one (normal) then the "brutes" decided to rip their sibs heads off and drag their carcasses around the tank (think Lord of the Flies)...I have a few new pics of the "brutes" in "fish jail"...

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

Thanks MKML- It really has been fun to do

Fins are DEFINITELY getting longer and their behaviour much more "betta like"....Their development is going to go nuts (hopefully) over the next few months...The colour is still hard to see, but definitely has a copper sheen...
Not sure about sex ratio...Do you believe I havnt bothered to look? I think the two Brutes may be boys...
Updates as they happen....

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

What a difference a week makes...

You are not going to recognise these guys...

Also got a pic of a "new daddy" This little guy was the unfortunate victim of spousal abuse, so he lovely butterfly pattern has bit the dust...He is growing it back, but it will never be the same He does have an incredible load of fry though...These guys hatched about 30 hours ago...

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

You are welcome Persimmon... And welcome to AC!!

Well, the 2 biggest babies were officially separated a couple of days ago...Little dweebs were chomping on each other...Baby #1 got his first taste of Melafix...Should take care of the tears... My royal blue spawn is starting to colour up...I think this is my favorite part of breeding..Seeing the colour start to develop..New pics tomorrow!