My Thoughts o­n Traditional Show Plakat

Until now there is no clear definition o­n what is a plakat or to be detail : Traditional Show Plakat. There isn’t any judging standard for a show plakat and also no clear definition o­n what are not Traditional Show Plakat.

Plakat derives from the Thai word Plakad which means fighting fish and does not really restrict to o­ne specific strain of betta. These Plakad can be wild caught or bred in captive.

The purpose of this article is to emphasize o­n plakats as a Traditional Show Plakat and not for fighting. Before we can appreciate what is a show plakat, it’s good to have some basic understanding of those strains developed for fighting. Those plakad that are used for fighting are carefully bred and crossbred.

There are two main types of wild Plakad namely the Plakad Pah and Plakad Lukmoh, and they are usually found in natural habitats like ponds and rice fields.

The Plakad Pah can be found almost everywhere in Thailand and has a longer body but no stamina for long fight. The Plakad Lukmoh is hardly found in the wild but bred in captive as it is tougher than the Plakad Pah.

Picture shows a Plakah Pah;

Some breeders cross bred the Plakad Lukmoh with Plakad Pah and is called “Sangasi” in Thai language (which means Hybrid) or short “Plasang” These Hybrids are not as tough as the Plakad Lukmoh and are cross bred to fight with Plakad Pah and they also look like the Plakad Pah.

‘Plakad’ here denotes fighting fish(which is used simply for fighting) and they can be found or bred in various parts of Thailand or some other Asian countries. Some of the common types of Plakads that are used in fighting are Betta Imbellis, Betta Samaragdina and Mahachai Betta. They are also cross bred to improve o­n their fighting skills and thus resulted in hybrids.

Betta Imbellis, Betta Samaragdina and Mahachai Betta are usually classified under the Wild category instead of Plakat category in a competition show. So we must not confuse the word Plakat with Plakad, as Plakad can be other species that are used for fighting.

So Plakad that are used for fighting are bred and cross bred from the wild caught and these short fin betta are also called “Plakat Morh” in Thai language.

There are 4 sub groups ofPlakads that are specially bred for fighting;

1. Snake Fish Head and Long Body or Channa Striata Block Form Type – Plachon

The most popular type of good fighters as they are very fast, aggressive and has sharp bite. Most breeders still continuing to develop these long and slender body fighters.

Plachon;

  

2. Short Head and Short Body or Anabas Testudineus Form Type – Plamor

These have a short and thick body when viewed from the top and they are slow fighters. However their scales are very though and can withstand strong attack.

Plamor;

  

3. Sharp Curve Mouth and Long Body or Chitala Ornata Form Type –Plakrai

These are very fast fighter and have sharp bite when fighting. They looked thin when viewed from the top and also have long pelvic and anal fins. Some may also termed their shape ‘Spoon Head’ due to their sharp curve mouth and long body.

Plakrai;

 

4. Hybrid – Plasang

As mentioned, Hybrids are cross bred of the above wild or bred in captive Plakad to improve o­n their fighting skill.

Plasang;

  

In my opinion, the Plasang are preferred to be used as Traditional Show Plakats. I preferred the Plasang or hybrid type as they are specially cross bred to ‘combine the advantages of the above’. The show plakats now come in many colors compared to those used in the traditional fights.

We must also distinguish the recent hybrids of plakats starting around 2002. Hobbyists and breeders started crossing these traditional show plakats with the long fin betta splendens like Halfmoon, Crowntail and Imbellis thus creating more fancy caudal fin types and species. But these are best termed as Short Fin Betta Splendens and probably not to include them as the traditional show plakats. Both are beauties in their own ways.

Examples of Short Fin Betta Splendens;

The Short Fin HM Betta Spleden     

 

The Short Fin Crown Tail Betta Splenden 

My Ideal Traditional Show Plakat;

The following are some of the main considerations for a Traditional Show Plakats;

The Caudal Shape

       

Spade Shape

Round or Fan Shape

Jagged Edges Shape  

The top and middle Caudal Shape are acceptable but the Spade shape (top o­ne) is preferred. The Jagged Edges (Right) shape is not acceptable. The Caudal outer edges should be smooth.

The Caudal Spread

     

The Caudal Spread of 180 deg. is preferred compared to less or more than it. The so called ‘over halfmoon’ caudal spread is not preferred in a Traditional Show Plakat.

The Caudal Edge

      

The Edge of the Caudal is preferred to be Rounded than Straight like a capital D.

The Caudal Rays Split

       

There should not be more than Primary Split for the caudal. Secondary or more splits are not preferred.

The Dorsal Shape

 

The Dorsal shape should be like the top and middle photos. There should be a pointed tip (P) just above the top (T) of the caudal fin (preferred) , and not to the left or right of it. The bottom photo dorsal fin shape is not preferred. A smooth outer edge for dorsal is preferred – The first photo is better than the middle and bottom photo for dorsal fin shape.

The Anal Fin

The Anal Fin is like a Trapezium shape but with a Pointed Tip protruding longer then the Bottom (B) of the Caudal fin. The middle and bottom photo anal fins are not acceptable.

The Ventral Fins

                  

Long Ventral Fins       Short Ventral Fins

A pair of equal size, length and long ventral fins is preferred over a short and unequal o­ne. The ventral fins should be sturdy and long in shape but not thick and short.

The Overall Shape

Both the above can be considered as Traditional Show Plakats. But based o­n all the factors discussed above, the top photo shows a preferred Traditional Show Plakat than the o­ne at the bottom. By now you should see how these Traditional Show Plakats resemble the shape of the ‘Plasang’. Another point to highlight is that those exhibit Double Tail is not acceptable as Traditional Show Plakat but best classified under Short Fin Betta Splenden.

Note : Compliments to Mr. Precha Jintasaerewonge for extracting part of the above from his article o­n Plakatthai and photos. Other photo credits to Mr.Yia Y.L., Indo Betta Splenden Club and those that I may have left out their names unintentionally.

Please learn with open mind, nothing is absolute. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences and knowledge with me.

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on October 15, 2003. Part of these were adopted by IBC as the Judging standards of Plakats.

 

Undesirable Traits of DT Bettas

It’s sometimes difficult to select the better bettas out of a big spawn but it may be easier to start eliminating the undesirable traits in that spawn.
 
If your spawn consists of DT, it will be much easier to spot those undesirable traits of it and start eliminating them.

Here are those undesirable traits of DT that I select to eliminate them from the line so that these traits will not pass o­n to the next generation if they are used in breeding.

The following will show a series of those undesirable traits of DT.

1. Uneven Lobe;
Usually the upper lobe is smaller than the lower lobe.

2. Y-Split DT
The split is of Y-shaped and it is somehow ugly and will not have those desirable overlapping lobes.

3. Crooked Spine
This is rather common in DT as well as ST when DT gene is present. A slight (I said SLIGHT) curved spine is acceptable for DT as it’s a common trait of DT, but any curved or crooked spine for ST is definitely unacceptable. Too much crooked spine for DT is highly undesirable for breeding as it will pass o­n to the next generation.

4. Deformed Body
This is also quite common when the DT gene is present causing the body to deformed or sometimes shortened. Never use these for breeding. If you used such deformed or shortened body fish for breeding, the deformed gene will pass o­n to the next generation and you will find that most of the body will become shorter and shorter.

5. Fused Lobes
These is an extreme case of incomplete split of the DT. Both the tails are fused together. o­nly choose those with total split tails.

Note :  Please learn with open mind, nothing is absolute. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences and knowledge with me.

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on August 28, 2003.

Difference between Opaque & Pastel

I’ve seen this question popping up again and again in most bettas’ forums, and let me compiled the answers from all over the net and share it with you.

The genetic make up of Opaque White is C Bl Si Nr Op.

C – Cambodian gene for lack of dark body pigment

Bl – Steel blue pigment which appears silvery-white when o­n a light background

Si – The spread of the iridocyte pigment, in this case steel blue over the fish

Nr – Non-red, i.e. the inability of the fish t o produce red pigment

Op – Opaque, the special gene that cause the opaqueness or powdery appearence of the fish

“Si” is treated as dominant, “c” and “nr” are treated as recessive, and “Op” as partial dominant. Opaque is partially dominant – a single allele for the trait will be visible, but 2 alleles will be very visible.

Op is the gene that characterises Opaques.

Opaque does not mean White. There are 3 types of Opaques: Steel Blue, Green and Blue (Royal Blue) Opaques. But very often, when we say Opaque White, we are referring to Steel Blue Opaque bettas. However, because of the appearance of the betta, the “Opaque White” term is used generally.

There are also other opaques like Green and Blue Opaque bettas. Green and Blue Opaques have a Green or Blue sheen instead of pure white colour. Opaque refers to the fish possessing the “Op” gene o­nly.

Therefore, if you cross Blue Opaque x Blue Opaque;

You will get Blue, Green and Steel Opaques.

And If you cross Blue Opaque x Steel Opaque;
You will get Blue and Steel Opaques.
(Steel Opaque means Opaque White)

Opaque White get the light body from (C) cambodian genes, but it is also possible for opaques to arise as a result of marble genes. In order for that to happen, the steel iridescence and the opaque factor must be present.

The (Op) opaque factor must be present in at least in o­ne of the parents. Ideally both the parents would be some sort of Blue (Steel Blue x Steel Blue or Steel Blue x Royal Blue), in order for some of the progeny to be Steel. Both would have to be marble genos.

Opaques have inherent problems. Any small color defect, a black scale, black lips etc., will stand out very noticeably against the white betta. The white pigment does not blend well with the underlying yellow bodies too. This may results in a distinct yellow wash. Other strains may seem to tend towards having a blue tinge, especially o­n the fins.

Another problem with opaque white is the poor quality finnage. In order to have pure white, breeders of opaque white tend to select bettas for colour quality instead of finnage. As a result, our current stock of opaque white do not compare well in finnge to other colour strains.

One good point of opaques is that they are a little less aggressive than other strains.

The I.B.C. judging standards define this breed (Opaques) as: Non-Red light bodied fish similiar in appearance to Pastels. However, there are guanine deposits giving a denser milkier appearance and an opacity to the coloration of these fish. These deposits are most visible around the head and eye and continue to accumulate as the betta ages.

To distinguish an Opaque betta and a Pastel, the thick powdery “white” pigment is the key. This can most easily be observed by looking at the fish from above and around the head. In an Opaque, the dense pigment goes all the way up to and including the nose, while in Pastels the pigment usually does not reach as far up or if present is usually sparse.

The genetic make up of Pastel is C Bl Si Nr.

C – Cambodian gene for lack of dark body pigment

Bl – Steel blue pigment which appears silvery-white when o­n a light background

Si – The spread of the iridocyte pigment, in this case steel blue over the fish

Nr – Non-red, i.e. the inability of the fish to produce red pigment

Op – Opaque, optional but necessary to a degree. If too littely opaque factor, the fish appear translucent, and if too much, they may be classified as Opaques.

Pastels are iridescent bettas (Blue, Steel Blue and Green). It is the (C) Cambodian or Non-Red gene that differentiates them from the regular dark body iridescent bettas. Pastels are homozygous for Cambodian, which gives them the light flesh coloured body. Most Pastels also carry a little Opaque factor to give the iridescent appear more solid. Without the Opaque factor, the iridescent color would be translucent in the absence of dark pigment (black or red).

You are right to say that Opaques are also Pastels, except that Opaques carried much more Opaque factor than Pastels. Therefore, if you cross Opaque x Pastel, it will give you Pastels as well. A good pastel must have a light dose of Opaque factor, and such a cross will increase the amount of Opaque factor along the line.

* Compliments to Sean, Kevin, Steve and Gene Lucas. Please learn with open mind, nothing is absolute. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences and knowledge with me.

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on Friday, December 09, 2005.

Basic Color Genetics of Bettas – Part 2 (The Making of Cambodian Bettas)

The Making of Cambodian Bettas

The color of a betta is determined by the presence or absence of color pigment containing cells called chromatophores. These are categorized into the color pigments that they represent;

1. Iridescent Layer (Top Layer) – Guanophores, also know as idiophones
2. Black Layer – Melanophores (Black Cells)
3. Red Layer – Erythrophores (Red Cells)
4. Yellow Layer (Bottom Layer) – Xanthophores (Yellow Cells)

A Red betta;

We see a Red betta because the Extended Red gene (represented by R or Er, we use R here) is present in the Red Layer. If we spawn a Red (R+) male with a Red (R+) female betta, we will get 100% Red (RR ++) fries. Remember, alleles are in pairs.

A Yellow betta;

Yellow is typically a Cambodian that carry Red and a pair of Non-Red gene. Thus we can use this to represent Yellow – RR c+ nrnr. The more Red the Yellow carries, the more intense the Yellow color will be. The Cambodian gene gives the Yellow a clean body color. If the Cambodian gene is absent, the body will be either light or dark brown in color which is normally considered as Chocolate.

How to get a Yellow Cambodian betta;

We can get Yellow Cambodian by crossing Yellow male with Yellow female – RR c+ nrnr x RR c+ nrnr.

X	R c nr	R + nr
R c nr	RR cc nrnr	RR c+ nrnr
R + nr	RR c+ nrnr	RR ++ nrnr

So from the above, we get;

RR cc nrnr – Cambodian Yellow (25%)
RR c+ nrnr – Yellow (50%)
RR ++ nrnr – Chocolate (25%)

Red x Yellow;

Now if we spawn a Red betta with a Yellow betta – RR ++ x RR c+ nrnr

X	R c nr	R + nr
R +	RR +c +nr	RR ++ +nr

So half of the spawn (50%) will be carrying the Cambodian and Yellow gene (RR +c +nr) while the other half will just carry the Yellow gene (RR ++ +nr). All will also carry the Yellow gene. It is difficult to tell from the spawn which will carry the Cambodian gene until you do a sibling spawn.

How to get a Red Cambodian betta;

To get a Red Cambodian, we have to do a sibling spawn of both Red that carry a Cambodian and Yellow gene (RR +c +nr from the F1 of the above spawn, though in practice you really can’t tell which is the o­ne, and o­nly pick by chance).

Red carrying Cambodian and Yellow gene sibling spawn ( RR +c +nr x RR +c +nr);

X	R ++	R +nr	R c+	R cnr
R ++	RR ++ ++	RR ++ +nr	RR +c ++	RR +c +nr
R +nr	RR ++ nr+	RR ++ nrnr	RR +c nr+	RR +c nrnr
R c+	RR c+ ++	RR c+ +nr	RR cc ++	RR cc +nr
R cnr	RR c+ nr+	RR c+ nrnr	RR cc nr+	RR cc nrnr

So the fries will consist of 18.75% Cambodian Red bettas! Also 6.25% will be Chocolate colored bettas. 56.25% will be Red bettas, 12.5% will be Yellow bettas and 6.25% will be Cambodian Yellow bettas.

The Cambodian Gene;

The Cambodian gene is double recessive meaning you need two cc to see a Cambodian betta. With a single c, it will just be a Cambodian genotype and you will not be able to see the Cambodian color as it’s recessive.

The Cambodian gene is located in the Black layer. When the gene is present, it eliminates all black pigment thus giving the fish a flesh body color. The fins will not be so much affected by the Cambodian gene but the color of the fins will be lighter shade.

So in the above example of Cambodian Red, the body will be flesh color but the fins will be Red as it’s not so much affected by the Cambodian gene.

 

Photo Credit : Betta Bunnies

So it is also possible to create Cambodian bettas of other colors like Blue, Green or Yellow. Below shows a Cambodian Green – this will be a betta with flesh body color with lighter shade of green o­n fins.

 

Photo Credit : Jim Sonnier

* Please learn with open mind, nothing is absolute. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences and knowledge with me.

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on Friday, December 09, 2005.

Basic Color Genetics of Betta – Part 1

There are up to 26,000 different gene combinations to create that betta look that you have. Betta fish color variation is based o­n the color pigmentation in different types of cells. These color cells are in layers within the skin. There are basically four types of colour cells for a betta;

1. Iridescent Layer (Top layer)
2. Black Layer
3. Red Layer
4. Yellow Layer (Bottom layer)Note : The above are often mixed up with the Wild Bettas color pigment;
1. Iridescent Layer (Top layer)
2. Red Layer
3. Black Layer
4. Yellow Layer (Bottom layer)The Black color is regarded as base color for wild betta. The Iridescent Blue or Green is the most dense at the top layer while the Yellow is the least dense at the bottom layer. This Yellow color is so much less dense than all the other colors and is, by nature, a light color that it can be safely ignored in a discussion of Wild Betta color.

Let’s go back to the domestic (not the wild type) betta. Each of these Colour Layers has a genetic code or a series of genes that determine the colour of the Betta. The gene either increases or descreases in pigment depending o­n the layers. It also control where each colour is distributed. Therefore, your betta colour is determined by the colour pigments in their colour cells which are found within the layers of the skin.

Traits (known as Phenotypes) are what we see. Genes that make up the traits (known as Genotypes) contain the information for the proteins that catalyse the reactions to produce the pigment we see. It can be very complicated, and when breeding fish outside of an established strain–anything can happen!

1. Iridescent Layer (Top Layer)

This layer is also know as the Blue Layer and controls the amount of blue pigments in your betta.

Guanophores (Blue/ Green Cells), also know as iridophores, contain these traits;

– Blue-Green (Steel Blue, Royal Blue, and Green)– Spread Iridocytes (Turquoise Blue)– Non-Blue (Total Absents of Blue)

Blue-Green is represented by B1. This gene can create 3 different colours;
i) b1b1 – This will produce Steel Blue iridescents, giving a Steel Blue betta.
ii) B1b1 – This will produce Royal Blue iridescents, giving a Royal Blue betta.
iii) B1B1 – This will produce Green iridescents, giving a Green betta.

So when you breed a pair of Steel Blues (b1b1 x b1b1), you will get 100% Steel Blue. Same goes to breeding a pair of Green (B1B1 x B1B1), you will get 100% Green. But when you breed a pair of Royal Blue (B1b1 x B1b1), you will get 50% Royal Blue, 25% Steel Blue and 25% Green.

It should also be noted that if a lot of black pigment is under the iridescent layer, the colors will appear much darker and richer and if no Black is present a more pastel appearence is created.

Spread Iridocytes : This gene gives a betta it’s metallic reflection, producing colours such as turquoise. Iridocytes is the name given to the crystals that create the iridescence that give the blue to green colouring. Spread Irodocytes refers to the genetic SiSi which increases the amount of iridescence seen in the betta. It is not a completely understood gene at this time but it is known that the combination sisi creates greatly reduced iridescence. With the wide range in amounts of iridescence that are seen in various specimen, it is possible that Sisi could create an intermediate level of iridescence or that there may be more than o­ne gene pair involved.

Non-Blue gene is what you have when you get a betta that consists of no Blue Layer. There has not been a gene identified that creates a complete elimination of the blue layer. However several breeders have breed bettas that do not show any signs of blue. It is therefore argumentative. However in the case of a blbl combined with sisi, the blue layer could be very limited and create o­nly a small silver glow to the point where it may not be recognized as an actual blue. When you add to this the Cambodian, and Bright/Blond trait in yellows and whites, you may actually have the compounding effect limiting the blue layer. However, there may still be an unrecognized gene to create this No-Blue which has not been identified yet.

2. Black Layer

Melanophores (Black Cells), contain these traits;
– Cambodian (Creamy body, red fins)
– Blond/ Bright (Bright “Cherry” colour)
– Melano (Black Bettas)

The above 3 genes will directly affect the Black Layer

Cambodian – Besides the traditional Cambodian style betta, which consists of a flesh colored body and red fins, nowadays you can find a wide variety of betta that are termed ‘Cambodian’.
– The Cambodian gene is Double Recessive (Double Recessive is weak) which can be best represented by cc. When the gene is present, it eliminates all dark pigment.
– Some of your newer cambodian types have blue, green, white and even purple fins.

Blond/ Bright gene is also Double Recessive, represented by bb. Its effect of limiting the Black pigment is best seen in the red bettas where its presence creates a bright red fish. Where if this gene is absent, it results in a maroon colored fish creating a much darker color. It also comes into play with iridescent fish making them appear much more pastel colored.

Melano gene, which is double recessive mm, increases the black pigments in a betta, thus you will end up with a black betta. Unfortunally, somewhere along the line, with the increase of this gene it causes most melano females to be infertile. Thus a breeder would have to cross their black male with a blue or, better yet, a black lace female. Black lace have almost transparent fins. The females are fertile and also a pure Black Lace pair will breed Black.

3. Red Layer

Erythrophores (Red Cells), contain these traits;
– Extended Red (Red covering whole body and fins)
– Reduced Red (Body is dark colour, blue or green, and red covering just fins)
– Non-Red (Total absence of red)
– Variegated Fins (The butterfly effect)
The above 4 genes will determines the amount of red in a betta.

Extended Red gene called R will control the distribution and intensity of red in a betta. If it’s termed Extended Red, it means the red will cover the entire body and fins which is most desirable. This gene R is similar to the Si gene, as there are varying degrees in the red. If a betta has less red distribution, it is represented by rr, while o­ne with more red is represented by RR.

Reduced Red bettas will have a darker body (blue, green or black) with red fins. No gene has been identified that reduces the red.

Non-Red gene is Double Recessive nrnr, and does not show any red pigment. Most believed that the non-red gene modifies the pigment from red to yellow pigment colour which is appearing slightly.

Variegated Fins gene controls the red in fins and create the effect which we termed Butterfly. Dr. Gene Lucas refers this gene as Vf, which controls the variegation of red in the fins. The distribution of red in the fins can be in various patterns as well as intensity.

4. Yellow Layer (Bottom Layer)

Xanthophores (Yellow Cells), contain these traits;
– The absence of the Red Layer, Black Layer and the Iridescent (Blue) Layer.

So far, there have been no genes identified that control the yellow layer of pigmentation. This means that a Yellow betta has Cambodian (non-black) pigments in the Black Layer, Non-Red pigments in the Red Layer, and Non-Blue pigments in the Iridescent Layer.

However, some said that the yellow could be related to an Opaque gene.

…Cont’d – The Making Of Cambodian Bettas

* Please learn with open mind, nothing is absolute. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences and knowledge with me.

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on Friday, December 09, 2005.

Breeding of Quality Bettas

It’s every hobbyist dream to breed a good true Half Moon betta but again what are the success rate. Well probably, instead of Half Moon, most of it will end up to be Super Deltas or Deltas. So what are the guidelines or criteria that we should look out for if we intend to breed a good true Half Moon?

1. Selecting the Best
This will definitely be easier to say than doing it for some due to budget constraint. My advice is to choose a pair that is within your maximum budget and always go for the best pair. If you’re seriously going into breeding them, there is no point to spend and waste 2 to 3 months down the road after spawning them, and realised that the spawns are not what you expected. Try to purchase your first breeding pair from a reputable breeder who knows about the “parentage” of the fish. If you wish to increase your success rate, it’s best to purchase a pair from the same parent fish. Try not to purchase a male from o­ne breeder and a female from another breeder. The reason is that if the pair you purchased is from the same parent fish, this pair will be termed the F1 (1st generation), and the subsequent spawn that you breed will be F2 (2nd generation). In most cases, o­nly thru selective breeding (meaning selecting the best pair from F1) of the F1, will give you a higher success rate in the F2.

2. Caudal Fin
The important point to look out for is the straightness of both the outermost edges of the caudal fin. If both the outermost edges are curved towards the same direction, do not choose them for breeding. A good Half Moon is defined as a 180 degree caudal spread measured from o­ne outermost edge to the other. So if the outermost edge is not straight, it will not be consider to be a true half moon. Also, most Half Moon tends to have shorter caudal fins then Super Deltas or Deltas.

3. Ray branching or Split
This is another very important feature to consider. The more ray branching or splits that the caudal fin (include the anal and dorsal fins) has, the larger will be the spread of the fin. It will help to give a better support of the fin and the betta will have a more larger and beautiful finnage even when it’s not flaring. In a very good trait of Half Moon, we may have primary, secondary, tertiary, as well as quaternary splits or branching. This will give you 16 splits out of o­ne main ray! A primary split gives you 2 rays; secondary split – 4 rays; tertiary split – 8 rays; and quaternary split – 16 rays. This is what Peter Choo taught me who is renowned for his line of Yellow bettas which some have up to quaternary split!

4. Clean water environment
This is o­ne factor that will affect the appearance or the development of the finnage. Poor water condition will cause fin collapsing and even fin rot. It’s important to have frequent water change and dechlorinate it if the water used is direct from tap. Chlorine will have a “burning” effect o­n the fins and will affect it’s finnage.

* Please note that the above are my personal point of views, and are written to help those who are interested in breeding half moon or super deltas. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences with me.

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on Friday, December 09, 2005.

How to Line Breed?

I’m sure most of us have heard of selective breeding or line breeding, but how well do we understand by this terms… My initial thinking is just simply choosing the best male and female fish from a spawn, and breed them (brother x sister) again or breed them with their parents. Until I read the article from Chuck Wolff in Hal’s Betta Club Forum, I realised that it’s much more to just that.

To start off with Line Breeding, we must ensure that we must have the time (prepared to spent about 2 to 3 years), space (enough breeding tanks, etc) and of course patience. By Line Breeding, you will appreciate why a new strain or a good fish is never “cheap”!

You may use Line Breeding to develop a new strain or improve o­n an existing strain. The fact about Line Breeding is that it will intensify the good characteristics as well as the bad characteristics. So it is recommended to have at least 3 or 4 closely related lines of whatever strain you are trying to have or improve o­n.

Before you start, you have to decide whether you wish to breed for form and finnage first or breed for colour first. Whichever you choose, set yourself a goal and hold o­n to it rigidly. Sad to say, in order to achieve your goal, you have to cull ruthlessly and dispose of any fry that does not meet your criteria (selective breeding).

Now you must have at least 2 good male (related like brothers) and 2 good female (related like sisters) bettas to strart with;

Let’s name the bettas as:
Parents ;
Male – Y
Brother to Y – Yb

Female – X
Sister to X – Xs

1st Line;

Parents : Y x X -> F1 (spawn consists of female – F1a and male – F1b)

Line 1A : Father Y x Daughter F1a -> F2 (spawn consists of female – F2a and male – F2c)
Father Y x Granddaughter F2a -> F3 (spawn consists of female – F3a and male F3c)

Line 1B : Mother X x Son F1b -> F2 (spawn consists of male – F2b and female – F2d)

Mother X x Grandson F2b -> F3 (spawn consists of male – F3b and female – F3d)

Line 1C : F3c (Male from Line 1A, F3) x F3d (Female from Line 1B, F3) -> F4

Line 1D : F3b (Male from Line 1B, F3) x F3a (Female from Line 1A, F3) ->F4

2nd Line;

Parents : Yb x Xs -> F1 (spawn consists of female – F1e and male – F1f)

Line 2A : Father Yb x Daughter F1e -> F2 (spawn consists of female – F2e and male – F2g)

Father Yb x Granddaughter F2e -> F3 (spawn consists of female – F3e and male – F3g)

Line 2B : Mother Xs x Son F1f à F2 (spawn consists of male – F2f and female – F2h)

Mother Xs x Grandson F2f à F3 (spawn consists of male – F3f and female – F3h)

Line 2C : F3g (Male from Line 2A, F3) x F3h (Female from Line 2B, F3) -> F4

Line 2D : F3f (Male from Line 2B, F3) x F3e (Female from Line 2A, F3) -> F4

3rd Line;

Before starting your 3rd Line, you have to check your F4 spawns from both Line 1 and Line 2 whether they are achieving your goal. In your F4 spawns, you should see an improvement and uniformity in finnage and form / or colour over your original stock.

If you are pleased with your F4 spawns, you may proceed o­n with your 3rd Line by crossing your F4 from Line 1 and Line 2, while keeping your Line 1 and Line 2 going.

By now you should have achieved quality bettas in your F4 spawns that far surpass your original stock, and these are basically homozygous genetically for the desired traits that you want. Thus Line Breeding will help you to develop your own strain.

* Compliments to Mr.Chuck Wolff for sharing his article o­n “Line Breedings for Beginners”.

Please learn with open mind, nothing is absolute. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences and knowledge with me.

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on Friday, December 09, 2005.

What Color Will I Get?

Most hobbyists who spawn bettas will be interested to know beforehand what color will their spawn be if they spawn this male betta with the other female betta. Below are some of the expected colors shared by the experienced breeders;

Spawning This	You Will Get This
Opaque White Opaque White	Answer : Opaque White with Red or Cream wash. The female is the most important factor. A pure Opaque White female will give more clean Opaque White offsprings. In most cases, Opaque White x Opaque White will give you Opaque White with Red or Cream wash. But if you spawn an Opaque White with Red wash, you may get some clean Opaque White offsprings.
Opaque White Yellow	Answer : Ivory Opaque or Extended Red Cambodians. – Some called it Dirty Opaque. The F1 will have plenty of Opaque White with Red wash. You will be a step backwards if you are breeding for Opaque Whites. The offsprings will have ivory or dirty white looking fins. – But more often than not, you get extended red cambodians with spread irridescence or sometimes called lavender coloured fish. You may also get butterflies, but that depends o­n the hidden genes.
Opaque White Red	Answer : Red. Some breeders are trying to get Pink out of this strain.
Opaque White Royal Blue	Answer : Royal Blue Opaque. All offsprings will carry varying degree of the opaque white factor. Will appear mostly Opaque White or any shade in between Royal Blue and Opaque White. A good way of introducing the “dt” gene to the Opaque White.
Opaque White Turquoise Green	Answer : Turquoise Green Opaque. All offsprings will carry varying degree of the opaque white factor. Will appear mostly Opaque White or any shade in between Turquoise Green and Opaque White. A good way of introducing the “dt” gene to the Opaque White.
Opaque White Steel Blue	Answer : Steel Blue Opaque. All offsprings will carry varying degree of the opaque white factor. Will appear mostly Opaque White or any shade in between Steel Blue and Opaque White. A good way of introducing the “dt” gene to the Opaque White.
Yellow Yellow	Answer : Yellow. May not get an intense Yellow, but a pale whitish Yellow.
Yellow Cambodian	Answer : Cambodian and Yellow. You may get a combination of Cambodian and Yellow. Cambodian to Yellow is a good cross to give a intense Yellow
Yellow Extended Red	Answer : Extended Red. F1 will be all Extended Red carrying Yellow (nr)  gene. Sometimes, you may get some traditional Cambodians. If the Extended Red carries Yellow (nr) gene, F1 will be 50% Extended Red and 50% Yellow. All will also carry Yellow (nr) gene.
Yellow Turquoise Green	Answer : Turquoise Green with Red Wash or Multi-Colour. F1 will be Turquoise Green with Red Wash.
Yellow Blue	Answer : Multi-Colour. F1 will be Multi-Colour, and also depending o­n the irridescene of the Yellow betta. You may also get either Blue, Steel or Green; all with dark body. All are yellow & cambodian geno. This are the results when your original fish do not have any other genes. F2 may produce some Multi-Colour and Solid.
Royal Blue Royal Blue	Answer : Royal Blue, Steel Blue and Turquoise Green. 50% Royal Blue, 25% Steel Blue and 25% Turquoise Green.
Royal Blue Steel Blue	Answer : Royal Blue and Steel Blue. 50% Royal Blue and 50% Steel Blue.
Royal Blue Turquoise Green	Answer : Royal Blue and Turquoise Green. 50% Royal Blue and 50% Turquoise Green.
Royal Blue Red	Answer : Blue with Red Wash. Not advisable. The spawn will end up with lots of Red Wash.
Royal Blue Black	Answer : Black. F1 will be Black with iridescent if the female is carrying Melano gene.
Steel Blue Steel Blue	Answer : Steel Blue. 100% Steel Blue.
Steel Blue Turquoise Green	Answer : Royal Blue. 100% Royal Blue.
Black Lace Black Lace	Answer : Black Lace. 100% Black Lace.
Black Lace Black Melano	Answer : Multi’s. F1 will be all Multi’s. You will not get Black unless they carry each other gene. F2 they will carry each other gene.
Extended Red Reduced Red	Answer : Brown Bodied Red. F1 will be Brown bodied Red. F2 will give you a combination of cambodian and Extended Red.

This chart will be updated every now and then. Should you find any mistakes or error, pls kindly inform me. Thank you.

[i]* Please learn with open mind, nothing is absolute. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences and knowledge with me.[/i]

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on Friday, December 09, 2005.

Ketapang Leaves & Black Water Extract

 Ketapang leaves – the so called Asian Breeding Secret Recipe and Black Water Extract – a scientifically prepared water solution which creates a natural environment and induces spawning; do they serve the same purpose?

Ketapang Leaves;

Most of the tropical fishes that lives in the rivers and lakes, their natural and best environment is Black Water. Black water have a distinctive brownish tea like colour and contain many dissolved organic materials.

It was first noticed that fishes living around the water where the ketapang trees grew are found much more vibrant, beautiful and healthy. Thus started the practice of putting in ketapang leaves into aquariums to try and achieve the same condition as those found in their natural environment.

The ketapang tree is a big ‘pagoda-shaped’ tree with distinctly tiered branching. The origin of the tree is in Malaya. A noted pecularity of this species is the tendency for its leaves to turn bright red and fall – a rarity in the tropics where most trees remain evergreen throughout the year. The bark, fruit and leaves of the tree have traditionally been used to treat various ailments ranging from skin disease, dysentery, headaches and colic in children. Research has identified properties which could be used in treating hypertension.

Ketapang (TERMINALIA CATAPPA, or commonly called tropical almond, badamier, Java almond, amandier de Cayenne, wild almond, Indian almond, myrobalan, Malabar almond, Singapore almond, Huu kwang, Sea almond, kobateishi) tree is known to produce a poison in its leaves and sap to defend against insect parasites. When the dried leaves falls into the river, a strong brown dye is given off. The dye is full of organic acids like humic and tannins.

So the dried Ketapang leaves actually release organic acids like humic and tannins which lowers the pH of the water, absorbs harmful chemicals and help create a soothing and calm environment for the fish.

What is Humic Acid? Is it a mixture of several organic acids? Humic acids are a complex mixture of partially “decomposed” and otherwise transformed organic materials. The freshwater humic acids can come from a variety of sources, most of which are o­n land (decomposing terrestrial vegetation.) These substances wash into lakes and rivers, undergoing further transformations along the way, and ultimately into the ocean.

Humic acid contains Sulfur, Nitrogen and Phosphorus in varying amounts. It also contains metals such as Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn etc. which can be ‘chelated’ in some undefined way. Humic acid can be broken down into two groups based o­n the polarity and size of the individual ‘compounds’.

The smaller, more polar fraction is generally termed fulvic acid and the larger, more non-polar fraction is generally termed humic acid. Humic acids are the end product of microbial degradation of plant and animal debris and are o­ne of the most important constituents of fertile soils.

Tannins, lignins and fulvic acids are sub classes of humic acids. They all tint the water yellow.

Tannic and humic acids may be useful for inhibiting many types of bacteria including cyano-bacteria and are fairly benign for your fish.

Another paradoxical effect of humic acids is the detoxification of heavy metals. Humic material and detritus in the aquarium also rapidly absorb and detoxify many chemicals including zinc, aluminum and copper! o­ne might expect them to be made more, not less toxic by humic acids, but the studies seem to indicate a detoxifying effect.

Also important to know: The harder the water the more ineffective the humic acids – – – more exactly: the dissolved lime in the water produces undissolvable calcium humates. So, the higher the water hardness, the higher must be the supply of humates in order to achieve an acidifying effect. The softer the water, the less humates are needed and the better the effect.

Peat is a rich source of humic acids, as are decaying driftwood. So in some countries, peat is used instead of ketapang leaves.

Black Water Extract & It’s Uses;

 

Regardless of the brand, it is basically a scientifically prepared water soluble extract of Canadian peat, tropical roots, selected tree bark, wood and leaves, which contain essential trace elements, vitamins, hormones and humic acids to enrich aquarium water. It creates a natural environment similar to that of the lakes in the tropical rainforest and some area of the Amazon River. It also induces spawning for most soft water and acid loving fishes. “Black water extract” seems to be mainly humic acids.

In summary, the dosage for black water extract is defined in the directions of the bottle, for eg – 5ml to 25 litres of water. But the use of ketapang leaves will depend o­n your o­n judgement. Too much of the ketapang leaves may result in too low the water pH. So whether you choose to use ketapang leaves or black water extract, I guess it’s more a personal preference and a matter of convenience.

* Compliments to Craig Bingman, Elizabeth Worobel and James Purchase. Please learn with open mind, nothing is absolute. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences and knowledge with me.

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on Friday, December 09, 2005.
 

What Causes Missing Ventral?

There is still no definite answer o­n this issue yet. However, majority believes that the missing ventrals are due to environmentally induced problem. Some also believe that any product with copper in it, such as Aqaurisol, may be the cause of the missing ventral. In addition, some suggest that water hardness, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc., are the culprits. Sad to say, no o­ne knows the definite answer till now.

* Please learn with open mind, nothing is absolute. I would also like to thank those who have shared their experiences and knowledge with me.

Note : This article was first written and published by Chris Yew on Friday, December 09, 2005.