Here's some fish I haven't talked about in a while, my group of Betta rutilans sp. 'green' sub-adults. I have found this to be a relatively slow maturing species, and as this group suffered through some trials and tribulations when they were younger, their growth isn't as fast as it otherwise might have been. There are I believe 18 individuals in a 30x30x30cm tank. There is a lot of cover as I have found this species to be quite aggressive when the mood takes them.
I find this species extremely difficult to sex. Particularly when they are this size. I believe based on ventrals and fins I may have a couple of females, but until I saw them actually wrapping I would never state it with 100% certainty! This is one of the handful of wild betta species I will be continuing to keep. This was the first species of wild betta I managed to successfully spawn, and these 18 sub-adults are the last spawn I have from my original female. Their physical difference to the standard 'red' Betta rutilans coupled with my male's tendency to mouthbrood, makes them a ratherand unusual addition to my fish room. I also do have a bit of a soft spot for them, as I remember how small and shy the original pair was when I first got them. Although, they didn't have to stay long with me to become behemoths. I have noticed these crop up on the Aquarium Industries stock list, so if you can, I would highly recommend sourcing some through your LFS. They are a ripper of a fish and great for those dipping their toes (or in this hobby more like plunging head-first ) into the coccina complex.
Wonderful to hear that you will be keeping the rutilans! They are so beautiful. I am happy with my burdigala as of right now, but I would like to get into the other coccina complex species one day. especially one that has a propensity to do something as funny as mouthbrood :)
Ashlea
1/8/2013 04:46:06 pm
After all the hassle of sick fish in my grow-outs, my motto now is that if the parents are not harassing the fry and I don't want to rear a massive number of fish, I will leave the fry in with the parents.
Awesome, thanks for the reply! I will plan on moving the adults to a new tank once there are enough juveniles raised along side the parents for it to be a little crowded lol.
Ashlea
3/8/2013 07:11:56 pm
Yep, it's like once they hit a certain size/age they seem to be out all the time rather than you just snatching glimpses of them as they dart off into cover. Comments are closed.
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AuthorLocated in Melbourne, Australia, I currently keep and breed a number of species from the coccina complex. Archives
November 2017
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