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View BadgesHow is everything going with the children?
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They are doing fine but will have to move this weekend since I need the tank for the next batch.How is everything going with the children?
I would think they still need at least 2 more months before they can be moved to a reef tank. It may be longer before they can be shipped safely.There’s a noticeable range of sizes & a lot more than what I was expecting also. Fantastic! Any idea when you will start sending them to new homes?
I have only one and only for a couple of months so it is too early to say anything definitive, especially growth rates. They seem to be more shy in the beginning but by now my single female argus comes out waiting for food just like the altivelis.Beyond physical appearance, what differences have you noticed between altivelis and argus? Behavior, growth rate, personality?
I would agree. Mine was seldom seen in my tank, always lurking in the background. When my large 12" salfin tang of 24 years died. I noticed with in a few days my marine beta was out front and in the water column much more. My tank was always very gentle. I called him the gentile giant being much larger than my other fish. When it did tussle with my yellow tang on rear ocasions, it did so with the side missing the scaple. It was always the yellow tang starting things.I have only one and only for a couple of months so it is too early to say anything definitive, especially growth rates. They seem to be more shy in the beginning but by now my single female argus comes out waiting for food just like the altivelis.
Btw, the female of the altivelis pair I have the babies from is the most outgoing so far, almost always out at the front and always begging for food. Her male, on the other hand, is one of my shyest individual.
Both species like calmer tanks with rather unobtrusive, calm tankmates. They don't seem to be bothered much by clown and anemonefish but seem to be intimidated by tangs and other larger and more restless fish.
Now that you bring it up, the ventral fin thing is something I noticed as well, mostly with the one I suspected to be a male. But I have seen that also with altivelis when they hunt live shrimp.I asked because I notice that the altivelis is much more outgoing and grows much faster. In fact I'm getting worried because the altivelis (supposed female) is now larger than the male and she was less than half his size when I got them.
I also noticed that the argus uses the ventral fins differently, often projecting them forward, something I very rarely see the argus do.
No idea about age but I think it is rather size driven.Thanks. I didn't know that the argus is usually found at greater depths.
I see submissive behavior from the (younger) altivelis occasionally.
At what age do they reach sexual maturity? Is there certainty regarding sex change?
Sorry to pester you, but there's so little reliable information in spite of this fish being kept and bread for decades now.
After a break of almost 30 years, I plan on raising a few more Marine Bettas.
I currently have one spawning pair in my 100-gallon mixed tank (where harvesting the eggs is difficult) and a harem group of 1 male (wild-caught), 1 large female (wild-caught), and 1 smaller female (Sea & Reef tank bred) in a 40B. I hope the 3 in the 40B will start spawning soon.
This is the male of the pair in the 100-gallon tank with eggs:
This was right at the entrance of the cave structure and could have been easy pickings. Unfortunately, I had neither suitable food nor a suitable larvae tank ready, and the next nest he put in the back of the tank where it can't be reached.
This was the pair while in quarantine, still quite little:
And this video shows them now in the 100-gallon tank
This is a (crapy) video of the harem group:
The male of the group (back then still a female) and the small female have been together since June 2015, the large female I added just a few days ago. When putting the larger female with the other two I expected actually a little bit of fighting but she got along with the male right away and pretty much ignores the smaller female. In the past I had pairs spawn 2 weeks after putting them together but it could also take a few months. I have started feeding krill but might also try to find live grass shrimp to get them going fast.
I also will have to build a special larva tank.