Betta breeding can be performed with help of genetics to create different color and types of tails in the betta fish. To understand how to breed for specific colors in the betta fish, individual should understand the three layer of pigment that help to determine the color of the fish. The first layer of pigment contain melanophores, which create black and brown color in the fish.
The second layer of pigment contains xanthophores, which create red and yellow colors in the fish. Finally, the third layer of pigment contains iridophores, which scatter the light to create blue and green colors in the betta fish. Since these three pigments is present in the body of the fish in these three layers, altering the expression of one pigment will impact the color of the betta fish.
Breeding Betta Fish for Colors and Tails
For instance, if an individual cross a blue betta fish with a red betta fish, the offspring may contain purple colors or white colors. Betta fish also display different types of tail, but each of these traits are mostly independent of the genes that control the color of the fish. For example, halfmoon betta fish have caudal fins that create an 180-degree arc in the fish’s fin, while plakat betta fish have short tails that are similar to the tails of wild betta fish.
Furthermore, these different type of tails can be combined with one another to create other types of betta fish, such as combining crowntail spikes and dragon scale bodies. However, individual should be cautious about breeding for these colors with veiltail genes, as veiltail genes are often dominant to other tail genes. Betta fish genetics include more than just the traits related to the color of the betta fish.
For instance, each trait can be dominant, recessive, or co-dominant. Traits that are considered to be dominant will appear in the offspring of the crossed betta fish, while traits that is recessive will only appear if both of the parent fish contain that specific recessive gene. For instance, the dragon scale trait can be introduced to the offspring of two carrier fish, but breeder should take care when breeding dragon scale fish for many generation because the diamond eye trait must also be watched for its presence.
The Cambodian trait is a recessive trait of the betta fish, and only will appear in one-quarter of the offspring of two parent that are carriers of the Cambodian trait. Finally, the marble trait causes the colors of the fish to change over time, so incorporating the marble trait into the breeding effort will complicate the color options for the offspring of those fish. In order to produce specific colors of betta fish, individuals must select which pairings of betta fish to breed.
For instance, to produce mustard gas color in the offspring, individuals should breed a mustard male with a yellow female to reduce the body pigment of the offspring. To produce black orchid color, individuals can breed black lace fish with steel blue fish, but should avoid using females with melano genes, as those females are usually sterile. Furthermore, an individual can display the various breeding cross in a grid, which makes it easier to determine which cross will result in certain colors of betta fish in the offspring.
In addition to determining how to cross breed the fish to desired color, individuals must also prepare the environment for the breeding of those two betta fish. During the two week before breeding, individuals should provide the parent fish with live food, such as brine shrimp or bloodworms, which will lead to an increase in the number of egg released by the female fish. The spawning tank should have a depth of six inches, contain water with a pH of between 6.5 and 7.2, and have a temperature of 80 degree.
Furthermore, since the fry will not have fully developed their color until three or four months after spawning, individual should be patient in waiting for the fry to develop their full coloration, and to track any data related to those specific fish. The ratios of the fry produced by the breeding of two parent fish can help to determine the success of that breeding effort. For instance, if the parent fish is homozygous for the trait that is being breed for, the offspring will be nearly 100% of that color.
Additionally, if an individual breed a dominant trait with a recessive trait, the cross will result in a 75-25 ratio of dominant to recessive fish. If an individual breeds a marble trait with a solid color trait, the cross will result in a 50-50 ratio of offspring of each trait. However, these ratios can sometimes fail to produce such results due to other genes or the conditions of the breeding tank, so using multi-generation line of betta fish with the desired traits will ensure more consistent result of the breeding efforts.
