*** A Chat with Chok - SUthasine Bettas ***

[Proteus]

Here is the Transcript of the chat with Chok

Thanks to all that attended, at one stage we had 52 people in the chat room... Excellent, considering only 48hrs notice was given.

[Lisbetha]

For those who just want the main points here's the summary:

• good food and good clean water - for strong and rapid growth of fry
• cross yellow w/ copper gold to 4 generations
• good red and good melano hard to develop
• favourites - gold, melano and reds
• Mr Atison gave 1st breeder
• his goal is Gold (colour before form)

• 1st meal until 5 days if boiled egg yolk - spray it a little bit in am and pm
• after 5 days feed - MW and daphnia - twice day
• photograph fish in smallest and cleanest tank using Olympus E-20 camera

• after yellow to copperr gold cross use F1 fry to breed, then F2 and select closest to gold goal for F3, got 4-5 fish close to goal and then got success on F4
• uses tap water but filter 3 times with carbon filter for non-chlorine - no added chemical some salt and a bit of almond leaf in grow out tank
• no chemicals
• What size breed tank? 12" di. tank 3" water high put almond leaf for light yellow water
• 7-10 days after hatch move to tank 80cm di w/ 6" water high
• change 80% of water after 1 month after that change 60-70% of water every week. Can increase water to 12" after a month
• the fry will miss ventrils if water is bad. clean the Microworms 3-4 times before feeding

• get 50-80% of male from spawn depending on colour
• doesn't use plant in breeding tank - doesn't want the female to hide
• average spawn - 70-100
• breed tank indoor , grow out tank outdoor
• remove dad when fry is free swimming
• releases unwanted into Thai canals - Abbey's taking us there on a fishing trip

• What do you see as the future in Bettas? As in form and colours, is there anything new in the
• pipeline? - now actual color of HM are not good enough. but almost breeders try only for new color. I think the future HM should be big and straight. dorsal, not too long anal fin. and CLEAN COLOR.

• Chok does your gold line consist of non-red gene - my gold carry yellow, metallic (from wild type), cambodia. (and red if it's gold/red)

• How to improve the long anal finnage? cross to plakats?? if you cross to plakad you will lost HM genes.
• have you ever considered starting a gold CT line? - i didn't breed CT. i think many breeder trying now.
• would crossing with DTs achieve this finnage, do you think? - that's good to develop finnage and tail. but some fish may too short body.
• or just selection and outcrossing to other longfinned lines? YES
• I mean HM plakat off course - all HM plakad also too long anal!
• meaning your F1 you cross yellow mettallic x cambo metallic to get rid of black scale - you right, but no have yellow metallic on that time. I used the normal yellow.

• MG yellow has non red gene , is that the yellow you use i use clean yellow. I think the MG is a good idea to try.

• Does your grow out tank have an air pump or can the fry develop labrynth without aid, in still water? still water

[Liz]

Phew! That was hurting my eyes and brain trying to decipher! Thanks mate.