Dwarf bettas experiment

Early experimentation to produce dwarf bettas, or rather the mini bettas, has shown that this can easily be done by the following technique:

• very irregular feeding, sometimes feeding only once or twice a week
• start irregular feeding early in the life of the betta, they'll go skinny (but seems healthy)
• once they reach 3 or 4 months old, you can feed as much as you'd like, their size won't grow bigger
• overcrowded tank helps, though not necessarily required
• lower temperature, turning the heater on timer for every 3 or 4 hours at night seems to consistently produce dwarf ones

We don't want to advocate dwarf bettas, but if you're into it, hope the above can help you produce nice ones. Of course, since the above is heavily environment-controlled traits, the offspring will not be dwarf. Until someone can confirm that there is such thing as dwarf betta genetic (just like there is giant-gene), then the above is the closest you can get.

The finnage doesn't seem to be affected, it'll be proportional of the betta size. If you've got HM line, then the outcome will still be HM ;)

Males are easier to get into dwarfness, than females. This is because the females are usually easier-going, they'll eat anything thrown at them.

Watchout for malnutrient though, you don't want your bettas to either get sick or unhealthy. Also, make sure your females are still having sufficient egg deposit. Starvation, in any rate, will reduce the amount of fat and eggs stored, you don't want that ! ;)

We'll take some pictures later for samples.

>>> Update 5 April
Here is a short of standard green MG (for those interested, he's avail with female for $25 !).


Here's a "dwarf" HMPK boy, marble, 4 or 8 rays splitting, slightly OHMPK.


Now here's the comparison of the two. On the comparison, the "standard" MG boy is on the other side, side by side comparison would show that the "dwarf" is about half or slightly bigger of the size of standard boy.


Again, slightly blurry.