leafgirl115

Ok as some of you know I have a 5g tank that’s divided. Some how my new green betta male has been getting over the females side of the tank. This had happened 2 times each after a water change.... (No idea how he got over). But last night I when to turn the light off and I saw that the female betta was not there!! I looked all over. Then I called my mom to help me and she saw her into he males side of the tank!!! She had some how gotten over there herself. I then noticed that she looked like she had released all her eggs... The male also looked like he ate all of them. His gut was hanging out....

Well this happened last night and the male does not even have a bubble nest so im assuming no fry

Will Rose (female betta) have more eggs in a couple of weeks? I was hoping to breed her during Christmas break.

She has also lost a lot of her color and looks like some of her fins are cut up bit nothing to bad.

poefox

...I'm sorry to say I didn't know. They don't always do it but bettas are quite capable of jumping if they want to. I'm sorry to hear about this. You might need to put some kind of perforated plastic cover to prevent him leaping. It may be that he bred her and then ate the young. They aren't supposed to be breeding until they've been prepared in the right conditions for it.

leafgirl115

This was just it i was preparing them.... i wish i had of seen this happen then i could have split the fry and give half to another male i have....

Any ideas on what to do now?

poefox

You might want to keep an eye on the female, make sure her water is very clean and that she is eating properly. Let the male have a diet for a couple of days at least...he's probably eaten more than was good for him. I'm awfully sorry that this happened--it can be risky breeding them from what I understand. In a couple of weeks check her condition versus now before trying to put her in a breeding condition again. if she's fully recovered then start over but where you have more control over the tanks. They are curious and especially when in a breeding state.

chickadee

It is unusual for the MALE to eat the eggs. It is usually the FEMALE that is the hazard to the eggs and he defends them. He may not have been perfectly prepared and she may have been ready.

It is very doubtful that she is going to ready to breed again that soon. She is going to need at least 10 days to two weeks in a quarantine tank to recover from this experience and that is if no fin rot develops. He is also going to need a recovery period also. I do not quite understand the part about his gut hanging out... does that mean just extended or was he injured?

I am so sorry that this happened, and I think that poe is correct, no food for the male for at least 2 days or until the gut is back to normal size. You are going to have to find some kind of barrier for them or find another tank or one day you will find one of them dead in the other side of the tank. Keeping them where they can see each other constantly while you are preparing them to mate is just going to keep them in a constant state of overstimulation. The female should not really be introduced to the male until the bubblenest is built as until then he is not ready and will just attack or be attacked. This sounds like a near disaster and you are truly lucky.

Sorry if I sound like I am not very encouraging but I really believe that breeding bettas is best left to professionals and that it is too likely to end up in one or both fish being hurt. They have staff that can keep an eye on the fish 24 hours a day and they have areas to keep them apart until they are ready to be bred. It is not a feat for those who are faint of heart and while I wish you well, I do not think it is something I would encourage.

Please let us know how your fish are doing and I do wish you well. I wish I could have been more optimistic.

Rose