Marine Betta

[ThRoewer]

I bought a small one a week or so ago. And have not seen it one time since I put it in tank. Not sure if it is alive or not. I hope so , they look amazing. I have always loved them.
Is this normal for them to vanish this long?

Depends on the tank and the tankmates. A week hiding isn't too much.
Did you quarantine the fish?

 

[Sudaien]

Depends on the tank and the tankmates. A week hiding isn't too much.
Did you quarantine the fish?

Yes . And there are absolutely no other fish that could or would hurt it in any way.

 

[laverda]

I bought a small one a week or so ago. And have not seen it one time since I put it in tank. Not sure if it is alive or not. I hope so , they look amazing. I have always loved them.
Is this normal for them to vanish this long?

For a large brightly colored fish they can hide very well. I have a large one and it surprises people when it comes out. they are like where was that hiding?

 

[ThRoewer]

For a large brightly colored fish they can hide very well. ...

Brightly colored???? o_O
More like perfect marine cave dweller camouflage.
The large male in my 100 gallon tank managed to hide himself and eggs he was guarding the so well that I couldn't find him at first. I only discovered him when I saw him chasing the nosy Regal Angel female away.
Even the male in the 40B with just a few drilled flowerpots manages at time to make himself "invisible"...

 

[ThRoewer]

11 DPH:

 

[ThRoewer]

13 DPH - settlement started:

 

[ThRoewer]

Previous batch is doing great as well:

 

[ichthyogeek]

Previous batch is doing great as well:

They’re so tiny! What’s that macro you have in the background?

 

[ThRoewer]

They’re so tiny! What’s that macro you have in the background?

It should be Gracilaria hayi.
Something really tough as most fish won't eat it, not even tangs. Some of them like to sit inside the algae ball while others seem to prefer the shard shelters. And a few always hang out below the heater...

 

[ThRoewer]

70 days old:

 

[TriggerFinger]

If someone were to get a pair from you when they are ready, are you able to tell male from female at that point?

 

[ThRoewer]

If someone were to get a pair from you when they are ready, are you able to tell male from female at that point?

I think most will be females at first and the largest/dominant one will become the male.
My current pairs were all assembled of young adults and the larger of each pair became the male. The same with a pair of Biota bred Plesiops corallicola I bought from Diver's Den.
Now, there may be primary males, specimen that are males from the start, but so far this is just a theory.
In Germany I put pairs together from large adults by sexing them, but it seems such large specimens are rare in the trade these days.
I would think, with 2 of these tiny ones you will end up with a pair, especially if getting one of the larger and one of the smaller out of the clutch.

 

[ThRoewer]

80 days old:

 

[tonysnow1990]

this is awesome! I love this fish and would love one in my future tank. I am planning on starting the tank January timeframe. Would you be able to hold one until then? And how much are you selling them for? Thanks!

following this thread!

 

[User1]

They are an interesting color when young. I wonder if it has anything to do with their location and environment they hide/hunt to eat in the wild.

I was just wondering if there was any update - thanks. I have enjoyed watching them progress.

 

[ThRoewer]

Third batch I tried in a tub was a bust. I could find only one post metamorphosis juvenile and one pre settlement larvae.
I hope they spawn again soon.

I can now confirm that Marine Bettas eat bristleworms. I suspected it for a long time after the males I had back in Germany would sometimes show up with a "bristle-beard". Back then I thought it were primarily males that would go after bristleworms because the worms might steal the betta's eggs. But when I tossed a bristle worm back into the tank of my current breeding pair the female snapped it up and swallowed it. On Sunday I took down a tank and ended up with cup of really large worms. So I ripped one especially large one in half and tossed it into the betta tank and the female went after it again and gulped it down. While these were target fed to the bettas, I would think they will also eat them if they find them in a tank. This could explain how Marine Bettas can sustain themselves in a tank even if they are rarely showing up for feedings...

 

[Reef Krazy28]

The marine beta is by far one of my favorite fish. I've been following along since you started this thread, an excellent find. I enjoy learning more about this magnificent fish. Congratulations on your success breeding them thus far. Thanks for all the detailed information. I have been looking to pair the one I have but have had no luck finding a good specimen. Would love to add a pair our babies when they are ready.

 

[Tired]

Oh my goodness! I love how the babies have that one giant dot on them, like they're waiting for the white to diffuse out into more spots once they have room. So cute.

Have you tried to selectively breed them for any sort of pattern variation?

 

[ThRoewer]

103 days old: eating adult Artemia

 

[Tired]

They really are just precious.