Betta Coccina Breeding Tank

[JuiceBox52]

Fry are still growing well apart from Tiny and Teeny tiny, Teeny tiny seems to have stopped growing completely. I've started introducing Fluval bug bites as well, about half the fry have worked out that the bug bites are also food whereas the other half aren't so keen. Couple of photos of The Beast, this is the largest fry and if Teeny Tiny doesn't start growing soon then it's going to be a snack.
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Awe. I hope he starts growing!

 

[Sylvan]

Awe. I hope he starts growing!

So do I. The Beast is probably just a bit smaller than a chilli rasbora and Teeny tiny, from nose to tail, doesn't even go past The Beast's belly and, again with dorsal and anal fins included, is about half the depth in body if not even smaller than that. The tank is heavily planted so there are lots of places for it to hide.

 

[Crispii]

How old are they and what age do you feed bug bites?

 

[Sylvan]

They're 8 weeks now I think and I started introducing the bug bites this week, I've got the micro ones. Could have possibly started earlier but they were never interested in the Liquifry no3 food when I tried it so left it and just did live food. Decided to introduce it when I saw them taking down the large daphnia quite happily. I think they prefer the bug bites because it sinks eventually so it looks like something moving as it drops whereas the Liquifry was a powder that just sat on the surface.

 

[Sylvan]

So about 10 weeks now, a lot of them seem to have had a growth spurt so while The Beast is still the largest fry in the tank it does take me a bit longer to definitely identify it. Teeny tiny and Tiny still seem to be stuck, they're eating well, I've watched them eat and they always have full bellies, I just can't work out where they're using the engery up since it doesn't seem to be going into growing. Current plan is still keep one female back for myself but now hopefully I'll have a few less to try to palm off on a shop as my sister's boyfriend is thinking about setting up his tank again and seems to be quite keen on taking a few. Teeny tiny may also stay back and I'm hoping The Beast is female since I had a look at the biggest of the adults and definitely saw an egg spot.

 

[JuiceBox52]

So about 10 weeks now, a lot of them seem to have had a growth spurt so while The Beast is still the largest fry in the tank it does take me a bit longer to definitely identify it. Teeny tiny and Tiny still seem to be stuck, they're eating well, I've watched them eat and they always have full bellies, I just can't work out where they're using the engery up since it doesn't seem to be going into growing. Current plan is still keep one female back for myself but now hopefully I'll have a few less to try to palm off on a shop as my sister's boyfriend is thinking about setting up his tank again and seems to be quite keen on taking a few. Teeny tiny may also stay back and I'm hoping The Beast is female since I had a look at the biggest of the adults and definitely saw an egg spot.
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I would totally take some if you lived closer!

 

[Sylvan]

I would totally take some if you lived closer!

Yeah America is a bit of a long trip for them

 

[Crispii]

Have you done daily 50% water changes?

 

[Sylvan]

Have you done daily 50% water changes?

Yep as well as worrying about the growth inhibitor hormones I also worry about remains of food going off so good daily water changes, especially now they can swim away from the suction. Everyone else seems to be growing apart from these 2. That said, however, in my adult group one of the females was tiny when I bought them. She was easily half the size of the next smallest female but over the last 3 months has had a massive growth spurt and is now similar size to the others, still a little bit smaller but it's close enough that I have to look closely at them to work who I'm looking at. So maybe they'll be like her and be late bloomers.

 

[Crispii]

You will get some fry that a bit smaller than the rest, which is quite normal. The goal here is to get the fry to be around the same size. I have a few imbellis fry that are a bit smaller than the other, but for the most part, most of the fry are around the same size.

 

[Sylvan]

Today I went to feed the fry the last bag of live daphnia I had before a trip to the LFS tomorrow to restock. Held it up to the light to check the contents and discovered no live daphnia and one very full damselfly nymph so that bag went straight in the bin. While the fry are taking dry food some are still reluctant about it and they'd eaten all daphnia from the morning feed. So they've had a bit of a gourmet treat tonight and had red cherry shrimplets as they've been breeding like mad and there was a lot of very tiny new shrimplets in the tank. I'd been planning a cull in the shrimp tank anyway as there's been a rise in the number of poorer coloured shrimp so I want to put some new shrimp in to get the colour stable again. The older shrimp have gone in the adult Bettas tank to either be food or clean up crew and the tiny shrimplets have gone in with the fry who have relished them.
The fry are also developing the blue eyes and blue iridescent streak along the dorsal fin of the adults. The 2 runts look like they've grown a bit, Teeny tiny seems to have caught up to Tiny.

 

[Sylvan]

The fry are really coming along now. They are really developing their adult colour and it looks like at least 2 of them are male as they've developed the spot on their side which will eventually be a lovely iridescent green. Every one is eating dried food now which makes my life a bit easier.
The 3 adult females are all feeling a bit frisky but neither of the 2 males are taking them on which I suspect is the reason why Boss Man has been sporting an injury to his Gill cover recently. I have a feeling it was done by the big female and I'm debating sending her off with the fry when I rehome them as she's now larger than both males and I'm pretty certain this isn't the first time she's caused some damage to one of the others. On the other hand I may keep her, really fatten Boss Man up as he's the largest male and breed them to see if there's a difference in fry size.
Just one photo of the fry, I currently can only just about get to their tank for feeding and water changes as we're redecorating and my room now holds the contents of an entire house. It's The Beast and since he has a spot, pretty sure he's a male.

 

[JuiceBox52]

The fry are really coming along now. They are really developing their adult colour and it looks like at least 2 of them are male as they've developed the spot on their side which will eventually be a lovely iridescent green. Every one is eating dried food now which makes my life a bit easier.
The 3 adult females are all feeling a bit frisky but neither of the 2 males are taking them on which I suspect is the reason why Boss Man has been sporting an injury to his Gill cover recently. I have a feeling it was done by the big female and I'm debating sending her off with the fry when I rehome them as she's now larger than both males and I'm pretty certain this isn't the first time she's caused some damage to one of the others. On the other hand I may keep her, really fatten Boss Man up as he's the largest male and breed them to see if there's a difference in fry size.
Just one photo of the fry, I currently can only just about get to their tank for feeding and water changes as we're redecorating and my room now holds the contents of an entire house. It's The Beast and since he has a spot, pretty sure he's a male. View attachment 105911

Really cool. I've enjoyed watching the progress. I know you've probably said it above, but what size tank are they all in?

 

[Crispii]

Oooh yes! Finally, another update! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Sylvan]

Really cool. I've enjoyed watching the progress. I know you've probably said it above, but what size tank are they all in?

60 litres which I think is 15 US gallons (?). I think I'll probably end up holding onto them for a bit longer than I originally planned because of everything that has been going but which ever one I plan to keep will be staying in there a bit longer anyway as I want them to be big enough to cope when they go in with the others. Teeny tiny and Tiny are still both tiny but development wise at the same stage as the others and they hold their own when feeding unless it's The Beast they try to argue with then they get out of the way.