Tuesday, October 7, 2014

DARWIN AS A MENTOR



Blue & Bride

Years ago I got this advice from the great Ann Rogers Clark of the dog world, “Make them typey.  Then make them healthy.  Then make the pretty.”  I never followed that advice.  You see, when I was planning my first betta spawn, I got this advice from one of my Thai mentors, “Put the male and the female in a large clay pot.  Add a reasonably clean leaf.”  Since then I have applied that advice to breedings in fish, snakes, cats, and dogs.  Breeding should be natural.  Focus on the healthy offspring.

When starting a breeding a program, I select parents that breed readily without much human intervention.   I’m very Darwinian in that respect.  If they die easily, I don’t want them in my program.  I set my tanks up, all planted, in my home without frequent water changes or super temperature controls.  When I have spawns, I purposefully do not baby the offspring.  What survives, survives.  From the survivors I will select those with the best form (type) and then make them pretty.  I have found this to be a very successful approach with a variety of freshwater tropical fish and have successfully raised Bettas, Angel Fish, and Jeweled Cichlids, using this approach.

Currently, I have a number of beautiful betta pairs.  Which ones will I put together to spawn?  Those who survive a winter in my family room.