Tracking Spawn Info

[mandi]

Here's a question for everyone who breeds bettas -- I'm planning to do my first spawn in December, around Christmas-time. I'm trying to plan ahead, and I'd like a way to keep track of all the relevant information about the spawns (who the parents were, date they spawned, etc.)

What data do you think I'll need? As in, what types of data do you keep track of? (I don't want to leave anything out and add it later.) -- Like Father's Name, Mother's Name, Father's Fin-Type, Mother's Fin-Type, blah blah blah etc.

Do you guys have any clever tricks for keeping track of all the info?

I'd like to make this into either an Access database or a full-blown Visual Basic application. If I can get it working, I'd be more than willing to share. So all ideas are welcome!

 

[shrks1fan]

I personally write down what the parents are (color and fin type), and their heritage if I have it (as specific as I can be). Then I also write down the spawn date, the hatch date, approx. amount of eggs (I usually say, small medium, large or HUGH clutch, lol), the amount of fry to that hatch to wriggler stage (once again, small, medium, large or HUGH unless somehow I'm able to get rough count and can give a number). Then I keep an area for notes, where I'll put any pertinent info that happens until Juvi stage, such as if they got velvet or some other disease, or if there was an unusual loss of life and what I think may have caused it (if I know), I'll mention if I feel the growth rate is slow or fast. Then I keep track of where the Juvi's go when I start selling them and how much they sell for. I will also at that point write down how many survived to that stage. That's about it for me. I also give the spawn a number so I can refer back to just that number if I ever breed any of the young, then I can refer to that number for more history on the new fish. For example, if I breed one of the young, this new spawn I'll put, Father: ST HM from spawn #3. Then if I want the grandparent info, I just look up spawn #3 and get it.

Linda