# My Betta Collection, Plakats, Show HMPKs and Wilds



## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Hey guys, haven't posted here on GTAA for quite a long time. I've been taking a break and doing some research on bettas, by exchanging research notes and emails with betta breeders in Asia and the UK. If you guys ever need any help or advise with your bettas, send me a PM or post here and I'll be more than happy to help you guys.

Anyhow, here's a update on my current betta collection. Enjoy, I just received my wild caught betta channoides, yesterday afternoon. For those of you who aren't fimilar with the species, they're just one of many wild mouth brooding betta species, more commonly refered to as the snakehead betta.

Snakehead bettas (Betta.channoides)
From above they really do look like baby snake heads lol, but probably more when I can get a few flank and mug shots. The male of the pair is the darker one, as with all wild species bettas.
































































In a few months I'm going to be getting my hands on a B.unimacullata Sepasu pair and a B.pallifina sp.green pair. 
Well that's pretty much that lol, here's some pics of the lil snakehead bettas being dripped. I'll post more pics, once their in their tank.

Plakat fighters
Here's the plakats that a friend gave to me. They're sibling brothers, a bit over 4 months old. Base black with blue/green irids, really nice form, strong jaws and both have really good heart. Constantly darting at eachother, while I was floating them.














































My Blue Fullmask Halfmoon Plakats

Male Blue Mask HMPK #1









Male Blue Mask HMPK #2









Female Blue Mask #1









Female Blue Mask #2









Female Blue Mask #3


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## Ischemia

Beautiful....Love me some betta


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Here's also a 2 pics of my wild caught imbellis and black base imbellis.

Wild caught imbellis male









Black base imbellis male


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## Jackson

Nice!
I really like the mouth brooders. Can't wait to see side shots.

How hard is it to get those mouth brooders? I've always wanted those type of betta but never see them for sale.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Jackson said:


> Nice!
> I really like the mouth brooders. Can't wait to see side shots.
> How hard is it to get those mouth brooders? I've always wanted those type of betta but never see them for sale.


Getting them is easy if you know the right people or sources, but the hard part is waiting until they're available. I waited a bit over half a year until, I got these guys.


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## Ryan.Wilton

Yeah Im hooked on Bettas again ^_^ I plan to make a cabinet full of different bettas lol. I've always wanted mouth broading bettas, just never tried to find them lol.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Alright, got an update for you guys. Enjoy, looks like I'll have some babies soon. YEEAAAHHHH! 

Male, reddening up.



















Female chilling in male's territory, under the javamoss tree.


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## Jackson

Very nice 

Lmk when the babies are ready lol


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## iBetta

same! i've been trying to find some mouth brooders for so long!


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## Ryan.Wilton

I third that motion! I'd like a few babies too if they're up for sale  Even if its right after the yolk sacs gone


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Not an update, but here's 2 pics of my female channoides.


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## Jackson

Very nice keep them coming


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## Ryan.Wilton

+1 to Jackson...

So... babies ready yet?


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Ryan.Wilton said:


> +1 to Jackson...
> So... babies ready yet?


Sadly, not yet. I thought they would have bred by now, but it's becoming a fame of cat and mouse. When the female initiates the courtship dance the male isn't in the mood. When the male is in his breeding colours and is showing off to my female, she swims off. I'll give them more time and see what happens. They're in a blackwater setup now, just added a few dried Indian almond leaves into their aquarium yesterday afternoon.


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## Ryan.Wilton

Could just be a bad pair. Do you have extra females that you could try with/


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Ryan.Wilton said:


> Could just be a bad pair. Do you have extra females that you could try with/


Not at the moment, but March I'll be getting another pair. Usually it's the male, that's the cause of the problem. The females just initiate courtship, but it's up to the male to accept. It's also usually recommended, that these snakehead bettas be kept in trios (1 female to 2 males).


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## Ryan.Wilton

Probably for the same reason you have going down right now lol. I bet that once the one male breeds, the other becomes a bit more interested in the act.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Small update, my channoides pair 2nd attempt at courtship. Just snapped a quick pic of them, going to give them their privacy this time. Tried to capture it on video last time, so maybe that's why they didn't breed.


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## Jackson

Awesome!! I hope it works out this time


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## Ryan.Wilton

+1 again to Jackson, I'm hoping I can buy some babies in the near future from you


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Got good news, my channoides pair are breeding right now, yeah! Can't really get it on video, as they're behind a rock. Both are in full dress breeding colours and I can see the female picking up here eggs. They've embraced multiple times, but the female is stil plump. Hope she's not eating her own eggs. I'll let you know if the male is holding later today, or if in fact the female is eating her own eggs.


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## Jackson

Very nice this is good news 

Thanks for the updates


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Another quick update, the female passed all the eggs she laid up to now, to the male. The male is currently holding and his head is friggin massive! It looks like he has too much to handle as his head is dipping down from the weight of all the eggs. What makes it worse is; she's still making the male squeeze eggs out of her. I feel bad for my male, but happy at the same time lol. Looks like I'll have an army if channoides in 15-20 days after incubation, heck yeah!


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## Jackson

Awesome 

Can you post pics of him lol I want to see what he looks like


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Jackson said:


> Awesome
> Can you post pics of him lol I want to see what he looks like


He's still receiving eggs from my female, behind a rock in their tank. I'll try to post a few when they finish breeding.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Here's 2 pics of the male holding, guys. Couldn't get the best pics, since the male is very cautious and protective now. Anyhow, enjoy.










You can see some of the eggs through the males lower jaw membrane, in this pic.


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## Jackson

I can sort of see his huge head lol

Really nice fish congrats and thanks for sharing the pics


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Got some bad news guys, woke up this morning and discovered that the male swallowed all the eggs. Their first attempt at breeding, the male wasn't in the mood and now their second attempt at breeding the male swallowed all his eggs. Guess I'll wait and see what happens the next time they breed. If it comes to it, I may decide to strip him of the eggs and put them into a mini egg tumbler.


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## Fishlover_680

Sorry to hear that. Hope you have better luck next time. Please keep us posted.


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## Jackson

Fishlover_680 said:


> Sorry to hear that. Hope you have better luck next time. Please keep us posted.


X2

I had and am still having this issue with some of my Geos 
Fish can be dumb lolol


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## Ryan.Wilton

Awww all that hard work gone to waste... literally lol. Sorry to hear, this happens though. My first betta that I bred destroyed his bubble nest everytime the female was in his tank. Didn't matter what female I used, it took him 3 attempts with 3 females to finally stop this behavior lol (that's right, 9 times in a 18 week period... lol)


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Ryan.Wilton said:


> Awww all that hard work gone to waste... literally lol. Sorry to hear, this happens though. My first betta that I bred destroyed his bubble nest everytime the female was in his tank. Didn't matter what female I used, it took him 3 attempts with 3 females to finally stop this behavior lol (that's right, 9 times in a 18 week period... lol)


Yeah, definitely. Mouth brooders are definitely a challenge, especially with young pairs like these guys. They're only about 4 months old, hopefully the male holds next time, but I always have my second pair of channoides to fall back on. 
Bubble nester bettas are easier to breed, I always get them to breed in one try. Right now, I'm breeding metallic blue HMPKs, super blue HMPKs, black copper x super blue HMPKs, wild Imbellis, wild Mahachai and green plakat fighters. Thinking about some 24 k gold HMPKs and pure silver HMPKs down the road.


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## iBetta

i find it funny (for myself) because i had so much trouble breeding nesters. it took me 2 years to finally "figure it" out and then i still believe i just got lucky lol


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## Fishfur

I find this fascinating. Too bad he swallowed the eggs but loved the pic with the swollen head. Wow. I knew there were fish who brood their eggs in the mouth, be it the male or the female, but I've always wondered how on earth they manage it. I've read that some go for extended periods of time without even eating, which I find amazing. Such a sacrifice for their offspring.

At least they survive parenthood. Poor female octopus lays her eggs, cares for them vigilantly until they hatch, then the poor thing dies. And does not eat the whole time she guards and cares for them. 

Fish have some really interesting ways to make babies. All the way from 'drop that egg and hey, look here's an egg to eat', to mouth brooding or simply fiercely guarding the young for however long is needed by one or both parents. I've always wished I had the funds and space to do seahorses so I could watch the male do his brood thing.

I hope I have some success breeding something, some day.


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## Bayinaung

Nice stuff. I'm looking for some wild bettas too, the peaceful kind. If you got info on whereabouts I can get some I'd appreciate it.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Bayinaung said:


> Nice stuff. I'm looking for some wild bettas too, the peaceful kind. If you got info on whereabouts I can get some I'd appreciate it.


I get mine off of Aquabid, there will be a wilds section under bettas.


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## Bayinaung

Erratic-Fish-Finatic said:


> I get mine off of Aquabid, there will be a wilds section under bettas.


Glad you got some through there. I was looking for local suppliers. What types did you get? are they breeding yet? 

There's a dude in Texas selling Albamarginatas for $40 a pair! he only ships to US addresses though  that's what sux about aquabid.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Bayinaung said:


> Glad you got some through there. I was looking for local suppliers. What types did you get? are they breeding yet?
> There's a dude in Texas selling Albamarginatas for $40 a pair! he only ships to US addresses though  that's what sux about aquabid.


Yeah, they're extremely rare over here so when ever I see them pop up, I buy instead of bid if the option is given. There are seasoned breeders in the states, so they often sell for cheaper, wish we had more here in Canada or Ontario. I just got 2 channoides pairs, 2 unimaculata pairs, 1 palifina pair and 1 patoti pair. You should search these names up, you'll be pretty surprised how stunning they look.
My 1st channoides pair bred, but as you saw from my previous log entries, they were still you and inexperienced so the male swallowed his eggs. As for my other pairs,a few of them are already courting while the others are still getting use to being in a tank, because all the pairs I have are wild caught from Borneo.


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## Bayinaung

oh that sucks. I'm sure they'll breed in time. Yes I'm familiar with some of the names. I have frequented the ibc site for sometime. I had just returned from Thailand and had thought about bringing some fish with me, though was not able to find the "wild" betta stock in Thailand. If anyone knows of fish stores in Bangkok that carries the "wild" types I'd appreciate it as I might be heading there later in the year again.


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## zfarsh

Hi, I am sort of a newb when it comes to Betas, as I never had them before. I am considering getting the Plakas type, as I read they are more resilient (stronger), thus more forgiving to my newbiness to them (also I hear they are less lazy). I am not sure where to get one that is blue like the one in the first page of this forum, and don't know the difference in the look between a female and a male plakas. 

My setup would be as follows: 
- 10 gallon planted tank (a lot of Bacopa, hygrophilia, amazon frogbit)
- RCS and Ramshorns and Elephant Snails currently inhabit this tank. I am not sure if the ramshorns could be hazardous to the plaka, ie if the plaka tries to eat them and chokes (hopefully it wouldn't try at all)
- Flow is low enough I think, I have a sponge filter and an AC filter which I have diminished the outflow with a sponge at the outlet.


Questions in case I do one day decide to venture in this fish:
1) Where can I get standard looking Plakas (I am thinking the blue in the pictures on the first page is standard, not sure though)? 
2) What are the differences between male and female, and being a beginner, which one would be best for the first time having this type of fish, and why. Note: I have found that female fish are in general less aggressive and more friendly, such as my female SAE and female BN Pleco.
3) Also, if getting a male, I know not to get any other plakas, but what if I get a female, should it be alone, or a group, and what size group if that is the case?
4) Can the Male or Female Plakas be friendly with me, ie eat from my hand, with some training of course? I know general betas are, just don't know anything about the Plakas type.
5) Can other type of fish, such as dwarf cories, co-exist with the Plakas in a 10g planted tank, specially if the Plakas is female?
6) I do have 1 aq heater in the house, but do I really need it, and if so, what temperature should it be set at. Can I get by without it though?

I will probably have more, as I go along my researches, and I am not in any rush, just gathering information.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

zfarsh said:


> Hi, I am sort of a newb when it comes to Betas, as I never had them before. I am considering getting the Plakas type, as I read they are more resilient (stronger), thus more forgiving to my newbiness to them (also I hear they are less lazy). I am not sure where to get one that is blue like the one in the first page of this forum, and don't know the difference in the look between a female and a male plakas.
> My setup would be as follows:
> - 10 gallon planted tank (a lot of Bacopa, hygrophilia, amazon frogbit)
> - RCS and Ramshorns and Elephant Snails currently inhabit this tank. I am not sure if the ramshorns could be hazardous to the plaka, ie if the plaka tries to eat them and chokes (hopefully it wouldn't try at all)
> - Flow is low enough I think, I have a sponge filter and an AC filter which I have diminished the outflow with a sponge at the outlet.
> 
> Questions in case I do one day decide to venture in this fish:
> 1) Where can I get standard looking Plakas (I am thinking the blue in the pictures on the first page is standard, not sure though)?
> 2) What are the differences between male and female, and being a beginner, which one would be best for the first time having this type of fish, and why. Note: I have found that female fish are in general less aggressive and more friendly, such as my female SAE and female BN Pleco.
> 3) Also, if getting a male, I know not to get any other plakas, but what if I get a female, should it be alone, or a group, and what size group if that is the case?
> 4) Can the Male or Female Plakas be friendly with me, ie eat from my hand, with some training of course? I know general betas are, just don't know anything about the Plakas type.
> 5) Can other type of fish, such as dwarf cories, co-exist with the Plakas in a 10g planted tank, specially if the Plakas is female?
> 6) I do have 1 aq heater in the house, but do I really need it, and if so, what temperature should it be set at. Can I get by without it though?
> 
> I will probably have more, as I go along my researches, and I am not in any rush, just gathering information.


I see, no problem with being a newbie to bettas, we all start somewhere in the hobby. I'll answer your questions in the order which you have provided.

1) The blue plakats your looking at on the first page of this thread, are not standard plakats. These are show quality super/royal blue halfmoon plakats (HMPKs). I purchase mine off of Aquabid, from Thai breeders. A good way to get a good selection is to check every 2 weeks (starting today). Only buy/bid for trusted breeders, who's feed back can be accessed by clicking rating number right beside their username on their auction.

2) Male Halfmoon plakats have larger fins in general, a broader head and of course a "beard" when flaring. You can go back to my first page of this thread and carefully look at the differences.
For a beginner, I would suggest you getting a male to start off with. Males are more bold in colouration and the fins are more prominent when displaying. Having a male first will also open your option to selecting a prefered female for him, if you wish to breed down the road.
Yes males are generally more aggressive than females, but that's not saying female aren't. Females are just as if not more aggressive, it all depends on each betta's personality.

3) Bettas in generally should never be kept in pairs, especially with the size of tabk you currently have. Bettas will attack and Target brightly coloured fish, so if your keeping just a pair, the male will constantly keep attacking your female, which can eventually lead to death. Betta groups and communities aren't for beginners, they're something you want to try after you've fimilarized yourself with betta care, personalities and behavior. Keeping one male at your level would be suggested.

4) Yes, bettas are very interactive and will accept good from you regularly. Once they have grown accustomed to you being atound their tank, they'll adjust and will take food from you without training. My male and females jump for bloodworms if I just dangle it above the surface.

5) Yes, you may cohab other fish with bettas. Be careful in your choices though, as long as your cories aren't brightly coloured, your betta will leave them alone.

6) Bettas need a heated aquarium period, as they are tropical fish. Unless your room temp. is 28 degrees celcius or above, you'll need a heater. Having a heater will also prevent fungus infections and keep your betta more active which = more colourful and healthier.

Hope I helped answer all your questions, don't hesitate to ask me about anything else you may have on your mind, or if you have any concerns.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Alright got another update on my channoides pair. The male is starting to get into his breeding colours, so just a matter of time until the female starts to get plump again.



















Female isolating herself, she did this prior to the last time before getting plump with eggs.


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## zfarsh

hey thanks. Where could i get standard plakats or standard halfmoons, or even standard females for that matter? I dont really feel like going after imports yet or online stores. All i have seen at petshops are the standard males.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

zfarsh said:


> hey thanks. Where could i get standard plakats or standard halfmoons, or even standard females for that matter? I dont really feel like going after imports yet or online stores. All i have seen at petshops are the standard males.


BigAl's Mississauga has been getting I'm some really nice Halfmoon, Halfmoon plakats, crowntails, half giant bettas and Over Halfmoon bettas. Dragon Aquarium for standard and hybrid wild fighter plakats. Both stores carry males and females.


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## Ryan.Wilton

Petsmart just started carrying HM's not too long ago. Pretty good looking actually, I was surprised. 8.99ea


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Getting my new Borneo betta shipment on Wednesday, 1 more pair of Betta.channoides, 1 pair of Betta.patoti, 1 pair of Betta.pallifina and 1 pair of Betta.unimaculata. All of which are wild caught, especially excited for the patoti, pallifina and unimaculata. Patoti can grow to the max size of 4.2" while pallifina and unimaculata can reach up to 5". Going to to be some massive bettas lol.
Here's some updated pics of my channoides pair by the way. They're getting in the mood, especially the male going full breeding colours. Enjoy 
My female is slightly plump and my male is displaying bolder breeding colours. I give them another week, until we see some results. Enjoy.










Females abdominal region getting plump


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## Ryan.Wilton

EXCITING!!! I wanna see that 5" betta


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## Bayinaung

Do you have macrostomas by any chance? Or plans to get some?


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## zfarsh

a betta that is 5"??? wow


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Bayinaung said:


> Do you have macrostomas by any chance? Or plans to get some?


I've been actually waiting quite a long time now and I haven't been able to find any for sale yet. Once I do get my hands on some though, I'm going to be focusing on breeding them first.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Ryan.Wilton said:


> EXCITING!!! I wanna see that 5" betta


The pairs I'll be getting will be sexually mature, but I don't think they'll be full grown though. Not to fret though, I will log their growth.


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## Ryan.Wilton

You'd better... or I'll find you and do it myself


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## zfarsh

hey, is a Male Betta compatible with Dwarf Corydoras in a 10 gallon tank (or any other type of cories for that matter)?

Edit: Also, in other fish that it could be compatible with, in a 10 g tank? I don't know, like Guppies? I might give a 10gallon to a friend who has a Betta, want to see if he can add any other fish, or is the tank too big.


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## Ryan.Wilton

I've kept a male betta with a trio of peppered corries in a 5 gallon. I had no issues, I don't you would.


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## zfarsh

ok great, thanks a bunch.


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## Bayinaung

Damn. How about your Borneo fish supplier? Macros from Brunei are the best right. Can you ask him if he can get his hands on macros?



Erratic-Fish-Finatic said:


> I've been actually waiting quite a long time now and I haven't been able to find any for sale yet. Once I do get my hands on some though, I'm going to be focusing on breeding them first.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Bayinaung said:


> Damn. How about your Borneo fish supplier? Macros from Brunei are the best right. Can you ask him if he can get his hands on macros?


Macs are actually protected under cites, so catching them wild from their natural environment is illegal. Most Macs for sale are either F1 bred from wild parents or wild paira caught in rivers/streams/ponds which are not mapped out and aren't within the restricted boundaries protected under the law.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Just picked up my giant Borneo mouth brooding bettas. Very frustrating because 2 of my males are missing. I contacted the Canadian transhipper and he said he accidentally took my new male channoides back with him. So now I got to wait until Thursday until he comes back the GTA so I can pick my betta up. As for my missing new male unimaculata, I'm unsure what happend to him, as my transhipper says he only has one of my bettas with him. Gotta email the breeder in Jakarta to see if a problem occurred on his end. Any how enjoy guys, as you can see these bettas are currently 3" in length, they grow up to 5" though. I'll post better pics of them once I've accimilated them into their community tank.

1 B.patoti pair (orange varient), 1 B.pallifina pair, and 1 female B.unimaculata 









2 pics of my female B.patoti, the most active of the group. Guess she handled the shipping process well. My other specimens are a bit stressed and still sluggish.


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## Bayinaung

well I don't need them to be wild. F1 or F10 is fine for me. I just wonder why peeps aren't as interested in macs coz these are the most colourful giant bettas imo.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Bayinaung said:


> well I don't need them to be wild. F1 or F10 is fine for me. I just wonder why peeps aren't as interested in macs coz these are the most colourful giant bettas imo.


A lot of people are actually interested in Macs, but the problem is they're not as available compared to the other giant wild mouth brooders. Mainly due to how hard it is to also successfully breed Macs in captivity. Getting to breed it easy given the right conditions, but moat case the male ends up swallowing the eggs.
When they are available, it's usually the price that turns people away from them. Young sexually mature pairs can go anywhere from $160-$200 and if stores are luckily enough to actually get a pair, expect to be paying $200-$300.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Here's a quick pic I took of their tank, apologize blurry pic as the lighting in the room wasn't lit to well. You can see my orange patoti pair in the center of the tank and my male pallifina resting bottom left corner.


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## Ryan.Wilton

what size aquarium are they in?


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## Bayinaung

yup they are pricy. if only someone would breed them successfully will it drop. I'm not sure if the interest is really there though, simply because there really aren't any specimens that people have seen. And the online photos I have seen do not do justice to what I had seen in person.



Erratic-Fish-Finatic said:


> A lot of people are actually interested in Macs, but the problem is they're not as available compared to the other giant wild mouth brooders. Mainly due to how hard it is to also successfully breed Macs in captivity. Getting to breed it easy given the right conditions, but moat case the male ends up swallowing the eggs.
> When they are available, it's usually the price that turns people away from them. Young sexually mature pairs can go anywhere from $160-$200 and if stores are luckily enough to actually get a pair, expect to be paying $200-$300.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Ryan.Wilton said:


> what size aquarium are they in?


A 50 gallon at the moment, I'm planning to put them into a 75 gallon next month.


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## Bayinaung

Erratic-Fish-Finatic said:


> A 50 gallon at the moment, I'm planning to put them into a 75 gallon next month.


just one pair? or all the bettas? and how many do you have?


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## Ryan.Wilton

A 50gallon...?! Wow... So the pair must be at least 2.5"+ a piece.

They're stunning man, when you get some babies please let me know as soon as they're ready to go.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Bayinaung said:


> just one pair? or all the bettas? and how many do you have?


3 pairs; 1 unimaculata pair, 1 pallifina pair and 1 patoti pair. In total I have 10 mouth brooding bettas if you count my 2 channoides pair. The channoides are in a separate 20 for themselves.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Ryan.Wilton said:


> A 50gallon...?! Wow... So the pair must be at least 2.5"+ a piece.
> They're stunning man, when you get some babies please let me know as soon as they're ready to go.


Yeah each betta is around 3", but they'll grow to 5" so large tank is must. Definitely, once I can get some fry I'll let everyone here know. Good thing about these giant mouth brooders is; their fry a huge so they can pretty much eat small pellets once the father releases them from his mouth.


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## Ryan.Wilton

In other words... For sale soon XD


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Alright guys, got another update, I did a water change for my channoides pair and they started breeding again. I'll check up on them tomorrow to see if the male is holding, then I'll give them their space for a few days.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

A quick vid of my female gold unimacs fighting for the right to mate with my male, I just picked up from the transhipper. Sorry about the quality of the vid, lighting was dim and it was recorded on my cellphone.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Enjoy guys, took these the morning after I received my pairs. I will add updated pics tomorrow.


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## Ryan.Wilton

That's it... where do you live? I'm coming to steal those fishies


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Ryan.Wilton said:


> That's it... where do you live? I'm coming to steal those fishies


I don't remember my address, you'll have to find me lol.


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## Bayinaung

dude your photos are too big. can't you resize them?


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## Fishfur

Very nice fish, even if I did have to move the image around a lot to see it all. Downsizing them would be helpful.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Bayinaung said:


> dude your photos are too big. can't you resize them?


I uploaded them via mobile, so I'm not sure if I can.


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## Jackson

Fish are looking great


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## Ryan.Wilton

How's the conditioning coming along?


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Ryan.Wilton said:


> How's the conditioning coming along?


Going great, they're more active again and their colours are setting back in.


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## Ryan.Wilton

Any signs of a spawn thus far? Or maybe some of your others?

C'mon now... all us betta fans need new pics... this is like watching the same movie over and over again


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Ryan.Wilton said:


> Any signs of a spawn thus far? Or maybe some of your others?
> 
> C'mon now... all us betta fans need new pics... this is like watching the same movie over and over again


No signs of spawning, I think it might be due to the fact that I have different species within the community tank. I try putting the patoti pair into their own tank and see if yhe pallifina and unimacs start to court.
As for my Channoides, they're starting to get in the good again. The females and my male are getting into their breeding colours, just a matter if time before of the females get plump.


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## zfarsh

Hi, I have a few more questions on Betas.

My friend lives in a condo. He has like a 3 gallon bowl that he is keeping a Male Beta and two snails in it. I gave him a 10 gallon tank, as he was going to go buy a rectangular tank from a petstore anyways, and I figured in a 10 gallon, the fish will be happier. His Beta is Red, and is the regular ones you get at petsmart. Currently there is no heaters in the bowl.

1) Does the Beta absolutely need the heater, and if so, at what temperature should it be set, and which brand / model do you recommend? Another member once told me they never put a heater, and the person has plenty of Betas. I am not 100% sure my friend will buy one, as they are like 30$.


Now, I was thinking of making his tank a planted aquarium with nice black sand substrate (or black or brown small gravels, not sure yet what would be best) and a black back wallpaper, and some plants, and putting a 13W bulb for low lighted plants. Also, I was thinking of having the following filtration system: 1 sponge filter (the ones that are dual that you get for like 5$ from china on ebay), and one Aquaclear Filter, either an AC20, or an AC50 with an impeller from an AC20 and lower the flow with a sponge at discharge. Another option would be maybe the hamberg matten method, but one problem would be there would be no mechanical filter to remove the crap from the bottom of the tank like an AC filter would.

2) If he only has this beta, and a few snails / shrimps, will it be likely that he only has to do water change every 2 - 4 weeks, say about 20 %, or will he still need to do a 5 - 10% water change? This is after the tank has fully cycled of course, not in the beginning. I will give him some good bacteria from my own tank. The thing is, I am not sure he will have a test kit.

3) I heard that corydoras are compatible. So he might consider either some small cories or some dwarf cories / aspidoras, say about 6 to 8 of them. Are there other fish I can recommend to him instead that wont bother or be bothered by the male beta? 10g seems enough for more than 1 Beta, but then again, this might make it that he wont have to do much water changes at all... But I can imagine temptation going for other fish. Also, I think my friend had an Otto in the bowl, and the beta would chase it at times, maybe cause the area was small, not sure. Also, if I see there is enough hiding spots, I will get him a few rcs shrimps too. I am sure once he gets some algua, maybe 2 - 3 amanos can follow (not 100% sure yet). 

4) The tank will be open on top. Thus, at what level should we have the water level about? Should we leave like 2" from the top so the Beta doesn't jump out. The other alternative I was thinking is putting Egg Crate on top.

I am sure more questions will follow, but that's all for now.


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## Ryan.Wilton

The AC IMO wouldn't be recommended. You common betta has been bred over generations to have fighting behaviours, require room temperature water and have little flow in their tank.

The sponge filter should be okay, but the light in a 10gallon would probably provide enough heat for a heater not to be required. I've kept Corries with Bettas, no issue. As well as Oto Cats, Angelfish and black neon tetras (my original 29gallon about 12 years ago)


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## zfarsh

I could seriously lower the flow of the AC with a sponge at the outlet. I guess the problem I see with just a sponge filter is there would be no real mech filter to remove the crap that accumulate at the bottom, and I am not sure my friend would do vacuum cleaning.


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## Ryan.Wilton

Then don't give him an aquarium to set it if he won't maintain it, unless you're willing to aid.


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## zfarsh

But he was going to get a tank anyways!!! Would the bowl have been better than a 10g tank, specially if the 10g tank will be planted?


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## Ryan.Wilton

If he's not going to take care of the tank, then why waste the money?


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## zfarsh

He is going to take care of the tank, at least his wife will, just that they want to reduce things as much as possible, and they too many things at once would overwhelm them.


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## Ryan.Wilton

Okay, so use a sponge filter and teach her how to vacuum the gravel. No issue. The AC is not good for bettas, it'll cause too much flow and probably agitate the fish.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Updated pics of my completed channoides breeding group of 4.

New male and female









New male chilling with my new female (right) and dominant female (left).









Dominant male being lead away from new male, by my new female.









Dominant female sizing up the new girl. New female top, dominant female on the bottom.


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## zfarsh

Ok, I have a few questions about Plakat Male or female Beta (I still cant differentiate them, as I haven't seen them side by side), and this time, it is actually for myself. I need to determine a few things before adventuring myself in this territory.

I have a 10 gallon tank with a lot of Hygrophilia and Bacopa that currently has no fish, only RCS and Snails and a sponge filter as my number one contender for the bettas home. I also have a eheim heater I can set to 74 - 75 F? I might add a second sponge filter as the current one is very small. 

That said, I have a few questions:

1) How long can the Plakat Betta male live in general? 

2) Which food do you recommend as best for Bettas. I usually make my own gel food for my other fish / invertebrates with mostly veggies and some Krill and brine shrimp too, but that might be a bit difficult to feed always, though I will have shrimps and snails in the tank too to eat dropped food. I would prefer more natural or frozen food over commercial sticks if possible.

3) I read that bettas like to hang on the top of the tank, to sleep. Do I need to have a flat sponge close to the top part of the aquarium so it can sleep there or hang around when it is feeling lazy?

That's it for now.

EDIT 4) If going with female Plakat, how many should I have in a 10g tank? Also, are the very personable too, like the males?


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

zfarsh said:


> Ok, I have a few questions about Plakat Male or female Beta (I still cant differentiate them, as I haven't seen them side by side), and this time, it is actually for myself. I need to determine a few things before adventuring myself in this territory.
> 
> I have a 10 gallon tank with a lot of Hygrophilia and Bacopa that currently has no fish, only RCS and Snails and a sponge filter as my number one contender for the bettas home. I also have a eheim heater I can set to 74 - 75 F? I might add a second sponge filter as the current one is very small.
> 
> That said, I have a few questions:
> 
> 1) How long can the Plakat Betta male live in general?
> 
> 2) Which food do you recommend as best for Bettas. I usually make my own gel food for my other fish / invertebrates with mostly veggies and some Krill and brine shrimp too, but that might be a bit difficult to feed always, though I will have shrimps and snails in the tank too to eat dropped food. I would prefer more natural or frozen food over commercial sticks if possible.
> 
> 3) I read that bettas like to hang on the top of the tank, to sleep. Do I need to have a flat sponge close to the top part of the aquarium so it can sleep there or hang around when it is feeling lazy?
> 
> That's it for now.
> 
> EDIT 4) If going with female Plakat, how many should I have in a 10g tank? Also, are the very personable too, like the males?


1) 5 years, if in a heated aquarium with weekly water changes and a good diet.

2) You can make your own food, but the addition of some high quality pellets such Hikari and the occasional frozen beef heart would be great.

3) In general bettas stay by the surface to gulp air, you don't need to provide a floating bed. Your betta will most likely use the plants already in your tank.

4) I covered this before in a previous comment, female bettas are just as aggressive as males, especially with plakats. Though females tend to tolerate other tank mates, but be careful when housing numerous females, one can turn dominant and attack the others at anytime. If you want to try housing multiple females in a 10 gallon I'd suggest a group of 3.

Here's a easier way to sex male and female plakats: males be bigger in general and have a more bulky facial features (especially the mouth). Males also have broader fins than females. 
Female plakats on the other hand, have facial features which are typically smaller. They display vertical bars and their bodies when in breeding dress and have ovipositor (white egg spot between their bottom pectoral fins.


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## zfarsh

thanks for the answers. After having seen my friends normal Beta, the one I got a 10g tank for, I am warming up a lot to betas, and I think I want to start with a male and see how it goes, but I want the Plakat if possible. If you ever do sell some, pls let me know.

Thanks again.


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## Bayinaung

zfarsh, Tom might have some of these betas available. I'm looking to order from him in a month or so when SEA fish stocks availability would start to increase. I really enjoy some of the smaller wild bettas too because unlike their thai counterparts they are peaceful (relatively) with each other and will live happily in a small non-aerated tank.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

New pickups, all HMPKs/OHMPKs, 2 males 1 female

Super black halfmoon plakat female (spoon head)









Super black over halfmoon plakat male #1 (spoon head)









Super black over halfmoon plakat male #2


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Here's another over halfmoon plakat I won off Aquabid, a black devil dragon scale. Doesn't have the nicest rays or even fin form, but the dragon scales on it are pretty even compared to others I've seen. Looking forward to breeding it with the super black female I previously posted, that should produce a good batch of fry and correct the rays and finniage.


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## Erratic-Fish-Finatic

Quick update, once again I apologize for the extremely large img files, I'm uploading via mobile. Any how, enjoy.

Here's a 3 month old red copper hmpk I won off aquabid, getting this guy on the 21st.




























Here's also a male red dragon halfmoon plakat and a male red black copper dragon halfmoon plakat, that I have on hold and will get next month.

Red dragon hmpk










Red black copper dragon hmpk


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