Breeding Betta

It is very apparent when the females have eggs!!!!! They have such a bulging tummy!!!!!! Also, when they are ready to be bread they develop vertical srtipes going around their bodies, especially when exposed to a male!!! WE CALL THAT "BARRED UP".

The male is ready when he builds bubble nests in his container. I like to use a five gallon myself but either 5 or 10 is good.

I fill it about 4 " in depth with treated water, put in some plants or other hiding places, and let the male go free in the tank. I cut a styrofoam cup lengthwise and tape it to the side of the tank so that is makes a floating hut type of shelter. The male will build his bubble nest under there.

In the meantime the female is floating in a breeding trap or in another type of container inside the tank but protected from the male. I leave them like this for anywhere form 24 to 48 hours. I have learned to recognized that the female is eager to be with the male, and that is when I let her go. IF she seems afraid I will remove her and not try to breed her at that time. She will likely just be beaten severely by the male.

When they are free in the tank together, there will be some chasing and nipping for sure, and that is why you want to have some places for her to escape from him for a rest.

Eventually she will begin to approach the nest with her head down and that is her signal that she is ready. The male will wrap himself around her in a nice snug embrace and in time the eggs will begin to fall. Leave it up to them after this, as they will both gather the fallen eggs and spit them into the bubble nest and continue spawning until the male chases the female from the nest. It is wise to remove her at this time as he may again become very aggressive and harm her.

The male will guard the eggs, picking up any that fall from the nest for the next 24-36 hours at which time they will begin to hatch and the little tiny fry will fall as they cannot swim. Papa will gather them up in a gruelling task continually until they can swim for themselves. Once they can swim, remove the male.

This is a huge and draining task for both fish an that is why it is important for you to prepare them before trying to spawn them;  i.e place them side by side and feed them extra food for a couple of weeks first. The male usually will not eat for several days while he minds the spawn, so he needs to be in very good shape.

From this point on you need to ave food for the fry, and feed them about three or four times per day. DO not try to change water or to clean the tank for as long as you can stand it. DO not use any filtering devices and the fry will drown. Also cover the tank with Saran wrap as even the slightest draft can kill the newly hatched fry!

After about 3 weeks you can start to use a turkey baster to suck up debris from the tank, and you can add fresh water by setting a container of water into the tank until it is EXACTLY THE SAME TEMPERATURE as the tank water, and then slowly and gently add it.

Watch them grow and develop colour!!!!!

At about 2-3 months you will start to see that some are larger and more aggressive and you will need to start to jar them as they will be nipping at the others in the tank.