1. To produce Blacks I breed a Black STM to a Steel Blue STF. They will
throw Blacks, and Steels. From this spawn I got some Black females who
were always infertile. The Steel seemed to produce a cleaner Black than
breeding my Blacks to Greens. The Greens seem to produce more iridescence
in the body whereas the Steels make a blacker body and black fins, except
the black would fade with to transparency along the outside edges of the
fins. I think this is due to the old wild gene trying to push the butterfly
pattern into the picture.
2. Marbles are the true genetic mutation of the Betta world. I heard a story
that the Marbles came from an inmate in Indiana prison a long time ago back
when the bird man of Alkatraz was around. I heard he raised them in soup cans.
Today inmates are not permitted pets in institutions. I also heard that Marbles
produced the first double tails and butterflies. The true strain of Marble is
a white body, usually fifty-fifty with red, or blue, or black splotching. I do
know I used to produce some great red butterfly patterned Bettas by crossing a
good strain of Red Marbles with a long line of Solid Reds. I have seen a lot of
solid color Bettas with a white chin or white head and I consider them Marble stock.
3. Doubletails have been around a long time. In the 70s I saw a lot of Red DTs
that were pure red and perfect doubletail lobes in the caudals. Most of the time
DT to DT produces DTs. However I have seen DT to DT produce 10% STs also. DT to
ST should produce STs assuming the ST does not have any DT genotype in their
background. A lot of breeders mix in DTs to a ST line to produce bigger dorsals.
It may take 4 or 5 generations but it can be done to produce beautiful Bettas.
4. I will state it is imperative you know at least one or two generations back
what your Betta genetics are before you attempt to produce what you desire in
form and color. If you want to go nuts then get a nice Blue Betta and then get
a Blue female who carries 70% Marble in her. I did not know how much was Marble
or solid or DT or butterfly trait. So out of the spawn I got solid DT Blues,
ST Blues, Marble Blues, Butterfly Blues and a montage of multi-colored Bettas.
This is why you should use Bettas from a Betta breeder who has and can tell
you what generation of color/fin they have been working.
5. The perfect way to breed Bettas for what you want is to pick one color or form
and go with it and make sure you have a friend from another area who is working
the same color or form. After five generations, you then swap Bettas. You send
Bettas to them and visa versa. Then you may cross the strains to make them stronger.
6. I do know of a breeder who concentrated on Reds for over 12 generations. The
problem arose when as the fish matured it carried an "unseen bent ventral fin gene"
which was not noticeable till the Betta became of show age! Here was the perfect
Red Bettas with perfect color and then the ventral fins began to curl.
7. If you want near perfect Bettas then ask for some that are to the 4th generation
and be prepared to pay through the nose for them. You will still have plenty of work
ahead of you, but this will save you a year or two of work.
8. Pastels are something else that I rarely worked with. I still am not sure where
my Green Pastel DTs and my Pastel Blue STs came from.
9. Opaques are beyond my knowledge bank. I never worked them. I am still trying to
figure out how I got Whites and Pastels from Blacks to Greens. I assume they have
Marble background.
10. Royal Blues. Royal Blue usually comes from crossing a Green to a Steel Betta.
Crossing these Royal Blues will produce Steels, Greens, and Royals.
11. Turquoise. Turquoise is a unique color trait for me. I can't see it. I am "shadeblind"
and have difficulty differentiating between some shades and colors of Blue. I remember telling
some IBC judges I thought they were shade blind also. Lol!
12. Remember if you want to use LFS (Local Fish Shop) stock then be prepared to spend the
next couple of years breeding and culling and breeding and culling and breeding and culling.
This is why I suggest you start with breeder stock at the beginning and work your way foreword.
13. So now you know a little of the little I know about Betta genetics.