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Accidental breeding of bettas: what now?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 4:35 pm
by wildfoxer
I'm at a loss here - my male Betta's built a massive bubble nest in my pond and I'm not sure what to do next. There's a nest in a sheltered corner too, courtesy of one of my croaking gouramis. I could use some advice on this. My pond's pretty big - 120"x72"x12" or 300x180x30cm, roughly 450 gallons or 1700 litres - and it's home to a lot of fish, which is what's worrying me if they do spawn.
Re: Accidental breeding of bettas: what now?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 5:47 pm
by coltin
Male labyrinth fishes like Bettas and Gouramis regularly construct bubble nests within their territories - it doesn't necessarily mean they've successfully bred. In your case, wildfoxer, since you have a fairly large 10ft pond, I wouldn't be overly concerned if your fish do end up breeding. The ecosystem will likely balance itself out, with some of the fry surviving and others becoming food for other pond inhabitants.
Re: Accidental breeding of bettas: what now?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 6:46 pm
by wildfoxer
coltin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 22, 2025 5:47 pm
Male labyrinth fishes like Bettas and Gouramis regularly construct bubble nests within their territories - it doesn't necessarily mean they've successfully bred. In your case, wildfoxer, since you have a fairly large 10ft pond, I wouldn't be overly concerned if your fish do end up breeding. The ecosystem will likely balance itself out, with some of the fry surviving and others becoming food for other pond inhabitants.
Yeah, that's what I thought too. Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I'm still a bit concerned, to be honest - the idea of the babies getting eaten by the other fish isn't exactly something I'm comfortable with.
Re: Accidental breeding of bettas: what now?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 8:43 pm
by goldminer
coltin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 22, 2025 5:47 pm
Male labyrinth fishes like Bettas and Gouramis regularly construct bubble nests within their territories - it doesn't necessarily mean they've successfully bred. In your case, wildfoxer, since you have a fairly large 10ft pond, I wouldn't be overly concerned if your fish do end up breeding. The ecosystem will likely balance itself out, with some of the fry surviving and others becoming food for other pond inhabitants.
It's just the natural order of things, big fish eat small fish. Nature's way of keeping the ecosystem in balance.
Re: Accidental breeding of bettas: what now?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 9:11 pm
by wildfoxer
I've got an update, not sure if it's a good thing or not. One of my male Bettas has built a bubble nest and it's actually got eggs in it. I really want to save them, but I'm torn - should I move the eggs now or wait till they've hatched?
Re: Accidental breeding of bettas: what now?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 10:31 pm
by coltin
Male labyrinth fishes are quite protective of their eggs and young, so it's best to let the male Betta do his job for the first week or two. If you're lucky, in a few weeks you'll start to see baby fish breaking the surface. When that happens, just scoop them up gently in a bucket and transfer some to a safe place to grow.
Re: Accidental breeding of bettas: what now?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 11:37 pm
by wildfoxer
coltin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 22, 2025 5:47 pm
Male labyrinth fishes like Bettas and Gouramis regularly construct bubble nests within their territories - it doesn't necessarily mean they've successfully bred. In your case, wildfoxer, since you have a fairly large 10ft pond, I wouldn't be overly concerned if your fish do end up breeding. The ecosystem will likely balance itself out, with some of the fry surviving and others becoming food for other pond inhabitants.
Appreciate the advice, I'll just let nature take its course.
Re: Accidental breeding of bettas: what now?
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 12:32 am
by novator
I've had both males and females in the same pond for a while now, and I've only seen one baby make it to adulthood. Predation is pretty high, so that might ease your concerns a bit about the babies being eaten.