What??? A Responsible Betta Breeder?

[BIG_ONE]

kool, but one thing...DO NOT INBREED, they will turn out ugly and bad quality...trust me. And what I mean by do not inbreed. Siblings, cousins, parents, etc etc etc. If it carries its bloodline. Don't breed it if you want good looking betta and good quality ones. I been raising and breeding bettas for 11 years now. I wouldn't recommend keeping the water clear like that, soon they will catch disease no matter how clean you want to think of. Plus they don't like clear water...for my experience. Go buy some black water extract/atison spa or if you can get some IAL(indian almond leaf) then get it. Those will give the water a tanning brown coloration. It keeps the betta comfy, disease resistant, and also...they are much more aggressive as that's how their real home is and because very territorial. Also IAL, BWE, Atison Spa gets the fish in a breeding mode. For any healings of the betta wounds. Dead/dried banana leaf will do it for you. If that doesn't work, nothing else will.
If you want to ask me some questions about it, feel free to pm me. Whether they are fighters(bred for fighting), show quality, or wild bettas. Nice half moon by the way. Good quality.

 

[Wet Whiskers]

kool, but one thing...DO NOT INBREED, they will turn out ugly and bad quality...trust me. And what I mean by do not inbreed. Siblings, cousins, parents, etc etc etc. If it carries its bloodline. Don't breed it if you want good looking betta and good quality ones. I been raising and breeding bettas for 11 years now. I wouldn't recommend keeping the water clear like that, soon they will catch disease no matter how clean you want to think of. Plus they don't like clear water...for my experience. Go buy some black water extract/atison spa or if you can get some IAL(indian almond leaf) then get it. Those will give the water a tanning brown coloration. It keeps the betta comfy, disease resistant, and also...they are much more aggressive as that's how their real home is and because very territorial. Also IAL, BWE, Atison Spa gets the fish in a breeding mode. For any healings of the betta wounds. Dead/dried banana leaf will do it for you. If that doesn't work, nothing else will.
If you want to ask me some questions about it, feel free to pm me. Whether they are fighters(bred for fighting), show quality, or wild bettas. Nice half moon by the way. Good quality.

I think the setup will be good since I believe it matches what the breeder recommends. As shown, there is Maylasian drift wood in the tank which will steadily release tannins into the water. He also will not be exposed to direct light if he so wishes as there is plenty of cover under the leaves. Also, the water is kept at 6.8 pH, a GH of about 7, the water is buffered with KH to prevent pH swings, and the temperature at about 73-74. From the recomendations that the breeder has on her website, this should be what he is comfortable with. When it comes to breeding, I might add a little IAL as well, but the Malaysian drift would should be enough during the rest of the time. I've never heard of using dried banana leaves. I'm interested in learning more about this.

As for the interbreeding, I generally agree with you about inner breeding, and what you say is too often true because of humans irresponsibly breeding animals. However, after spending several years studying shrinking environments and genetic populations in school and in the field, I have learned first hand that if the genetic lineage carries healthy genes and has been properly culled (either by human or nature) you are not at much risk for the expression of problematic (usually recessive) genes that cause those deformities. I have actually started asking her about her stock and interviewing her about their practices, but am trying to do so without being obnoxious. I do agree that keeping the genetic diversity is crucial, and every couple generations, introducing new genetics to the pool can maintain this. However, just one introduction of a different genes within a few generation can dramatically change the genetic pool, and keep immune problems and physical deformities from occurring. But, yes. Before I just go and breed these two, I plan to be doing my homework on them and the breeder.

 

[BIG_ONE]

Good, keep on doing the homework. But keep in mind that the driftwood tannins and IAL tannins are different from each other. I think its best if you find a breeder from Thailand/Vietnam/Singapore/Indonesia and ask them yourself. They are the best of the best breeder for bettas as I've learned and talked with them. If the betta you bought is bred in USA, then I really recommend you find a breeder from thailand to promote you the best of the best out of it or you can pm me, either way.

 

[Wet Whiskers]

Good, keep on doing the homework. But keep in mind that the driftwood tannins and IAL tannins are different from each other. I think its best if you find a breeder from Thailand/Vietnam/Singapore/Indonesia and ask them yourself. They are the best of the best breeder for bettas as I've learned and talked with them. If the betta you bought is bred in USA, then I really recommend you find a breeder from thailand to promote you the best of the best out of it or you can pm me, either way.

No, the breeder is in Thailand. Yeah, I've never seen bettas like this bred here in America. These guys know their stuff, have incredible stock to start with, and are so dedicated. They do an amazing job at creating little living works of art.

I will look into the chemical composition of IAL and Malaysian drift wood. I'm curious about the differences and the possible benefits of each.

 

[mikeb210]

Great looking fish. I'm looking forward to pictures when he lands. I've seen pictures of them like the one you posted, always wondered how they look when they arrive at your house.

 

[leopio]

nice looking betta. must have been expensive

 

[Fish on Fire]

Coolness, I'm supposed to be getting a betta from overseas as well. Nice little setup you have for him, Are you going to be using any IAL for the water quality?

 

[Wet Whiskers]

Mikeb210: Honestly, I'm a bit nervous since I've never ordered a fish online. We are so picky that I just don't like going off of one photo. However, these guys have a great reputation, and I just crossed my fingers and placed my bid. I definitely will get photos up when he gets here.

Leopio: Yeah, the fish was actually $23.00, but the shipping is the kicker. It actually costs more to ship the fish than to buy the actual fish. Its not so bad if your ordering several, so I'm tempted on getting a few more and trying my hand at breeding.

Fish on Fire: As for using the IAL... Tap water here in the Los Angeles/Orange County area is so hard that I don't believe that any amount of tannins in the water will soft it enough in time to actually do a water change. You will literally get calcium build up on the glass of your tank. So, I use a mix of R/O and tap. I've been very successful with discus, exotic plecos, and catfish from around the world doing this. I also use Malaysian wood to decorate which leaches its own tannins at steady rates, and all my tanks are planted. So far so good. I'm going to look more into IAL and its specific properties.

Thanks for the compliments and input everyone.

 

[benzjamin13]

Beautiful Betta you're getting. I used to have a few and bred them as well. It can be tedious. I know of a place that gets so beautiful Moon Tails and Short Fin Males, if you're ever interested.

 

[Natural_Born_Killer]

Gorgeous Betta- wish my boss would let me keep a little tank on my desk. You'd think I'd get some nudge as he's also my boyfriend

That really is one of the most beautiful betta's I've seen, I lived in Thailand for 6 years, but been traveling there for years as well... we used to keep those little bettas in our room in boarding school.

Looks like your giving him a much better home than most places so don't worry! I've seen them survive in emptied out (But cleaned) whiskey bottles....