breeding bettas- size and bubble nests

halfmoonplakat

halfmoonplakat

AC Members
Nov 7, 2009
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well you see i have a problem :irked:
and it has to do with me breeding my two betta fish
wait actually scratch that i have two problems. well first of all, i am not sure if my male and female are compatible. is there a certain size requirement? because i've had the male for 2 years now and i just bought the female two days ago. i've measured them and the male is 0.75 cm longer (not including any fins for either) than the female, and 0.5 cm thicker (at their thickest points). is the male too big/old to breed with her? (e.g. will he like, kill her or can he not fertilize the eggs?) lol sorry i know these are stupid questions :)

my second problem: well the male seems to be making a bubble nest but it isn't really that big. in fact it just seems to be a thin outline of bubbles at the top of his tank. the thickest part of his bubble nest seems to be about 4-5 bubbles thick. also he doesnt seem to have much inclination for making a bubble nest. he only adds bubbles, probably unintentionally, after he gulps air from the surface. do normal male bettas add bubbles more frequently, or is it just me? and can you raise frys (i'm not so sure how you spell the plural of fry) without a bubble nest?

thanks!
 
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Oh yeah, and, the temperature is 75-77 degrees at all times, probably a bit higher if that helps?
 
I personally find that the younger the male the better. Most breeders will advocate that 3-9 months is the ample breeding time, however up to 1.5 years is acceptable. IMO he is too old.
 
Try some indian almond leaves in the water as well. Ive found older bettas wont blow as big of bubble nests as younger ones.
 
I would say give the female some time to grow. Mine have all gotten a body (no tail) of nearly 2" long and at the widest point probably 3/4" of an inch wide. Also, look right behind the main fat section of her stomach (behind her gills) and look for a white circle/tube. That is her ovipositor, and if you CAN see it, she's ready to breed. Any of age, healthy, well-fed and happy female betta will be showing it.

Or your male could be too old, as he was at least 6 months when you got him. I found that my 2-year-old or more male betta wouldn't produce a bubble nest. He moped, occasionally ate, and that was it. He died a few weeks after that behavior started.

Give your female a few weeks on a good diet. Change up the male's tank a little, lower the water line, do a couple of water changes, and feed him some high quality food. Add some indian almond leaves or blackwater extract if you can. Once the female is showing her ovipositor and acting healthy, allow the male to see her (divider, her in a container of water inside his tank but seperated from him, etc.) and if he doesn't start to blow more bubbles within a few days, he probably doesn't have it in him. Good luck :thumbsup:


Edit: Wow, two replies since I started writing this post :eek: I need a life
 
the male is too old for breeding. keep him as a pet and pick up a younger male if you want to breed your female.
 
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