Why is record keeping important, since this is just my hobby? Well, to be
honest, it isn't important unless you are worried about the traits of the fish
you breed. Sometimes a trait that is weak (called a recessive trait) can be
buried for generations or even lost. For example, if you cross a fish with a
double tail to a fish with a single tail, either all the fish will be single
tail, or 1/2 the fish will be single tail and 1/2 will be double tail. This all
depends on whether the single tail fish "carries" the recessive double tail
gene. To know if a fish is a carrier of these silent recessive traits one needs
to have a breeding record. If one of it's parents was a double tail, then it has
to have the silent recessive double tail gene. In other words records help you
better predict what the outcome of a spawn will be. They can make the hobby more
fun and give you more control, if you can get the darn ones you want to spawn
together!
The best way to keep records is debatable so I will just tell you
how I keep mine. However, if you already are keeping records, and it is a system
that works, then stick with it. I have duplicate records and eventually I will
probably just stick with one. My first records are from 6/31/91 and how long I
was breeding betta before that, I don't know. This was just a journal entry with
date and fish, Male1 and Female2. When I moved to New York City my bettas
wouldn't breed anymore and they slowly died of old age. I got some new fish and
used Bullseye 7.0 and started getting some success and the records were now both
in the journal and on index cards. Finally, after seeing some discussion on the
topic on the internet mailing list of the IBC, I put it in the computer. I do it
a little differently than what they do. I keep a separate list for spawns and
then also for the breeders. Some of my actual records are below. A little boring and
somewhat humbling, but they reflect my reality.
| SPAWN NUMBER | MALE | FEMALE | DATE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 72 | 70 | 9/7/98 | |
| 4 | 72 | 74 | 10/23/98 | |
| 5 | 72 | 74 | 3/7/99 | |
| 6 | 82 | 83 | 4/25/99 | |
| 7 | 4-90 | 2-86 | 7/8/99 | |
| 8 | 72 | 81 | 7/23/99 | |
| 9 | 6-106 | 5-103 | 12/30/99 | |
| Restart | ||||
| SPAWN NUMBER | MALE | FEMALE | DATE | ANALYSIS |
| 12 | 117 | 116 | 7/27/07 | Success |
| 13 | 117 | 115 | 8/6/07 | Failed |
| 14 | 118 | 119 | 8/14/07 | Failed |
| 15 | 118 | 119 | 8/21/07 | Failed |
| 16 | 113 | 115 | 8/22/07 | Failed |
| 17 | 117 | 115 | 8/25/07 | Success |
| 18 | 118 | 119 | 8/28/07 | Failed |
| 19 | 117 | 116 | 9/2/07 | Success |
| 20 | 118 | 114 | 9/15/07 | Artificial Hatch Success |
| 21 | 113 | 115 | 9/14/07 | Failed |
| 22 | 113 | 116 | 9/21/07 | Almond leaf Success |
| 23 | 121 | 120 | 10/2/07 | Failed |
| 24 | 117 | 120 | 10/6/07 | Failed |
| 25 | 124 | 114 | 10/12/07 | Artificial hatch |
| 26 | 124 | 116 | 10/16/07 | Success |
| 27 | 125 | 126 | 11/9/07 | Success |
| 28 | 125 | 126 | 12/4/07 | Success |
| 29 | 127 | 130 | 2/14/08 | Success |
| 30 | 125 | 126 | 3/4/08 | Success |
| 31 | 135 | 136 | 6/1/08 | Success, raised outside |
| Fish ID # | SEX | DOM. COLOR | 2ND COLOR | 3RD COLOR | TAIL | PATTERN | GENERATION | DATE OF BIRTH OR PURCHASE |
SPAWNS PROD. | BREEDERS PROD. |
PARENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0070 | Female | Blue | St | Multicolor | P1 | summer 98 | #2 | #86 | None | ||
| 0072 | Male | Green | Red | DT | Multicolor | P1 | Summer 98 | 2, 4, 5, 8 | 86, 90 | None | |
| 0074 | Female | Green | Red | Multicolor | St (short?) | P1 | Bought 9/20/98 |
4, 5 | 90 | None | |
| 0075 | Male | Green | Red | St | Multicolor | P1 | Bought MB rec 10/16/98 DOB 5/98 |
None | None | None | |
| 0077 | Female | Green | Red | None | St | Multicolor | P1 | Bought MB rec 10/16/98 DOB 5/98 |
None | None | None |
| 0078 | Female | Green | Red | St | Multicolor | P1 | Bought MB rec 10/16/98 DOB 5/98 |
None | None | None | |
| 0079 | Male | Blue | Red | St | Cambodian | P1 | Bought fall 98 | None | None | None | |
| 0080 | Female | Red | Gun Blue | Dt | Cambodian | P1 | Bought 3/18/99 | None | None | None | |
| 0081 | Female | Green | Dt | Solid | P1 | Bought 3/18/99 | 8 | None | None | ||
| 0082 | Male | Green | Red | St/Dt Hm-geno? | solid | P1 | Bought 3/31/99 JH | 6 | fry | None | |
| 0083 | Female | Green | Dt HM-geno? | Solid | P1 | Bought 3/31/99 JH | 6 | fry | None | ||
| 0084 | Female | Green | Dt | Solid | P1 | Bought 3/31/99 | None | None | None | ||
| 0085 | Male | Green | St | Solid | f0 | Bought 3/31/99 | None | None | None | ||
| 0086 | Female | Blue | Red | St/Dt | Multi | f1 | Spawn 2 9/7/98 | 7 | None | M72 F70 | |
| 0087 | Female | Green | Red | St/Dt | Multicolor | f1 | Spawn2 9/7/98 | None | None | M72 F70 | |
| 0088 | Female | Green | Red | St/dt | Multicolor | f1 | Spawn2 9/7/98 | None | None | M72 F70 | |
| 0089 | Female | Green | Red | St/Dt | Multicolor | f1 | Spawn2 9/7/98 | None | None | M72 F70 | |
| 0090 | Male | Green | St/dt short | Solid | f1 | Spawn4 10/23/98 | 7 | None | M72 F74 | ||
| 0091 | Male | Green | Red | St/Dt long | Solid | f1 | Spawn4 10/23/98 | None | None | M72 F74 | |
| 0092 | Male | Red | Green | St/Dt Long | Multicolor | f1 | Spawn4 10/23/98 | None | None | M72 F74 | |
| 0093 | Female | Green | St/dt short? | Solid | f1 | Spawn4 10/23/98 | None | None | M72 F74 | ||
| 0094 | Male | Red | Green | St/dt short | Mixed | f1 | Spawn4 10/23/98 | None | None | M72 F74 | |
| 0095 | Male | Blue | Dt/dt | Solid | P1 | Bought DB rec 9/20/99 |
None | None | None | ||
| 0096 | Female | Blue | Dt/dt | Solid | P1 | Bought DB rec 9/20/99 |
None | None | None | ||
| 0097 | Male | Opaque | Blue | St/? | Cambodian | f0 | Bought DB rec 9/20/99 |
None | None | None | |
| 0098 | Male | Red | Opaque | Blue | St/? | Solid | P1 | Bought DB rec 9/20/99 |
None | None | None |
| 0099 | Male | Blue | St/? | Solid | P1 | Bought DB rec 9/20/99 |
None | None | None | ||
| 0100 | Male | Green | Red | St/dt, short | Multicolor | f1 | spawn4 10/23/9 | None | None | M72 F74 | |
| 0101 | Female | Green | Red | St/dt | Multicolor | f1 | spawn4 10/23/98 | None | None | M72 F74 | |
| 0102 | Male | Green | Red | St/dt short | Multicolor | f1 | spawn4 10/23/98 | None | None | M72 F74 | |
| 0103 | Female | Red | Green | St/dt | Multicolor | f1 | spawn 5 3/7/99 | #9 | None | M72 F74 | |
| 0104 | Male | Green | Red | St/dt long | Multicolor | f1 | spawn 5 3/7/99 | None | None | M72 F74 | |
| 0105 | Male | Green | Red | St/dt long P/? | Multicolor | f1 | spawn 5 3/7/99 | None | None | M72 F74 | |
| 0106 | Male | Green | St/dt P/P | Solid | f1 | spawn6 4/25/99 | #9 | None | M82 F83 | ||
| 0107 | Male | Green | St/dt P/P | Solid | f1 | spawn6 4/25/99 | None | None | M82 F83 | ||
| 0108 | Female | Green | Dt P/P | Solid | f1 | spawn6 4/25/99 | None | None | M82 F83 | ||
| 0109 | Female | Green | St/dt P/P | Solid | f1 | spawn6 4/25/99 | None | None | M82 F83 | ||
| 0110 | Female | Green | ?? | Dt P/? | Solid | f1 | spawn8 7/23/99 | None | None | M72 F81 | |
| 0111 | Male | Gun Blue/opaque | red | father was short tail | butterfly | f1 | spawn10 4-16-04 | None | None | M72 F81 | |
| 0112 | Female | Royal Blue | Red | Veiltail caries short tail | Multicolored | F1 | ?? | ?? | None | None | |
| Restart as of 6/19/07 | |||||||||||
| Fish ID # | SEX | DOM. COLOR | 2ND COLOR | 3RD COLOR | TAIL | PATTERN | GENERATION | DATE OF BIRTH OR PURCHASE |
SPAWNS PROD. | BREEDERS PROD. |
PARENTS |
| 113 | Male | Gun Blue Grissle |
Red | Crown tail ? | Multi | P1 | Bought 7/07 at PetCo Waterford, CT | 16, 21, 22 | None | None | |
| 114 | Female | Red | veiltail? | Solid | P1 | PetCo Waterford, CT | 20 | None | None | ||
| 115 | Female | Green | Red | Crowntail | Multicolored | P1 | Bought 7/27/07 Fin and Feather, Groton, CT | 13,16,21 | None | None | |
| 116 | Female | Royal Blue | Red | Crowntail | Multicolored | P1 | Bought 7/27/07 Fin and Feather, Groton, CT | 17, 19, 22 | None | None | |
| 117 | Male | Red | Green | Double tail | Multicolored | P1 | Bought 7/27/07 Fin and Feather, Groton, CT | 13, 17, 19 | None | None | |
| 118 | Male | Green | Pla Kat | Solid with mask | P1 | Gift from Leo Buss 8/5/07 | 14, 15, 18, 20 | None | None | ||
| 119 | Female | Green | Pla Kat | Solid with Mask | P1 | Gift from Leo Buss 8/5/07 | 14, 15, 18, | None | None | ||
| 120 | Female | Royal Blue | Red | Pla Kat HalfMoon | Marbled | P1 | Bought from Roy Torres 9/17/07 | None | None | None | |
| 121 | Male | SteelBlue | Veil Tail | Solid | P1 | Bought at CBC auction 9/30/07 | None | None | None | ||
| 122 | Female | Multicolored DT geno | Veil/ Dt geno | Solid | P1 | Bought at CBC auction 9/30/07 | None | None | None | ||
| 123 | Male | Green | Red | Pla Kat | Solid | P1 | Bought at CBC auction 9/30/07 | None | None | None | |
| 124 | Male | yellow | some black | Crown tail | Solid | P1 | Bought at CBC auction 9/30/07 | None | None | None | |
| 125 | Male | blue | yellow | Opaque? | Half Moon PlaKat | Butterfly | P1 | Purchased from betta_hero@yahoo.com under Hero_306 BF HMPK male | 27 | None | None |
| 126 | Female | blue | yellow | Opaque? | Half Moon PlaKat | Butterfly | P1 | Purchased from betta_hero@yahoo.com under Hero_311 BF HMPK female | 27 | None | None |
| 127 | Male | blue | __ | __ | comb tail | Solid | F1 | 7/27/07 Spawn 12 | None | None | None |
| 128 | Male | blue | red | __ | comb tail | Butterfly | F1 | 7/27/07 Spawn 12 | None | None | None |
| 129 | Male | black | blue | __ | comb tail | Butterfly | F1 | 7/27/07 Spawn 12 | None | None | None |
| 130 | Female | None | __ | __ | comb tail | none | F1 | 7/27/07 Spawn 12 | None | None | None |
| 131 | Female | blue | __ | __ | comb tail | solid | F1 | 7/27/07 Spawn 12 | None | None | None |
| 132 | Female | blue | __ | __ | comb tail | solid | F1 | 7/27/07 Spawn 12 | None | None | None |
| 133 | Male | Steel blue | Some Red | __ | Crown tail | solid marble geno |
F1 | 9/21/07 Spawn 22 | None | None | None |
| 134 | FeMale | Green | Some Red | __ | Crown tail | solid marble geno |
F1 | 9/21/07 Spawn 22 | None | None | None |
| 135 | Male | Blue | __ | __ | PlaKat | solid Partial mask |
P1 | From Leo 4/27/08 | 31 | None | None |
| 136 | Female | Green | Yellow | __ | PlaKat | Butterfly | F1 | 12/4/07 Spawn 28 | 31 | None | 125 and 126 |