Lonely Angel

First off, let me say that this isn't a "I just got my first betta ever and I think he's so cool that I want to get a female and breed them" post. I have no interest in breeding my bettas.

As most of you probably know, I have my female Kita in a divided tank with two males. Gabriel is always building bubble nests along their divider, and sometimes bits of the nest float into Kita's section.

So, on to the question: do bettas actually mate or do the females just lay eggs in the nest and the male fertilizes the eggs there? Is it possible, with the nest drifting through the divider holes, that two bettas can mate without actually having contact?

I just want to make sure that I don't accidentally get some fertilized eggs!

p.s. I will be taking more pics of the bettas this weekend, so you get to see Gabriel hamming it up for the camera again

Alessa

They ussually perform a "dance" called the "embrace" where the make wraps himself around the female squeezing her so that she lets her eggs out, so I dont really know if there would be any siruation is which the girl would let her eggs out like that...

chickadee

No it is a very active and perhaps sometimes even violent process between a male and female betta. It is a weeks long process that happens with both bettas being conditioned with special foods and conditions and is a major undertaking. It is never a casual thing and is quite dangerous for your breeding pair if they are not properly prepared or if they are not properly supervised. I really get upset with the idea that some have that it is nearly as easy as breeding guppies so what is the problem? It is a big deal and bettas die during their spawning process often. Even if they make it through the actual fertilization of the eggs some of the males have died from exhaustion from caring for the eggs and fry before they are able to care for themselves. I am not trying to scare you but this is serious business and hard work. This is why I usually mention that it is really much better to allow the pros to handle the breeding of their bettas as they have staff and equipment and experience and they do not necessarily care that much about the bettas they are breeding (sentimentally anyway) so it does not kill them when they are hurt the way it does those of us who make them members of the family.

Rose

Pandora

No, unless she hops the divider, don't worry there's no way you would get fertilized eggs.
Females do sometimes drop eggs on their own if they get really 'eggy' and don't reabsorb them. These can't be fertilized. There's only an extremely brief period from the time an egg is released for the sperm to contact it before it's no longer viable. Males need to wrap a female to be able to release sperm (except for one very funny story I heard once that probably doesn't belong on a PG forum...) so there really isn't a chance for any fertilization to occur without direct contact between male and female. Usually when females drop eggs they'll just eat them, though rarely they'll make a tiny bubble nest and tend them before they realize they're no good and munch em down. It's very cute!

Martinismommy

One can only dream breeding these gorgeous gifts could be so easy...I would breed tomorrow if I could guarantee my boy wouldn't get hurt or die...I think my "Dream tank" was about as possible as spawning from a divided tank...But GREAT question for sure!

I can't wait to see my handsome little man Gabriels new photos...

Lonely Angel

Thanks everyone, that's good to hear! I figured it wouldn't be possible but just wanted to check. I had heard all the dangers and difficulties of breeding them, but never the, ah.. physical aspect

THAT isn't happening any time soon! I heard the stories of bettas jumping the divider so I built mine to withstand a great white shark attack After I got the bettas and saw how peacefully they got along, I did feel a bit foolish for all the supports and mesh I used on the tank!

Devon

They are such little hams whenever they see a lady! LOL
I am planning to put Esteban and Consuela together in my divided 10 gallon when it is finished cycling. At the moment they're sitting in separate tanks right next to each other, and most of the time I have a folder between them, but I remove the divider and let them get used to one another for longer and longer each day. She is really making eyes at him (the little flirt!) and he is hilarious dancing around and desperately trying to impress her...
No bubble nests to speak of yet out of Esteban though, he is very young I think. Good to know that there will be no "accidents" in the tank!!

Can't wait to see Gabriel's photos!

COBettaCouple

Yea, no worries there. It's not possible to get accidentally fertilized eggs when you don't have male & female betta able to make direct contact. Just watch her for signs of getting and staying plump and him for any signs of blown fins if he likes to show off for her like that.

Devon

Oh, she is a huge fat porker right now. Is this going to cause problems with Esteban if he sees her a lot? This is my first female, I'm new to betta girl psychology. How often do they generally produce eggs?

COBettaCouple

I'm not sure they have any regular schedule for producing eggs. Generally, they absorb or drop the eggs, but rarely they'll get egg bound.

Pandora

I know in zebra danios the eggs are only good for so long before they get too old, and that's when they reabsorb them and produce new ones. It's probably the same with bettas... make a batch, wait around, no male, reabsorb or drop them, make new ones. So they probably have at least some ripe eggs pretty much continuously as long as they're in good health. In zebras, I think I remember seeing somewhere it was about 2 weeks between batches if they don't spawn (I'm going to be getting some in for work, so been doing a lot of research lol)
Apparently in bettas, too, though, it's thought that pheremones from a male making a nest are needed to fully ripen the eggs, so that might affect things too.

Devon

Pheremones? Well now I think poor little Consuela is just doomed to be a fat round little girl as long as she's in that divided tank with Esteban, who seems after two weeks that he is still going to find a way to get through the glass to her.

Pandora

lol as long as he's not making comments about her weight I'm sure she won't mind the eye candy!

Martinismommy

Pandora......Do you have a video you could post of a betta breeding?

Pandora

No, sadly I don't. I have never had a video camera. I guess I could try taking one with my phone... but quality wouldn't be too good!
Maybe I'll look into a cheap video camera... since my boys keep eating the eggs of late (all first-time dads... dont' always figure out the whole 'tend' rather than 'snack' right away ) I've been having lots of spawns since no fry to house after the fact! Can try next time I set up a couple.