[Lvbandeds]

this is the first thread ive started in bout a month or so here we go. I m starting to put a Betta(japanese fighting fish) colony together and im thinking about breeding them. Has anyone ever breed these fish,id like to here any expierences breeding.Ive heard its easy.Any care sheets and other info would be helpful .thanks btw Nathan the new look of GU is awesome i likey.
Derek

[GeckoFiend]

I would just like to point out that I am in no way an expert in fish breeding, and have never bred bettas. I do however know the basics for betta breeding.

You need to have a male and a female-duh. The male will make a "bubble nest" up at the surface of his water. The female, kept separately should swell up a lot-full of eggs. When she's full of eggs, place her w/ the male.

At some point, he'll wrap his body around hers and squeeze the eggs out and fertilize them, as well as put them in his nest. You then remove the female and the male should care for the eggs.

I may have forgotten a few things, but this should be enough to get you started. Let us know how it goes....

[Kagome100]

Betta breeding is fun. I did breed bettas before. The thing is you need to watch them because they will kill each other if you don't do it right. It's not easy if this is new to you. The first time I tried this I had a hard time but than the 2nd time I tried it worked and I got tons of fry.... If you are still wanting to breed betta's just ask me and I'll help ya. Or go to google and look up some sites on betta breeding.

[Geckokid82]

i really dont see the point in breeding betas... they're about the most boring, slowmoving fish there is lol, and they dont live long

[GeckoFiend]

Originally Posted by Geckokid82

i really dont see the point in breeding betas... they're about the most boring, slowmoving fish there is lol, and they dont live long

In spite of the fact that they don't move much, they're still very nice to look at. Also, 7+ years isn't living very long? If yours didn't live that long, perhaps you should re-evaluate your setup.

[Kagome100]

Bettas are not boaring at all there like the coolest fish you can have. I love there colors and shapes of tails. That's why I did breed them, because I wanted to see what colors and shapes I could get. I sold all so I made good money.

[klondike4001]

if anyone is looking for female bettas, most walmarts have them. They also have 10 gallon tanks pretty cheap.

[Pink_Gecko]

Originally Posted by Geckokid82

i really dont see the point in breeding betas... they're about the most boring, slowmoving fish there is lol, and they dont live long

Bettas are not boring!They are beautiful fish and I love them.Also they can live 5 yrs and up!

[Styx]

Yeah, I will have to disagree on the boring part too. They don't swim around because people smash them into vases and crap like that. I don't move around much either when I'm in a closet.

For spawning fish you'll need:
10 gallon tank w/ lid
Sponge filter
Frozen foods - baby brine shrimp, daphnia, blood worms
IAL extract or Black Water Extract
Airline tubing
A bucket or large bowl
Air pump
IAL or a styrofoam cup cut in half
Submersable Heater
Gang valve
And as many jars and containers as you can get your mits on.

The pair your intend to spawn should be conditioned for two weeks, fed every day twice a day on frozen foods such as blood worms. Things that are high in protine. Also, let the male see the female, but keep them seperated.

After two weeks of conditioning, you should notice your female filled with eggs and looking very plump, you tank should already be all set up and ready to go.

Spawn take set up:
10 gallon filled halfway, sponge filter sumbmerged, the water should be aged and conditioned first with dechlor. Add your BWE or IAL extract, and place your IAL or foam cup half in the tank (it should float). Tank temp should be at 80 degrees. Have your filter hooked up to the air pump, but do not turn it on yet, make sure the gang valve is on the pump also.

Add your male to the tank and place your female in the tank also, but in a jar so the male can see her, but not get at her just yet. Wait for him to build a nest under the cup or leaf you’ve placed in there. Once his nest is built, release your female and leave them alone, check every day for eggs. When you notice eggs in the nest, remove the female IMMEDIANTLY. Place her in a heated tank with IAL and a little bit of aquarium salt to heal (she’ll probably be a little beat up).

If all went well, your eggs should hatch in a couple days. You’ll see the teensy fry wiggling in the nest. After another couple days they will begin to fall from the nest like little fishy rain, the male will catch them and place them back in the nest. As soon as you notice the fry are free swimming, you should remove the male and feed the fry the BBS. If you have very small fry, you may need a culture of Vinager eels or microworms, they may be unable to eat the BBS and could starve to death if you don’t get them smaller food.

After the daddy is out, then the real work begins. ;3 His job is done, yours begins!

Change the water every day, just a little bit (siphon the bottom with your airline tubing and the bucket, if any fry get sucked up, gather then up with a turkey baster or something of the sort and place them back in the tank) like a gallon for the first two to three weeks, AFTER one week. Make sure the top is covered in seran wrap at all times! There should be consensation from the humidity on the INSIDE of the glass. After a month, change out as much water as possible, make sure the water you put back in it aged, treated, and is the same temp as the water in the tank. The fry are very delicate. Shock them too much and your entire spawn will die. Feed them three times a day for a month, then you can cut back to twice a day and move them to a larger tank if you like, but I wouldn't move mine for two. When you can sex the fish at four-ish months, take out all the males, the ladies you can keep together.

Edit: Forgot, you can turn on the filter after few weeks, make sure the air flow is rather low, just a bubble a second, and you can turn it up as the fry age and become stronger swimmers. Blow them around too much and it'll kill them.

This is just a brief run down, you could have problems, like hydras, or parasites, egg or fry eating males, nasty females, sterile females, innept males, aggressive pairs, pairs that don't like each other, and then you’ll need more info, but there’s the basics off the top of my head. There’s other ways to spawn, but that’s what’s work for me for three years.

[GeekGecko79]

Great thread!!! I was thinking about trying Betta breeding in the future as well. This will be a good place to come back to if I decide to go with it.
People who think Bettas are boring must not realize they aren't supposed to live in a cup
When I have bettas I keep the males in a 2 1/2 - 5 gallon tank each with filtration, rocks, driftwood, etc. and good temperatures & a varied diet. They can be a very active, friendly fish when raised right.
I currently have no males, but we have 4 female crowntails who have been living well in my Dad's 55-gallon community tank (females don't tend to have the aggression level of the males and can usually be kept together with enough space).
Bettas come in a huge variety of colors and styles (my favorites are crowntails and half-moons).
Bettas in pet stores do seem boring though to those who aren't into Bettas. They all tend to be the same color and sit still in their little cups. But that's not how they are meant to live.
And, yes, they can live for quite a few years if healthy.

Bettas seem to have the same unfortunate stereotype as hermit Crabs as Boring, disposable, desktop pets. When they can be very interesting, social animals with better care instead of pet-store care.