Breeding Bettas

[Neomeris]

Reverse engineering? All I know about that is that if you do it to a website, it's owners will be very mad.

I really do not want to cull fish. If there was one with, say, an illness that would cause it a long, painful death I would probably cull, but other than that...

 

[lilfishie]

Reverse engineering? All I know about that is that if you do it to a website, it's owners will be very mad.

I really do not want to cull fish. If there was one with, say, an illness that would cause it a long, painful death I would probably cull, but other than that...

i have the same view here, i'd either keep any defect fish (providing healthy and not in any obvious pain) or adopt them out to close friends/family that i can trust to look after them.

i could never cull any fish i'd have to get my partner to do it

 

[Tolak]

You do know more now about reverse engineering as far as breeding is concerned, I just gave you a brief explanation on how to go about it.

There are problems with not culling. Often external problems will manifest themselves as internal problems as well. Shortened lifespan is the usual result, due to these internal problems as well as lack of disease resistance. One major goal of a breeding program is keeping your setup as disease free as possible.

You will find that the best breeders will cull heavily. Their goal is to improve the species as much as possible, in the eyes of others as well as their own. Fish that do not meet this criteria tie up tank space that could be better used achieving this goal.

Any fish you buy that has any sort of breeding potential has had some culling behind it. To make any progress improving a species as a breeder culling is a necessary evil. Is it easy? Never. Does it have to be done? Absolutely, if you have improving the species as a goal, something that should be the first thing a breeder of any species aims for.

 

[Neomeris]

Okay. So to breed betas I really need to study genetics.. Sounds like a loooong project, but I will do it.

 

[Reret]

Good luck

 

[Neomeris]

Thanks.