Breeding Some Bettas?

[Prism]

I'm wanting to breed some bettas, for several reasons. I want to have everything prepared, and everything proper for breeding.
If I can't afford the things that are needed, or if I cannot do those things, maybe breeding isn't for me.
But that's what I wanted to find out!

TANK LIST
10g Spawning Tank
20g long Fry Tank
2 - 10 gallon Fry Tanks


(I plan to divide the 20 gallon by 8 ways.)
(the 10's would be divided each 4 ways.)

Or could I divide even more?
Do they each need 2.5g's of room?

I am pretty sure that my advanced LFS will be willing to buy them, since they have pretty quality care with their fish, and bettas.
I feel safe leaving fry there since I have been buying from them for a while, and noticed their VERY healthy bettas.

I'm maybe wanting to breed Elephant Ear Bettas, is it any harder than breeding a simple halfmoon?
Or is it just as normal, because if it is I would LOVE to do it.

ITEM LIST
4 - 50w Heaters
4 - Sponge Filters
2 - AQUANEAT LED Clip On (for the 20g)
3 - LED Lights
Indian Almond Leaves

(questions)
What LED Light do you guys recommend for the spawning, and the 10 gallon grow out tanks?
Please help me with this topic! Yes, I am aware that this is a hard job, and time consuming but I'm up for it!

edit -
Also, I found another question that is asked, it is that have you kept bettas for a while.
I haven't kept them for that long, I've been keeping them for 2 years.. but that's not that long.

I have LOTS of experience with bettas, I've kept females, and males.
I have a elephant ear betta at the moment, that is a beautiful juvenile betta.

Most of my family members have bettas too, so I've learned a lot from them too.

Katie13 Flowingfins
Thanks for any input!

 

[Katie13]

You’ll have hundreds of fry.you really should have more space for males/aggressive female. Dumbo ears are recessive, so both parents have to be carriers.

 

[Demeter]

You will need the appropriate foods first. A couple infusoria cultures for first foods, then micro worms and baby brine shrimp. Live plants in the fry tanks will help keep the water quality stable.

You said you would split the 20gal 8 ways and the two 10gals 4 ways, that's only 16 section. You will have far more than
16 fry if even half of the eggs/fry survive. I suggest you have the 20 and two 10gals for the males and then get another 20 or 29gal for the females, which can be housed together.

Do more research on what foods you will need. Betta fry will not take powdered, flake, or liquid fry foods. They need to be alive and moving to catch their interest.

Edit: forgot to mention that even though it may sound cruel, culling runts and colorless fry will ultimately benefit the stronger fry. You will also be able to house the more desirable fry properly in that you will have more room.

 

[Prism]

What I am planning to do is when they get old enough, they develop a nice size, and coloring I am going to bag them up (fish bags) and sell them on Ebay, here on Fishlore, and some to my LFS.
I don't really have lots of spaces for that much tanks, I have enough space to fit the ones above, but I'm not sure about another 20g.

Can I get two elephant ears from a professional breeder?
Do they need to be siblings?

As a 14yr old fish nerd, I don't have THAT much money, but after making money from selling some bettas I can upgrade my breeding, and also pay my parents back. hehe
I am not in the hobby of breeding fish for fun, and making money. Though to make the existing species of Elephant Ears more stronger. I really love my Elephant Ear, (perry) and I want to do everything I can for the species.

I am aware that bettas spawn hundreds of fry, and need a lot of space.
With the tanks, this is my plan! Do you think its a good sufficient plan, and could work?

What I want to do is keep the fry in the spawning tank, for their grow up.
After the male and female are done with the spawning and recovering in their own tanks, (2.5g) this is what I want to do with the spawning tank.

Until I can sell all the bettas, and get them away, I am not breeding.
After all bettas are sold, I will start to breed again.

Can the same pair spawn again?
That's the question I've been wanting to know.

The spawning tank will be another grow out tank, and until they get big enough and are being aggressive towards the others, I will the divide the tank. (4 ways)
The other 2 10g's will be doing the same thing, except they won't be used as a spawning tank.

The 20 gallon will just be a tank for just the males, one of the 10g's will be a female tank also.
Can I buy some walmart tubs, (around 10g's) and just have them for grow out tanks?

Do the fry need filters?
Does the spawning tank need a filter?

Which tanks need a filter?

 

[Katie13]

What I am planning to do is when they get old enough, they develop a nice size, and coloring I am going to bag them up (fish bags) and sell them on Ebay, here on Fishlore, and some to my LFS.
I don't really have lots of spaces for that much tanks, I have enough space to fit the ones above, but I'm not sure about another 20g.

Can I get two elephant ears from a professional breeder?
Do they need to be siblings?

As a 14yr old fish nerd, I don't have THAT much money, but after making money from selling some bettas I can upgrade my breeding, and also pay my parents back. hehe
I am not in the hobby of breeding fish for fun, and making money. Though to make the existing species of Elephant Ears more stronger. I really love my Elephant Ear, (perry) and I want to do everything I can for the species.

I am aware that bettas spawn hundreds of fry, and need a lot of space.
With the tanks, this is my plan! Do you think its a good sufficient plan, and could work?

What I want to do is keep the fry in the spawning tank, for their grow up.
After the male and female are done with the spawning and recovering in their own tanks, (2.5g) this is what I want to do with the spawning tank.

Until I can sell all the bettas, and get them away, I am not breeding.
After all bettas are sold, I will start to breed again.

Can the same pair spawn again?
That's the question I've been wanting to know.

The spawning tank will be another grow out tank, and until they get big enough and are being aggressive towards the others, I will the divide the tank. (4 ways)
The other 2 10g's will be doing the same thing, except they won't be used as a spawning tank.

The 20 gallon will just be a tank for just the males, one of the 10g's will be a female tank also.
Can I buy some walmart tubs, (around 10g's) and just have them for grow out tanks?

Do the fry need filters?
Does the spawning tank need a filter?

Which tanks need a filter?

No siblings. That results in inbred fish. I’ll go into depth as soon as I get the chance to write it all out.

 

[Prism]

No siblings. That results in inbred fish. I’ll go into depth as soon as I get the chance to write it all out.

Oh okay! Take your time!

 

[Demeter]

When you buy a breeding pair of bettas (which can be done) they are often siblings. Yes they result in inbred fish and some may have deformities, but that is where culling is important. Many breeders that raise show-grade fish do this to improve on certain characteristics such as finnage and color. So, if your main goal is to create healthier fish and not just attractive fish, then you might not want to breed siblings.

Yes the fry need filters, sponge filters are best for this, they will also need frequent water changes, like 3+ times a week.

Yes the same pair can be bred again, but you will likely get the same color forms as the first batch. If you want more variety then get a second female (or male).

Yes you can and should get plastic totes, get larger ones if possible that way you can keep all the females in one as well. A good idea is a plastic kiddie pool, it will need it's own filter and heater though.

With the possibility of having 100+ fry surviving to a decent age, your plan for the males will not work. You are likely to have more males than you have room for. In which case you can keep them in 1gal jugs (as many breeders do) but you will have to do daily water changes as well as keep them up to temp, which is the real problem here. Again, I will mention culling for the sake of having a manageable number of fry.

 

[Mcasella]

I would keep both tank undivided until the males (and aggressive females) start to show themselves - these can be separated out into smaller containers that need daily or every other day water changes to keep the fishes' growth going, 1 gallon is good, you can put large glass mason jars into a tub of water and heat them that way, you can use large totes are grow outs as well.
You likely won't make anything from breeding bettas, it is an expensive and time consuming task to raise them. If you don't have time for 50+ water changes daily I would probably not breed bettas (not to mention all the food, it takes several months to get the bettas to a sellable age/size, by this time your pair may be on the eh age side of breeding age which makes you next resulting spawns much less likely to produce as many or as nice quality fry).
The newly swimming fry need live food to be interested in eating, without the food wiggle they have no interest in it. Baby brine shrimp (you have to hatch these), micro worms, walter worms, and vinegar eels are some example of this.

 

[Prism]

I would keep both tank undivided until the males (and aggressive females) start to show themselves - these can be separated out into smaller containers that need daily or every other day water changes to keep the fishes' growth going, 1 gallon is good, you can put large glass mason jars into a tub of water and heat them that way, you can use large totes are grow outs as well.
You likely won't make anything from breeding bettas, it is an expensive and time consuming task to raise them. If you don't have time for 50+ water changes daily I would probably not breed bettas (not to mention all the food, it takes several months to get the bettas to a sellable age/size, by this time your pair may be on the eh age side of breeding age which makes you next resulting spawns much less likely to produce as many or as nice quality fry).
The newly swimming fry need live food to be interested in eating, without the food wiggle they have no interest in it. Baby brine shrimp (you have to hatch these), micro worms, walter worms, and vinegar eels are some example of this.

Thanks guys for the advice!
I'm not sure about breeding, I just wanted to ask.

Sorry for not replying right away.
I got really busy.