Andorea

I have a male, who's made a nice nest, and I just got a female today. I tried putting them together, and he seemed to be very agressive, flaring up his cheeks, or whatever they are called, and nipping at her. So I tried putting her in a clear plastic cup, inside his tank, and again, he flares up his cheeks and she swins into the cup HARD!. Am I doing something wrong? Could he kill her if I let her in the tank with him?

HeLp!

Andorea

inari

it is possible that he is really ****ed but i think it might be more that he is trying to attract her i know odd isn't it? wait for rose or one of the other moderators to reply as well they know a heck of alot more than i do about the breeding thing

good luck

brent

chickadee

Breeding Bettas is not for the faint of heart. It is perhaps one of the most complicated processes I have ever heard of. (NEVER done it never wiill) You have to have room for: a tank for the spawning and a hospital tank for the female to recover in - she has to be removed after the eggs are layed (and not back into a tank with any other fish - by herself); a tank for the male if he is still a little on the aggressive side - you wouldn't want him to kill another fish; THEN after the fry start to grow you have to find the male fry and put each one of them in their own container and have it fixed so that the temperature to the female tank and all the little male containers stay steady and all the tanks and containers have to be kept EXTREMELY clean so that the fish do not become deformed. Fins will grow ill-shaped or stubby if the water parameter are not kept as close to perfect as you can keep them. My words cannot begin to explain what the job is going to be like. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, and almost unlimited space for all the tanks and equipment it is going to be almost impossible to raise the little beauties to maturity.
I do not know why everyone thinks it would be so nice to breed bettas!! They are not some pretty little toy and it is very hard work and dangerous for both parents with them being so aggessive. Let those who have the equipment and time and do it for a living or at least as a serious venture do the breeding! It is much better to find a fish that is not so tempermental and aggressive to breed if you want little ones.

Rose