The Sire is a cambodian-based HMPK with an impressive intense red color. He descends from the joint lines Pichet Plaisanguan (Interfish, Thailand) and Mervyn Chen (Helios Betta Labs, Singapore). He has a big & strong body with a smooth topline. Overall the finnage shows a good potential to work with: The caudal has a nice D-shape (outer rays could be a bit longer), good sized dorsal (front rays could be a bit longer), a nice trapezoid-shaped anal fin and the ventrals have a good volume with single tips.
The Dame is an F2 cambodian-based red HMPK female of my own line. She has an intense red color with minimal traces of iridescence. She has a nice strong, long body (topline could be a bit smoother). She has a good D-shaped caudal with nice long outer rays. Ideally the base of the dorsal fin could be a bit broader with the first rays a bit longer.

Below a video, to get a better impression of the breeding pair:

With this outcross I hope to fix the intense red color, the strong bodies, smooth topline and balanced finnage. The offspring (F1) will be cambodian-based red HMPK.

01/01/22: The pair spawned.
02/01/22: The fry hatched. The Sire is taking excellent care!
04/01/22: The fry entered the free-swimming stage and the Sire was removed.

08/01/22: 1 week old and feeding well on newly hatched BBS.

15/01/22: 2 week old fry developing nicely!

22/01/22: 3 weeks old! Nice to see the swimbladder developing in some fry.

30/01/22: At 4 weeks of age, the swimbladder is nicely stretched in the majority of the fry and the color the red color is starting to intensify in the finnage and on the body.

06/02/22: 5 weeks old!

13/02/22: 6-week old red HMPK fry feeding on tubifex!

05/05/22: 17-week old red HMPK brothers. These fish still have quite some developing to do. They show a good bodyshape (smooth topline) and promising finnage. Colorwise there is some iridescence on the body at this stage.