Worth "cleaning up"?

Below is my first ball python, a super pastel I picked up at a show in August.
While I had done research on the care and keeping of ball pythons, I had no idea what to look for when it came to morph quality. It's pretty evident when you look at him; he's "dirty" looking and speckled.

Now, first and foremost he's a pet and I do like his colors over all (I love the yellow/grey contrast and I like the blushing on his back- the pic doesn't do his coloring justice) but as I formulate breeding plans for the upcoming years, I'm debating whether or not it'd be worth pairing him up with anyone.

So basically my question is this: do you think it'd be possible to "clean up" his offspring by pairing him with a clean looking morph? I was thinking a high-quality fire.

With so many pythons available I'd hate to contribute lower quality individuals, and it wouldn't make business sense to tie up a breeding female without the chance of something better coming from the pairing.

As it stands I don't have any other snakes, so it's a matter of getting one that would do his offspring justice, or scrap the pastel project altogether and invest in different morphs instead (I've been falling in love with mojaves...).

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/28/ba8etu7a.jpg

Fire does a really nice job with pastel. It is one of those genes that brighten up other genes. You should get some nice little fireflies with that pairing.

Worth cleaning up :gj:

If you love mojaves get a nice mojave and if you have the money and space get a fire as well

Here is a firefly (pastel fire). See how bright they get? One of my favorite double genes:

http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/q...ns/Firefly.jpg

Yep totally worth it.. here is a super pastel with a really affordable cleanup gene the enchi

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...orphs/SPE2.jpg

I've always liked how the Lesser/Butter gene interacts with pastels. A whole clutch of Pastel Lessers and Pastels would be pretty sweet. Plus if you end up getting a male Mojave you can pair it with the Lesser as well and hopefully get some Blue Eyed Leucistics.

Thank you all for your input! I've always heard that quality begets quality, and I was concerned that I'd be muddying up the higher quality snakes offspring.

The super pastel will always have a home with me- but now I'm excited that he could have a chance to "earn his keep"!

I'm in the process of finding a new apartment, so snake acquisition is being pushed to the back burner, but come spring I'll be on the look-out for fires... and mojaves... and lessers... and enchis (which I hadn't even thought to consider! Thank you!)... :P

Totally worth cleaning up. He's not that bad looking of a Super pastel. Besides...Sometimes average morph examples throw nicer offspring. We have a Pastel that looks average and produces very nice offspring.

I would breed him to something like an Enchi or Fire as well.