melbournebetta

Great colour - I wish he'd bloody hold still so I could get a good look at him. (oh, wait.... pause)

He's got really interesting colouring, it's like orchid - then red, then metallic band, then black edges.

It'd be great if you could get fry with matching colour on all paired fins - the female looks to have a bit of a U shape in her long dorsal so that could be something good to work with too.

Put in spawn tank, don't wait for the next VB Show - too far awayyyyyyy get me babiesssssss

pls

Thanks les, here, have a grindal.... omnom nom

So today funnily enough I was watching a youtube video about girls squaring off, before they're about to drop...

So anyone who knows anything about this guff, which of the two ladies would you suggest has dropped this lot of fry? (I have NFI, they both look the same to me still)

Also - can they have fertilized fry in their bellies at different stages of development?

thank god humans aren't this fertile!

Just thought I'd update with a snapshot of my sorority, I should have it 10cm fuller, but it's 3 foot long, 40cm deep and quite a tall tank, maybe 50cm!

Easily my favorite tank.

Just thought I'd update with a snapshot of my sorority, I should have it 10cm fuller, but it's 3 foot long, 40cm deep and quite a tall tank, maybe 50cm!

Easily my favorite tank.

Well I waited patiently my 28 days, and on the dot (from their arrival) they've dropped fry!

I feel like such a n00b all over again, I freaked out, stripped a failing spawn tank, made compartments for the different batches incase the second girl drops hers (no idea why I'd want to do this) and just got ALL EXCITE.

Then I got all nervous that i hadn't hatched BBS - and got the betta fry-guilt that really I'm a bad parent and why was I doing this anyway..... and then realized I can offer these dudes FLAKES (what the?) talk about low maintenance.

So they've had an offering of grindals, microworms, goldfish flakes and daphnia.

My god, not a bad meal to enter the world with, but their first meal needs to last a few hours cos it's nearly midnight and I've had so much pumpkin soup I might turn into one.

Needless to say photos and video are uploading as we speak, moar soon.

Guppy shelf:

60 lt grow out on the left, the kids are floating at the moment so they're easier to feed for the first few days - red lace male, black male in the small tank on the right - females all in the sorority, red lace girls floating in hatchery in sorority....

phew.

In an attempt to help flesh out the Guppy section - and bloody well help myself, I'm going to let you know what I've gleamed from the interwebs.

I've also just had a batch dropped (MY FIRST I AM VERY EXCITE) shh... okay... now what

Food:

New-born fry have tiny mouths and huge appetites! They empty their stomachs every 20 minutes! Of course, it is not wise or feasible to feed them this often. Feed your guppy fry 4 to 8 times daily

When feeding fry it is important to offer a variety of food. A couple of quality, high-protein flake foods should be given, crushed up finely. Flakes are an excellent food just before lights out. Also, some breeders like to feed a small amount of flakes before each feeding of BBS. They believe that it helps the fish reap the benefits of BBS by keeping it in their systems longer with the staple mixed in. Unfortunately, BBS does have a laxative effect.

* Baby Brine Shrimp (BBS)

* Egg Yolk

* Microworms

Nb (Fry will grow more quickly initially with microworms andget about a 2 week head-start over fry fed BBS, although they will eventuallycatch up. However this growth spurt is important and helps in fighting offdiseases.)

* Daphnia

* Vinegar Eels

My dudes have just been offered grindals and mw.. I have no idea what they want.

So when would you'se suggest moving them on to frozen daphnia/brineshrimp/BW?

Aw Steph, it's a bit rough... I get it.

Part of me wants to be tasteless and say keeping these dudes, you get a little bit hardened to loss, they don't have long life-spans like nawty goldfishes.

And we are working uphill keeping these tropical fish in the cold bit of Ostralia... but you've done such a great job with all your research and enthusiasm getting set up.

The other part of me just wants to say yeah, it's rough. There's always a few special fish that really steal your heart, it's hard when they go.

Chin up charlie.... I'm working on making you some more red girlies.

xx

Still curious about where the image came from J-dawg?

gross, what is it?

I mean, I can see what it is - but where the hell did you see that?

I get it occasionally too, and haven't really dealt with it, but I did find that the bristlenose ate it, and now that I'm a guppy keeper (?!) they nom on it too...

personally I'd get busy with preventative measures, drop some salt and ial in there.. keep eagle eyes out for rot and/or velvet

I imagine that they're from similar suppliers to Chatuchuck market, often not show quality, but nice enough fish.

I'd buy colorful females if they looked like halfmoonz. Anyway, you're a lucky sod seeing all those lovely fish!

if they're selling at that price (if I were you) I'd be buying them, doubling the price and putting them on the classifieds here, I'd happily pay $20-$30 for a good HM.

...PARTICULARLY if there are females.....

Yeah, it's a tough call, you really need to watch them and monitor it all, Im lucky theres a big angel called BOSS and she's got everything sorted out!

Sorority females are rarely in good enough condition to show, the nips come with the package.

i would make you vegan chocolate cake... like this

here, have a DIY video do to it yourself diy.

Misspen,

I've had angels in my sorority for a while now and as far as I can tell they cause more agro than the betta girls - often breaking up the betta girl quarrels!

I guess it's a bit like "seeing how it goes" as I've known angels to be completely delightful and downright revolting to eachother.

I've got 3 female guppies in my 100lt tank, and the most harassment they get is from the other guppy girls- but i've heard some horror stories about guppies in with sororities.

(My giant female has always grown up in a sorority tank with others, so have most of the female betta - so that has a bit to do with it)

I'd say start with 6 females, and go up to 8 in 45 lt - i'm guessing, but 6 is a minimum I'd ever put in my tank.

and it's VERY heavily planted!

never just another n00b

you're all special

each and every wun.

L#'s photos please! They're very handsome fush

Well HELLoooooOOooo Fellow southerner, how are all your tropicana fish enjoying this weather? A low of 4 on wednesday.

BUT this is not the place to discuss the weather!

Welcome.. etc etc.. hope you enjoy having a presence you little lurker you.

-Ness

Jarrod I'm loving this insight- keep the video rollin' there are some seriously shmancy fish in those beanies!

How are they heated?

x

Best of luck Ash - we needs some good PK in the south!

Who are buying the Vic HM's - still not seeing many in the LFS near me.... (is that like saying ATM machine = automatic teller machine machine / local fish stores nearby.....)

hmm

It's interesting isn't it, you ask me what the perfect betta is, and my first thought was, "I've owned so many of them"

Yeah, they're not technically right, but daaaym they've been awesome.

I think I even love the stupid little ones that'll never win shows, but do kooky stuff to keep me entertained.

Oh, and I wouldn't mind a saratoga-sized Halfmoon.

XXL

Welcome to the forum, sounds like you've made it to the right joint, have a poke around and use the search function, this place has been a great resource.

-Ness