Livida breeding project 11/11/2020 : stunted growth for a few

Pair: LM1si vs LF1si
Breeding date: 11/11/2020

Offspring: 20

Age at 5/12/2020: 3 weeks

Five fries were noticeably very small within the gang of 20 at the age of two weeks . A week later,  those five are still comparatively smaller than the rest. The other fifteen are putting on weight with big belly and move actively.  Same breeding tank, same water, same food, yet some refuse to grow to expectation.  

pic1: Five fries out of 20 exhibit similar stunted growth
at the age of three weeks

The healthy ones are eating well and growing well. Its sad to see the stunted five fries. I suppose they have to be separated, and with extra care and small sized food, they might just wake up. 

bangchik

betta livida breeding

seri iskandar, perak.

Livida project 17/10/2020 - accurate counting for 6 week old juveniles

 Finally I get the total number of offspring right and accurate.  While doing regular cleaning up, and 30% water change, I snap photo from the top. Most leaves and plants are taken out for the photo. There they are, the juveniles all over the place. 

pic1: juveniles of 17/10/2020 livida breeding project - Pair 1
Total: 37

pic2: juveniles of 17/10/2020 livida breeding project - Pair 2
Total: 19

Betta Livida breeding project 17/10/2020
Pair 1      : LM1s.i. vs LF2t.m.  - 37 offspring

Pair 2      : LM3t.m. vs LF1s.i.  - 19 offspring

Age at 1/12/2020 : 6 weeks

bangchik

betta livida breeding 

seri iskandar, perak.

Betta Livida breeding project 17/10/2020: over a month old fries.

Pair 1: LM1si vs LF2tm - offspring: 34

Pair 2: LM3tm vs LF1si - offspring: 19

Breeding date: 17/10/2020

The offspring is over a month old.  They are no more the lovely, sweet little fries. Both spawns, had evolved into a more wilder version.  Ketapang and mahang leaves lying at the bottom are favorite hideouts. I notice some of them even hide at the corners within the accumulating debris. Some dash from one clump of debris to another, as some prefer to shuttle between one leaf to another. 

When they are at one to 2 week old, I can almost hand feed them. They show their hunting skill, coiling up their little bodies and dash to snap live food. They get accustomed to my presence I assumed . I thought that's  going to last forever, that docile behavior. Now, they learn about safety as in the wild, and they even treat me as intruder. Alas..

Food is still artemia and monia macrocopa. Once a week, I give them little snacks of dried egg yolk and crushed pellets. For artemia, electricity can be off. Even monia culture may crash. So the little livida babies has to be versatile with food.  Covid19 movement control order (mco) is a blessing, that we are advised to stay safe at home. Betta Livida fries can count on me to feed them live food, 24/7.  

Their time is more within hideouts now. Water change gives the opportunity to see them and count them, and assess their growth. The other day I saw one dead, less than 24 hours I guess, judging by its condition.  The rest are fine. One death is still a cause for alarm. Frequent water change, and regular adds on of ketapang leaves are all I can think of for now.

Pic 1: Only 1 fry seen above pegaga leaf

Pic 2:  spawn 2- they are all hiding

pic 3: spawn 1 - they are all hiding

I am now getting into water parameters with the newly bought Ph and TDS meter. So future post will be accompanied with numbers!

I hate counting when they are darting all over the place.  Close to accurate counting shows total as 53.  I guess, the number can only be exact when I put them in jars. That would be months to go.

bangchik

seri iskandar perak

betta livida fries: 3 week old comparing the two spawns of 17/10/2020 project

PARENTS:       

Pair 1      : LM1s.i. vs LF2t.m.

Pair 2      : LM3t.m. vs LF1s.i.   

Breeding date: 17/10/2020

TANK:  8"x8"x6"small polystyrene boxes, with 3" RO water .

FOOD:  infusoria, artemia and moina

OBSERVATION

Population: Earlier on it was difficult to count the fries, since they like to dart away into hideouts. A rough estimate of 16 and 15  proved wrong. While doing large water change recently, and putting aside ketapang and mahang leaves, and all the plants, the three weeks old fries were big enough for accurate counting. At three weeks old, Pair 1 had 22 babies whereas Pair 2 had 20, which really is at low end of normal betta livida range of fries, between 20 to 50 (refer https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/betta-livida). 

Size:  Fries from both spawns are of the same size and both are active. 

- out of 22 fries from spawn 1, at any time about half were seen swimming  or hanging out at mid level, and the rest swimming at the bottom. They rarely hide under ketapang leaves at the bottom.

- out of 20 fries from spawn 2, only one or two can be seen swimming at mid level, most are hiding under ketapang leaves at the bottom.  

During feedings,  the first group were at ease, exhibiting hunting skills and show their curled bodies  before snapping up the live food. The second group were rarely outside of their hideout, sneaked out  to grab food and get back into their hideout.  

Video1 : Fries curled their bodies and snapped live food

bangchik

seri iskandar