Spadetails

[Callatya]

I know its not IBC recognised, but how do you all feel about spade tails?

I am quite partial to them, especially the shorter, voluminous ones.

Do you have to breed spadetail to spadetail to get them?

Is there a market for it? Does it have to be marketted as a "rabbit faced" gimmick?

Do you feel that it is ever going to be a recognised tail type?

Do any larger clubs recognise it and allow classes for it?

A pic of Anna

[Canfeleq]

I have a couple of females that I am sure are spade tails, both are quite old now so I have no plans to breed them but I think they are lovely fish! I would think that the males would find swimming a little easier than the larger tail types as well.

[Figure_8]

I haven't actually seen any IRL. I have a hunch that it won't be recognised though. If the VT is no longer eligable to show I doubt the spade will get too far as its quite close in shape really. I don't find the shape all that appealing looking at the pic, but I said that about DT's once upon a time too It just takes one fabbo fish to get you to see things differently.

[Phil]

Personally i dont really like them, i mean that female above has brilliant finnage for a girl but, not on males, i have come to like the full HM tails

[Callatya]

I prefer the little stubby spades like the mahachais have, understated elegance, not just your average round PK. Anna, well, i just found her *different*, as its not a common tail type around here. The tail on her is nothing special, she was a nice fish, but pretty ordinary in the finnage department. I would have prefered a shorter tail and more boxy anal. I doubt it will be recognised either, but maybe at some stage there will be an AOT class that would allow some of the less common tail mutations to get a look-in. I keep my fingers crossed that spadetails will come up in popularity as pets, I think if we could get more spadetails out there, there would be a lot more people willing to try a betta, and a lot less bettas stuck to filter intakes in community tanks around the country :rolleyes:

[Phil]

Well they sorta look like a cross between a VT and a PK. I guess a spadetails could take off in Petshops etc.

[Callatya]

Well, its sort of fancy and functional. I spotted one at Bali Blue today, thats what made me think about it. It was an ugly mug though, pink/blue cambo with a lot of black, not anything that is going to sell the public on bettas :rolleyes:

[Najoha]

I like the idea of breeding these to the pet market! But where do we source good stock. Are you thinking of breeding her to see what turns up, if a suitable partner is found?

[Callatya]

No, she was either a he or a bad she, and I actually lost her to some sort of ulcery thing. I think i'll keep an eye out for a few good ones though, maybe use a PK partner? I dont know the genetic bits about spadetails, so i'm not sure who to cross it with when i find it.

[Phil]

Here is one that i have had in the past, i would call her a spiketail, but it is very spadish. She was a beautiful female, but was sold as a VT male.