Copper mask HM PK
(Betta Territory, NL)

The Sire is a copper marble HM PK (with some dragon influence) and a good overall form. The Dame is a non-metallic royal blue mask HM PK with a very good bodyshape and nice broad dorsal.
From a genetics point of view, this spawn is very important for my line. Although the Sire is not bred by myself this guy is fully related to my own line from both his father as mothers side. His father was born in my own fishroom (BT270508) and was purchased by Markus Bache who crossed this guy to his champion copper HM PK female (F2) which was related to my line. Her metallic blue parents where the result of a cross between a  metallic blue HM PK female from Suporn Khumhom (bluebetta, Thailand) with an F3 copper male which was bred by Marion Schultheiss from an F2 pair (BT110306) from my line.
The offspring (F1) will be HM PK with a chance of DT PKs popping up. The color of the fry will be either heterozygous metallic royal blue or steel blue (mask) with a chance of blacks popping up.

21/07/09: The pair spawned.
22/07/09: The fry hatched.

15/08/09: The fry is now 4 weeks old and growing well on newly hatched BBS/artemia. Today I decided to split the spawn over 2 tanks in order to promote a better grow-out/development.

06/09/09: The fry is now 7 weeks old and developing niceley. There are quite some DTs in this spawn. Here some pictures of two heterozygous metallic royal blues, one doubletail (left) and one singletail (right):

06/10/09: The fry is now 11 weeks old. Here two pictures of two fry which look like heterozygous metallic royal blues. The fry show quite some red wash.

10/11/09: The fry is now 16 weeks old and developing nicely. They are metallic royal blue or metallic steel blue.

28/11/09: The youngsters of this spawn are now 18 weeks old. Although their dorsals are not completely what I was looking for they show a nice metallic scaling. Here a picture of two heterozygous metallic royal blue HM PK brothers: