modaz
Getting old, but nowhere near knackered, i just lo
After reading through some of the threads and posts recently it's apparent that some members get a little confused to how genetics of the betta actually define the outcome of their fry so thought i would try to add a little to help explain it a lot easier to understand.
CREATING A DESIRED COLOURATION OR PATTERN
This seems to be less popular with people when they consider spawning their desired betta but this detail is as improtant that the actual tail types which proves to more popular.
Many people start their first ever spawn with the 2 colours that they like and off they go into the spawn only to find that the resulting fry are not what they wished for and may hold a general colour that looks rather muddy and really not good on the eye. There is a good and simple way to get close to the colour that you are trying to create in the fry with no knowledge of the generation history of the 2 bettas that you have and wish to spawn.
Look at several parts of the body of these bettas and have your camera ready with the flash on and take pics of these parts, simply upload to which ever software you are using and zoom into these sections for a magnified veiw
The things you are looking for are the colours of:
THE EYES
Look at the scales just under the eye and note the colour this should be the secondary colour pigment of the head of your fish (secondary colour as in the colour that is on top of the natural colour of black which is the primary base colour of all bettas but a black that is not as enhanced as what you see in the melano)
THE GILLS
This is also the same process of the part just below the eyes but try to get a pic of the flare in the males and some females as this will show a better understanding of the colour due to the gills being stretched.
THE DORSAL
The secondary colour of the dorsal will be apparent but also note the colour of the rays and whether they are the same colour or different in colour, the base of the dorsal will also give you a secondary colour that shows the possible genetic colour of your fish.
The same applies for the tail and anal fin.
THE VENTRALS are a 100% sure sign of what the colouration history is in the bettas being used
With these colours recorded you are basically closer to understanding what the fry are more than likely going to turn out to be, giving ofcourse genetic throw backs from the generations to create this colouration of betta and mutated colouration such as yellow which a mutant of red.
You now have the colours of both potential parents and the placement of these colours that are held within their DNA structure
Where the same colours in both the male and female lie in the same place eg the dorsal fin, this is where this one colour will appear more than likely on your fry, give and take mutations and throw backs as stated above. follow this process through all the areas of the body above and you are even closer to getting what you desire.
If the the colours in these particular areas are different they you are looking at a more interesting colouration that could go wrong depending on mother nature and her wild sense of humour
if your trying to produce a particular colour or pattern (excluding marbles as we all know they are from another planet and love to trick you with their sudden changing of colours
) always go by the colour of the male and try to match the female according to the process above, when the fry from this spawning are old enough to pair off, pair the 2 that hold the same if not closest colours in all the same places or cross the female youngster with the father if you are lucky enough to still have him. At this stage you are whats called F2, in F2 you are more than likely to see what you are trying to create if not close to it and by crossing again into F3 you are what most breeders would consider THERE and the desired fry are apparent to spawn from, its advisable not to go past F8 as this produces a higher risk of deformaties by exhausting the gene structure of the family of betta and new blood or lines are required to recreate a stronger gene to continue spawning with.
With taking all of this taken into consideration and you just wish to spawn any pairing without genetic history and using this process then good luck with your spawn and i hope that get what you are looking for, if you find that you don't then don't dispair cross into F2 and F3 and you should get what you are looking for. Its quite simple if you sit back and think and then enjoy watching your fry grow.
NB always expect there to be a genotype in your spawning bettas (genotype means a hidden gene thats not apparent to the eye but has the potential to produce its genetics that are apparent in the offspring) this is not a bad thing as loads of quality bettas have been created from hidden genetics coming through in fry and producing wonderful colurations and patterns.
CREATING A DESIRED COLOURATION OR PATTERN
This seems to be less popular with people when they consider spawning their desired betta but this detail is as improtant that the actual tail types which proves to more popular.
Many people start their first ever spawn with the 2 colours that they like and off they go into the spawn only to find that the resulting fry are not what they wished for and may hold a general colour that looks rather muddy and really not good on the eye. There is a good and simple way to get close to the colour that you are trying to create in the fry with no knowledge of the generation history of the 2 bettas that you have and wish to spawn.
Look at several parts of the body of these bettas and have your camera ready with the flash on and take pics of these parts, simply upload to which ever software you are using and zoom into these sections for a magnified veiw
The things you are looking for are the colours of:
THE EYES
Look at the scales just under the eye and note the colour this should be the secondary colour pigment of the head of your fish (secondary colour as in the colour that is on top of the natural colour of black which is the primary base colour of all bettas but a black that is not as enhanced as what you see in the melano)
THE GILLS
This is also the same process of the part just below the eyes but try to get a pic of the flare in the males and some females as this will show a better understanding of the colour due to the gills being stretched.
THE DORSAL
The secondary colour of the dorsal will be apparent but also note the colour of the rays and whether they are the same colour or different in colour, the base of the dorsal will also give you a secondary colour that shows the possible genetic colour of your fish.
The same applies for the tail and anal fin.
THE VENTRALS are a 100% sure sign of what the colouration history is in the bettas being used
With these colours recorded you are basically closer to understanding what the fry are more than likely going to turn out to be, giving ofcourse genetic throw backs from the generations to create this colouration of betta and mutated colouration such as yellow which a mutant of red.
You now have the colours of both potential parents and the placement of these colours that are held within their DNA structure
Where the same colours in both the male and female lie in the same place eg the dorsal fin, this is where this one colour will appear more than likely on your fry, give and take mutations and throw backs as stated above. follow this process through all the areas of the body above and you are even closer to getting what you desire.
If the the colours in these particular areas are different they you are looking at a more interesting colouration that could go wrong depending on mother nature and her wild sense of humour
if your trying to produce a particular colour or pattern (excluding marbles as we all know they are from another planet and love to trick you with their sudden changing of colours
) always go by the colour of the male and try to match the female according to the process above, when the fry from this spawning are old enough to pair off, pair the 2 that hold the same if not closest colours in all the same places or cross the female youngster with the father if you are lucky enough to still have him. At this stage you are whats called F2, in F2 you are more than likely to see what you are trying to create if not close to it and by crossing again into F3 you are what most breeders would consider THERE and the desired fry are apparent to spawn from, its advisable not to go past F8 as this produces a higher risk of deformaties by exhausting the gene structure of the family of betta and new blood or lines are required to recreate a stronger gene to continue spawning with.With taking all of this taken into consideration and you just wish to spawn any pairing without genetic history and using this process then good luck with your spawn and i hope that get what you are looking for, if you find that you don't then don't dispair cross into F2 and F3 and you should get what you are looking for. Its quite simple if you sit back and think and then enjoy watching your fry grow.
NB always expect there to be a genotype in your spawning bettas (genotype means a hidden gene thats not apparent to the eye but has the potential to produce its genetics that are apparent in the offspring) this is not a bad thing as loads of quality bettas have been created from hidden genetics coming through in fry and producing wonderful colurations and patterns.
