Who Gives A Fish Forums

Shark wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 5:06 am I select a male and female that I think are suitable for breeding and separate them for a few weeks, feeding them live foods to get them in good breeding condition. Then, I move them to a bare bottom tank with about 4 inches of water and set the heater to around 80 degrees.

I prepared the tank by placing a flower pot/cave in the corner - it's there for the female to hide from the male when he gets aggressive during spawning. I also float a piece of polystyrene on the surface for the male to build his nest underneath, which helps hold the bubble nest together. I put the female in a jar and placed it in the tank, then released the male - they can see each other, and the male will start to take interest and build a nest. Once he's done, I release the female.

Shark wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 5:06 am I select a male and female that I think are suitable for breeding and separate them for a few weeks, feeding them live foods to get them in good breeding condition. Then, I move them to a bare bottom tank with about 4 inches of water and set the heater to around 80 degrees.

I prepared the tank by placing a flower pot/cave in the corner - it's there for the female to hide from the male when he gets aggressive during spawning. I also float a piece of polystyrene on the surface for the male to build his nest underneath, which helps hold the bubble nest together. I put the female in a jar and placed it in the tank, then released the male - they can see each other, and the male will start to take interest and build a nest. Once he's done, I release the female.

lilynx wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 12:28 am I'm trying to breed Bettas and I've had some success before, but I'm running into some issues now. I've got 4 8-week-old fry from a previous spawn, but the male I used before is probably too old now and the female he bred with passed away from dropsy. So, I got a new male to breed with my other female. I'm still pretty new to this, but I can tell you about the fry tank - it's a 10-gallon plastic container with daily 20% water changes, Hikari micro pellets, and bloodworms for food. There's also an aquarium plant, moss ball, air stone, sponge filter, and a heater set to 26 C. The light's on for about 15 hours a day and the pH is around 7, sometimes a bit more acidic. I'm conditioning the water first, of course.

I'm not sure if this setup is okay for the fry, so I'd love some feedback before I breed more. I'm currently trying to breed the new pair in a 5-gallon tank, but I'm worried it might be too small. This isn't the male's permanent tank, and he's not making a bubble nest. The female doesn't seem interested either. I've got some Indkento4 almond leaves coming tomorrow - will those help? I'm also concerned about moving the fry at this age. I know some people move them to a grow-out tank when they're young, but I don't want to risk losing them. My LFS wasn't much help when I asked about breeding Bettas - they just told me to put a male in a sorority tank and they'd breed quickly. I know this is a long post, and I'm sorry to bother you all, but I'm really unsure about what to do.

roygun_1 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 12:42 pm

Shark wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 5:06 am I select a male and female that I think are suitable for breeding and separate them for a few weeks, feeding them live foods to get them in good breeding condition. Then, I move them to a bare bottom tank with about 4 inches of water and set the heater to around 80 degrees.

I prepared the tank by placing a flower pot/cave in the corner - it's there for the female to hide from the male when he gets aggressive during spawning. I also float a piece of polystyrene on the surface for the male to build his nest underneath, which helps hold the bubble nest together. I put the female in a jar and placed it in the tank, then released the male - they can see each other, and the male will start to take interest and build a nest. Once he's done, I release the female.

I completely agree with Shark's method, it's definitely one to try @lilynx. When introducing the female to the male's tank, make sure she's had plenty of time in the jar - even 24 hours isn't too long. Low lighting and a quiet spot are essential throughout the courting and spawning process, which can take a while. As long as the male isn't constantly chasing the female and there's no signs of aggression, give them time to sort themselves out. If things do get heated, it's best to remove the female and try again the next day.

Regarding moving the fry, I think 8 weeks is a good age to do it. I've moved betta fry to grow-out tanks at 6 weeks before, and as long as you've been feeding them a varied diet, they should be strong enough. I'd recommend doing slightly larger water changes in the fry container from now on, and just double-check that the airstone and filter combo isn't creating too much water movement.

The Indkento4 almond leaves are a great addition - your betta's will love them. You seem to be doing a great job, so keep it up and good luck with the breeding.

lilynx wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 12:28 am I'm trying to breed Bettas and I've had some success before, but I'm running into some issues now. I've got 4 8-week-old fry from a previous spawn, but the male I used before is probably too old now and the female he bred with passed away from dropsy. So, I got a new male to breed with my other female. I'm still pretty new to this, but I can tell you about the fry tank - it's a 10-gallon plastic container with daily 20% water changes, Hikari micro pellets, and bloodworms for food. There's also an aquarium plant, moss ball, air stone, sponge filter, and a heater set to 26 C. The light's on for about 15 hours a day and the pH is around 7, sometimes a bit more acidic. I'm conditioning the water first, of course.

I'm not sure if this setup is okay for the fry, so I'd love some feedback before I breed more. I'm currently trying to breed the new pair in a 5-gallon tank, but I'm worried it might be too small. This isn't the male's permanent tank, and he's not making a bubble nest. The female doesn't seem interested either. I've got some Indkento4 almond leaves coming tomorrow - will those help? I'm also concerned about moving the fry at this age. I know some people move them to a grow-out tank when they're young, but I don't want to risk losing them. My LFS wasn't much help when I asked about breeding Bettas - they just told me to put a male in a sorority tank and they'd breed quickly. I know this is a long post, and I'm sorry to bother you all, but I'm really unsure about what to do.