Bruxes and Bubbles
- #1
As promised.
Here is a picture of Max, the father of the fry:
Here is a picture of Missy, the mother of the fry. The picture was taken after their breeding (hence the rips), and in weird lighting/positioning (hence the black tips and strangely shaped body). She does not have fin rot or anything, I assure you.
Background on the fish and my goal:
My goal for breeding bettas is to get a good strain of veiltails going. The male veiltails around here are 99% of the time solid colored reds or blues. I love veiltails, personally, and I feel this area needs a better selection of them. I realize that pet store bettas are a toss up as to what you get out of a spawn, but I think that may be a good thing in my case. Perhaps I'll get something interesting. I have a 30 gallon bin up and ready, as well as a lot of cups and smaller grow-out tanks. I'm going to the store soon to buy more cups, too. I'll definitely have enough cups, and I am home-schooled, so I will be around to feed and tend for the babies as much as I have to.
Day 1 - Testing and Nesting
1/9/17
Max was moved to the spawning tank at night. Water was at a constant 80.4 degrees, and he had a piece of bubble wrap to make a nest under.
Missy was double checked for her breeding bars, then scooped into a cup and floated in the spawning tank. Max flared and attacked the cup for a while, then swam off and began to frantically make his nest.
Missy was left floating in the cup overnight after a water change.
Day 2 - Initial Introductions
1/10/17
Missy was fed, then released into the spawning tank. Max switched between chasing her and making the bubble nest. Missy hid in the plants I put in there. That night, they attempted an embrace, which was unsuccessful, but gave me hope that all would be okay in the morning. That embrace was honestly one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
Day 3 - Hello, Missy!
1/11/17
I got up early to check on Missy. Max and Missy practiced spawning until around noon. I am proud to say that I saw their first successful embrace!
It produced only three or four eggs, but it was wonderful, nonetheless. Max grabbed the eggs and put them in the bubble nest.
The next embrace, Missy woke up from her frozen state before Max gathered all the eggs. I'd read so many horror stories online of female bettas eating the eggs, so needless to say, I was very nervous when she scooped one egg nicknamed 'Pedro' into her mouth and proceeded to swim around. I thought the egg was a goner until I saw her ignore Max's advances for a moment to try to put the egg into the nest. Unsuccessfully, I may add, but Max put it in for her when he saw the egg begin to fall. After 'Pedro' was in the nest (don't ask why I called the egg that), he began his little wiggle dance. She grabbed some air, then swam up to him and pressed her head against his dorsal fin. Max vibrated, then curled around her, vibrated a bit more, then they both sank.
This continued until 6:00 P.M. Then he deemed she had no eggs left and chased her away from the nest with a vengeance.
Missy was checked for injuries, then moved to the hospital tank. Aside from a tear on her analfin and a few nips out of her caudal fin, she was fine.
Max began guarding.
Day 4 - Daddy Duties
1/12/17
Max began the task of being a father. During the morning, the eggs stayed put. But in the evening? Eggs were raining from the sky. Max spat, they wouldn't stick, then he'd spit again and knock more out. A never-ending cycle of grab and spit. I was concerned at first, seeing so many eggs on the floor, but I decided to trust Max and wait.
Day 5 - Wigglers
1/13/17
I was terrified the next day when I saw almost no eggs. I feared Max had gotten annoyed with his offspring and decided to eat them. Then I saw it. The little wiggler. It looked like an egg with a little whip tail. Weird, but relieving to see and oddly adorable, nonetheless. We left to run errands.
When I returned, babies were darting into the bubbles, falling out, then darting up some more. Max was kept busy trying to keep his unruly offspring in the nest. This little guy rested on a plant right below the nest. Thought he was dead, then I squirted a little water his way with a pipette and he swam away. Silly fry. (Sorry for the bad quality, they're 1mm long right now and I only have an I-phone.)
That's all for now. I'll try to update daily while they're young.
I have all kinds of tiny live foods ready for them, if anyone is concerned.
Here is a picture of Max, the father of the fry:
Here is a picture of Missy, the mother of the fry. The picture was taken after their breeding (hence the rips), and in weird lighting/positioning (hence the black tips and strangely shaped body). She does not have fin rot or anything, I assure you.
Background on the fish and my goal:
My goal for breeding bettas is to get a good strain of veiltails going. The male veiltails around here are 99% of the time solid colored reds or blues. I love veiltails, personally, and I feel this area needs a better selection of them. I realize that pet store bettas are a toss up as to what you get out of a spawn, but I think that may be a good thing in my case. Perhaps I'll get something interesting. I have a 30 gallon bin up and ready, as well as a lot of cups and smaller grow-out tanks. I'm going to the store soon to buy more cups, too. I'll definitely have enough cups, and I am home-schooled, so I will be around to feed and tend for the babies as much as I have to.
Day 1 - Testing and Nesting
1/9/17
Max was moved to the spawning tank at night. Water was at a constant 80.4 degrees, and he had a piece of bubble wrap to make a nest under.
Missy was double checked for her breeding bars, then scooped into a cup and floated in the spawning tank. Max flared and attacked the cup for a while, then swam off and began to frantically make his nest.
Missy was left floating in the cup overnight after a water change.
Day 2 - Initial Introductions
1/10/17
Missy was fed, then released into the spawning tank. Max switched between chasing her and making the bubble nest. Missy hid in the plants I put in there. That night, they attempted an embrace, which was unsuccessful, but gave me hope that all would be okay in the morning. That embrace was honestly one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
Day 3 - Hello, Missy!
1/11/17
I got up early to check on Missy. Max and Missy practiced spawning until around noon. I am proud to say that I saw their first successful embrace!
It produced only three or four eggs, but it was wonderful, nonetheless. Max grabbed the eggs and put them in the bubble nest.
The next embrace, Missy woke up from her frozen state before Max gathered all the eggs. I'd read so many horror stories online of female bettas eating the eggs, so needless to say, I was very nervous when she scooped one egg nicknamed 'Pedro' into her mouth and proceeded to swim around. I thought the egg was a goner until I saw her ignore Max's advances for a moment to try to put the egg into the nest. Unsuccessfully, I may add, but Max put it in for her when he saw the egg begin to fall. After 'Pedro' was in the nest (don't ask why I called the egg that), he began his little wiggle dance. She grabbed some air, then swam up to him and pressed her head against his dorsal fin. Max vibrated, then curled around her, vibrated a bit more, then they both sank.
This continued until 6:00 P.M. Then he deemed she had no eggs left and chased her away from the nest with a vengeance.
Missy was checked for injuries, then moved to the hospital tank. Aside from a tear on her analfin and a few nips out of her caudal fin, she was fine.
Max began guarding.
Day 4 - Daddy Duties
1/12/17
Max began the task of being a father. During the morning, the eggs stayed put. But in the evening? Eggs were raining from the sky. Max spat, they wouldn't stick, then he'd spit again and knock more out. A never-ending cycle of grab and spit. I was concerned at first, seeing so many eggs on the floor, but I decided to trust Max and wait.
Day 5 - Wigglers
1/13/17
I was terrified the next day when I saw almost no eggs. I feared Max had gotten annoyed with his offspring and decided to eat them. Then I saw it. The little wiggler. It looked like an egg with a little whip tail. Weird, but relieving to see and oddly adorable, nonetheless. We left to run errands.
When I returned, babies were darting into the bubbles, falling out, then darting up some more. Max was kept busy trying to keep his unruly offspring in the nest. This little guy rested on a plant right below the nest. Thought he was dead, then I squirted a little water his way with a pipette and he swam away. Silly fry. (Sorry for the bad quality, they're 1mm long right now and I only have an I-phone.)
That's all for now. I'll try to update daily while they're young.
I have all kinds of tiny live foods ready for them, if anyone is concerned.