Betta channoides question
- Thread starter SubRosa
- Start date
I've never had them before, but they should start breeding around the 2.5 inch mark. They're a fairly large species.
Ok thanks, I know that they get 4", but since sex became obvious I've actually observed a female dropping a few eggs and a male taking them into his mouth. But there was no spawning embrace so I figure the eggs weren't fertilized and the male just ate them.
Betta channoides
Betta channoides is actually one of the smaller mouthbrooding species. They should be breeding at the size they are now. This species seldom exceeds 2" in length. They probably are breeding but you're missing it. In a community setup, other fish will try to get in on the action. With this number of females, the males are likely to eat the eggs in order to spawn with a different female. In the mouthbrooding Bettas, it's probably best to set up a single pair in their own tank to maximize fry production. If you're going to keep them in a group, it would be preferable to have more males than females. It's the females that initiate spawning and the males that brood the eggs/fry so the process is much more stressful on the male. If you've ever bred mouthbrooding cichlids, the roles are reversed in the mouthbrooding anabantoids.
I consider this a step two mouthbrooder for beginning anabantoid keepers. There are other species that are easier to spawn than this one but if you have a fair amount of experience keeping and breeding other fish, B. channoides is suitable as a first mouthbrooder. This is a beautifully colored species and one that is definitely worth keeping. Their spawning behavior is fascinating to watch. The females pick up the eggs after spawning and pass them to the male. They will sometimes 'play catch' with the eggs and pass them back and forth a few times before he hangs onto them. Depending on temperature, the male will start releasing the fry anywhere from day 12 to day 17. The fry can take newly hatched brine shrimp as a first food. Mouthbrooder fry in general are significantly larger than bubblenest builder fry and are consequently easier to raise.
Mark
Betta channoides is actually one of the smaller mouthbrooding species. They should be breeding at the size they are now. This species seldom exceeds 2" in length. They probably are breeding but you're missing it. In a community setup, other fish will try to get in on the action. With this number of females, the males are likely to eat the eggs in order to spawn with a different female. In the mouthbrooding Bettas, it's probably best to set up a single pair in their own tank to maximize fry production. If you're going to keep them in a group, it would be preferable to have more males than females. It's the females that initiate spawning and the males that brood the eggs/fry so the process is much more stressful on the male. If you've ever bred mouthbrooding cichlids, the roles are reversed in the mouthbrooding anabantoids.
I consider this a step two mouthbrooder for beginning anabantoid keepers. There are other species that are easier to spawn than this one but if you have a fair amount of experience keeping and breeding other fish, B. channoides is suitable as a first mouthbrooder. This is a beautifully colored species and one that is definitely worth keeping. Their spawning behavior is fascinating to watch. The females pick up the eggs after spawning and pass them to the male. They will sometimes 'play catch' with the eggs and pass them back and forth a few times before he hangs onto them. Depending on temperature, the male will start releasing the fry anywhere from day 12 to day 17. The fry can take newly hatched brine shrimp as a first food. Mouthbrooder fry in general are significantly larger than bubblenest builder fry and are consequently easier to raise.
Mark
