Betta Breeding Questions

so yea umm I got my self a female betta fish few days ago I would like to breed them since my parents have been pushing me to they love baby fish lol. shes a crown tail white body and red fins and the male betta is a veil tail black body and blue fins. my first question is what color babies will they make. next question is I got my 10 gallon set up for there breeding I have plants and turned of the filters. atm I have been putting there tanks next to each other for about 6 hours and then I put them in different places there tanks r at 26C. when do I know its time the both flair towards each other but then they lose interest so I have no idea first timer. Any tips and tricks/advice can be given plz??? oh and yes I am ready to take care of lots and lots of fry with the help of my parents and yes there on the right died of live frozen and pellets.

 

First of all, you say you are prepared to take care of the fry, how so? Do you have the number of tanks necessary, (2.5g minimal tanks for as many fry as can -possibly- be had) or a reliable source to sale them through, or do you have other plans in mind?

Everything I've read on betta breeding says they need to be in the same tank together, but still be safe from one another, in order to get in the mood. We had ours almost breed the other day (probably would've if we would've spent more than an hour watching them before we had other things to do so we split them back up) and all we are doing is we got a glass vase the exact same height as the 10 gallon the male is in, put the female in the glass vase inside his tank and feed them both brine shrimp and a very protein rich diet. The goal is to have them see one another for long periods of time (days on end) and get them a little extra fat on them, because it takes a lot of energy to do their breeding. Our female spent the better part of a week and a half in that vase inside the 10 gallon before we first introduced them and they did marvelously, and will probably breed the next time we try that. It is always harder with virgin betttas, apparently they are like any other species... instinctually they know what to do, but the awkwardness and fumbling around still occurs.

We actually watched as the female would curl up like they do when the male encircles them, he would just swim by her and look at her, then he'd start the encircling action, but she'd be 3 or 4 inches away from him.. like they are practicing their method.

If you use that method of female inside a container inside the male's tank, make sure to cover the female's container.. it keeps her in and the male out.

I still would like to know how you plan to take care of them. They could have as many as several hundred fry... and in the off chance that you have the majority of them survive you could be looking at a separate tank for each male by the time they are 3 months old, and the females would need a large tank, and may get aggressive and need to be split up.

 

WELL GOOD QUESTIONS 2 weeks ago I went to a friends house whos parents are cichlid breeders and have been for osme years now they had these rooms set up for breeding and all and had a huge inbuilt 200 gallon tank in there living room full of cichlid it was amazing anyway I stayed there for 1 night and we like talked a lot about fish and breeding and all that. in the conversation I said that I would like to breed bettas and so on. his mum told me that if I could breed betta fish they where happy to take them when there about 2 to 3 weeks old and raise them to sell and what ever later on seemed like a good idea to me. Meant I can earn some money doing some I'm interested in and I was thinking ill keep like 1 or 2 of the fry and raise them my self hopefully they would survive to adulthood.

 

Cheif waterchanger, do you put yours in a full 10 gallon or a 5 inch full ten gallon tank?

 

To breed Betta Splendens, I would recommend the minimum of 200 1 gallon glass jars or 2 gallon glass rectangular tanks plus 6 10 gallon tanks and a 55 gallon tank. Also a room to setup all the tanks in along with a controllable heating/cooling unit for that room to keep the water in all the tanks at 80F.

You'll also need to setup a half dozen BBS hatcheries and have at least 5 of them producing at any time, only having 1 offline for a day to start a new batch in it, rotating through them during the week.

Have a good supply of liquid vitamins and meds stocked along with a lot of Prime water conditioner. Daily 50% water changes on every tank/jar is needed. The fry will need fed (but not overfed) the BBS 4 times a day at first, then 3 times after a couple weeks, then 2 times after they're a month old.

Conditioning the pair to spawn is a step-by-step process detailed in this page:

Expect up to 500 fry so you might need more than 250 fry jars/tanks.

It's a huge amount of space, time, money and work and to be honest, unless you're breeding show bettas, not a profitable enterprise. We love Bettas, but aren't going to breed splendens. A few wild species are less intensive to breed.

 

oh wow now that u say that...... MIND CHANGED

wat do u mean by the wild species are less intensive to breed?? I so like umm bettas that r taken from the wild but r just the same type as in like veil tail and crowntail??? cause the onnly bettas here r like the Jar ones that get lucky and someone takes them home.

 

MIND CHANGED

Good idea.

I've got beautiful and females, but since I"m not prepared to change the water in about 100 glass jars every day (never mind all the other many chores associated with breeding bettas) I have no intention of ever breeding them.

Selling pet store betta babies might net you about 2.00 each. Very unprofitable undertaking.

 

oh wow now that u say that...... MIND CHANGED

wat do u mean by the wild species are less intensive to breed?? I so like umm bettas that r taken from the wild but r just the same type as in like veil tail and crowntail??? cause the onnly bettas here r like the Jar ones that get lucky and someone takes them home.

By wild bettas he means different species of bettas. Pet store bettas are Betta splendens, but there are a lot of other species in that genus. They're called 'wild bettas' because they're newer species to the hobby and still wild-type, not developed into strains like splendens.

I'm glad you changed your mind. I think we would better spend our time caring for rescued pet store bettas, rather than producing more of them. The main market for pet store quality (in other words cheap poor stock) bettas is people who don't always have fish keeping experience, but just want a cheap fish to throw in a bowl, so it's hard to find really good homes for all the fry, if they're not show quality bettas.

 

MahachaI bettas for instance, is a different type of betta. Dino and I put a male and female mahachaI together just because we had no where else to house them at that moment and the next day they had bred.. they stayed together just fine and we've got some subadult fry. That was achieved in a 10 gallon tank.

Clare, our Betta splendens have not yet successfully bred, but as I said, I believe they would've had we had more time to spend out there watching them the other day. They are in a full 10 gallon tank. Each has their own, but the female goes into a large glass vase into the male's tank so they can get all worked up, then they are let together only when we can be there to constantly supervise. Sorry for slow response, Clare.

 

Yea, the MahachaI are easier to breed in that you'll not need as many tanks for the fry/adolescents. Problems definitely can come up and we learned a lot of those when we bred our pair. I'd want to have a 10 gallon tank and either a big tank, like a 55 gallon or some smaller tanks to allow the fry room to grow.

Also a lot of java moss and water sprite for them as well as caves with no rough surfaces inside or outside and a good supply of almond tree leaves and the other things you'd normally keep for any tank (conditioner, meds, filter media).

 

all. Well since I moved my betta Nick into a 3 gal aquarium he is not doing any bubbles anymore. We bought him a female but we think she is too young. So we got another that by the way she look she was full of eggs. When we put either of them in the tank it looks like he wants to mate but they don't. Well last betta we got think it had ich cuz she infected my big tank and also him. She was really pale in color so I didn't notice till my wife notice on one of the mollies. So ich is gone. So my question is why is he not making a nest anymore? he's got fake plants to protect the nest from the running water , temp is about 81, and the readings are all good. I don't know.???

 

Hello!

betta breeding is not as easy as just putting a female in a tank... it takes way more than that.



it is a lot of money and research, I would suggest you remove the female before one of the two gets hurt, and please read the article.


you need a special setup and and a lot of practice and patience, special conditioning for the pair, special spawning techniques, live food for the fry and A LOT OF TIME and MONEY to take care of the many babies.

good luck on the breeding. I would recommend that you research first before trying anything. Otherwise you might end up heartbroken and frustrated. Other than that, with the enough research, money time and set-up it should be an enjoyable experience.


good luck!

 

He may just be too old to breed....There is a lot of conditioning that goes into preparing a male for breeding..It takes a tremendous amount of energy for a male to breed and care for his fry..

Just curious, why do you want to breed? It is a ton of work..Do you have a bunch of homes for the fry?

 

Alessa thanks for the info. I guess I won't be breeding them till I get another tank I guess the height of the water surface is too much so I'll wait till get another tank. thanks.

 

I tried to breed my bettas this weekend and my female had torn fins. I was worried about her so I seperated them. I cleaned the females tank out today and there were eggs on the bottom of her tank. I was so close so close to a succsessful spawn. Why did that happen and when can I try to breed them again.

 

I don't know if you did, but it sounded like you had the male and female together in the tank. This is not suggested because they'll fight after a while. It is best to wait till the female is full of eggs (she usually looks fat) and the male has built a bubble nest. Then you can put them together and wait for spawning. Remove the female right after spawning or else the male may kill her.

 

I don't know if you did, but it sounded like you had the male and female together in the tank. This is not suggested because they'll fight after a while. It is best to wait till the female is full of eggs (she usually looks fat) and the male has built a bubble nest. Then you can put them together and wait for spawning. Remove the female right after spawning or else the male may kill her.

+1 !

Also before putting the female in the tank with the male you can put her in a transparent container inside the male betta's tank, my dad was a betta breeder and I remember he ALWAYS used to do that. Its also normal that they nip at each other's fins, but if you think the male may kill her its good that you took her out. Don't give up

 

Yes, a plastic container works well but I like to use a breeder net or to divide the tank with mesh so the water flows through. Males release pheromones that speed up the process of the females getting ready to spawn.

 

Thank you

 

How much research have you done on breeding bettas? Do you have a grow out tank for the fry? Do you know what to feed the fry? Do you know how to condition the pair for spawning?

Breeding any fish should not be taken lightly. You really need to be sure you have a plan in the result of a successful spawn.

 

Hello,I have a 2 gallon tank,There's a male betta in the tank and a female kept in a jar in the tank,(to know each other well) the problem is thatthe male is continously building the bubble nest for the last 2 months now,but when I release the female in the tank the male bites her and eats her fins,chases her.I give him tubifex twice.I can see a white spot near the anus of the female ,but she doesn't breed with him.Whats the problem?

 

Maybe he doesn't like her? trying taking her out for a week or so and try again after that. Give him and her both time to calm down. During this time you could feed her some worms too?

 

Sometimes they simply don't get along. Does your female display vertical stripes? if not, she's not ready to spawn.

I think it would be best if you read all the information in the forum section on betta breeding. I'm sure you'll find lots of useful information. Breeding bettas is not as easy as putting a male and a female together in the same tank.

Just saw in your profile that you don't know about the nitrogen cycle. Please read up on all that information before you try to breed bettas. If you want to breed successfully, all parameters need to be optimal, and you need to be really well prepared to handle everything if you don't want to risk losing both the male and the female plus the fry.

 

Nah,she doesn't display stripes vertical.But anyways thank you.Maybe she doesn't like the color of the male.it's full black.I know the the names like neww tank syndrome so nitrogen cycle was really unkown to me.Anyways I know it.Thanks.@horsin..she will be killed if I release her to the tank.Its a very small tank.

Unfortunately I live in india where there are no test kits available at the shop.Some even don't no what is ammonia,nitrate,cyling the tank.IT'S really poor.Trust me.

 

So I have tried breeding betta twice and the first time the female had my male back tail in her mouth. So I separated then and my male died and my female died also. So this time I got a new male and female and conditioned them for 2 with bloodworm and with normal betta food. I out them together had the female in a separate jar for 1 1/2 days and when the male had his bubble nest nice and big I released the female because she had vertical stripes and a white spot near anus. I released her just before I turned of the lights and the next morning I seen that'll make has torn fins and the female has no torn fins and she is under the bubble nest and my male was hiding. The exact opposite of what I read that was suppose to happen. What should I do? Should I leave them together for a little bit longer? Should I separate them and get a different female? Or male?

 

Welcome to the forum.

How much research did you do about breeding bettas prior to getting your fish?

You can't leave the female in there unattended overnight. Right after they spawn, you must immediately remove the female.

What are your tank readings?

 

Exactly ^

Breeding bettas is very tricky; seems like every individual has a personality ranging from semi-aggressive to just plain really aggressive. In any event, they should never be left alone and unmonitored for long periods of time; they'll likely tear each other apart, as they seem to have done here. But there's much, much more to it than that.

Here's a very good guide by one of the senior members:

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/step-by-step-guide-to-breeding-bettas.37434/

 

I have research for almost 3 1/2 years! I have read countless websites. I have the, in a ten gallon tank filled about 5 inches. They were only left alone for 8 hours. In my research they said not to keep spying on them and just to let nature run its course. I have read that article.

 

Be very careful when breeding bettas. One mistake and the whole thing can go wrong. Be sure to do lots of in depth research an find a healthy male and female for breeding.

 

Do you also have all the materials you'll need for fry? The correct food? A proper grow out tank?

We don't mean to insult your prior research, but we saw red flags in your post. Sorry about that. Could you share where you've been doing research? Not all sites are reputable.

I never left my pairs for 8 hours or even close to 8 hours. If the female is properly conditioned, then it really doesn't take that long at all. I used to actually pull up a chair so I could watch the process as it's so fascinating. It also let me know the moment she had to be scooped out.

If you're purchasing your bettas at the store, they may be too young to know what spawning is all about, so they're attacking.

 

this is what my male looked like so I had to separate them. I don't have the materials for the fry because I haven't gotten to that stage of breeding them, but I know 2 stores where I can buy everything if I ever get there. I have a 24 tank that I can use for when they grow up.

 

That betta looks... rather dead.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to call shenanigans on the 3.5 years of research. That's a mighty ridiculous claim. People going to college don't study for a BA that long.

Look, you don't have to be ashamed or embarassed if you need some help; that's what we're here for. No one's going to judge you for making a few mistakes, we've all been there. Now, you can try again with a little more preperation and knowledge, or you can ignore the advice you asked for. Your choice.

 

No he is not dead yet he is swimming around. I started research when I was in 8th grade I am going into 11th grade.

 

That betta looks... rather dead.

Just wondering if you might think it looks dead because the fact its upside down? If you click on the picture it turns it right side up.

 

I disagree. The pictures are upside down. Both fish look like they have been through a blender though. I think the OP is genuinely asking for help and not to be beaten up. If I could help I would but I know nothing about breeding bettas. Someone with betta breeding knowledge maybe step up to the plate here and help this kid....
Edit....knowledgable people have responded ..take it to heart what they advise!

 

Ahhhhhhh silly me... it is upside down! My mistake guys!

 

Ok, have to add my peso's worth here....
OP, from the partial pictures, it looks to me like you have them each in those betta "bowls"....I would much rather see them in a tank of at least 5 gallons each
Good for you reaching out for help from this site though. And best of luck to you!

 

can anyone give me some valuable tips on betta breeding please help

 

Perhaps you could fill in your aquarium info so we know what equipment and fish you may already have, is your tank cycled, etc., then we can try to help you.

Have you done any research? Any experience with fishkeeping? Understand the nitrogen cycle?

 

Welcome to FishLore!!

Moved thread to the betta breeding section of the forum.

There are a couple of stickies at the top of this forum that may be helpful:

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfi...t-to-breed-bettas-responsible-breeding.89909/

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/step-by-step-guide-to-breeding-bettas.37434/