breeding bettas

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josh131

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Sep 25, 2003
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I am trying to breed bettas and when i got up this morning I noticed she must have jumped out of her plastic cage thing seperating her from the male until thier both ready. The female has stripes going left to right which I read is stress and the male hasnt made a bubble nest. I put the female back in her cage until thier ready. What should I do with them?

They are in a 5 gallon tank lowered to about 4 inches and there is no filter. I have 2 floating plant parts and a plastic lid for him to build on. Yesterday I fed the female 4 black mollies and the male 1. Today the female had 2. Im going to get them feeder guppies today. I just had extra baby mollies.

Is there anything I should do different?

I greatly appreciate any replies.:bowing:
 
I wouldn't feed them other fish, especially feeder guppies as they can carry disease. Buy some frozen blood worms and frozen brine shrimp. These will stimulate the fish to breed and help the female develope eggs.

I would also get alot more places for the male betta to build his bubble nest. Half the tank should be covered with fake lilypads or something similiar (live ones are all the better). I have also found that, when given the choice, male bettas prefer to build their nest on something that looks like a real plant, not the bottoms of styrofoam cups.

As far as the male and female, I would have another male and another couple of females in reserve(in two seperate tanks, one for the male, the other for the females). Not all male bettas are good fathers. Some don't know how to build a bubble nest, some don't know how to take care of the eggs, and some don't know how to take care of the fry. Some males don't even get in the breeding mind set. So, it's always good to have another male on hand in case the one you are trying to breed isn't going to work. In my experience, cambodian male bettas (the ones with the white bodies, or at least white heads) make the best fathers, they also seem bulkier and better equiped for breeding.

A few extra females on hand is also a good idea. Some males and females just will not get along, so having a few females for him to choose from will help also. Not only that, but some females are infertile, so, for obvious reasons, they may spawn but there will never be any fry. (This can also apply to males).

Next, I would raise the water level to about 7 inches. The male betta is going to need some room to catch the eggs after they embrace. Finally, it sounds as though you are new to breeding bettas, so, if you can, transfer them to a 10gal tank. This gives the female more places to get away from the male. What is the temperature of your tank? Do you have any java moss on the bottom? How long have the male and female been able to see each other?
 
Also i find that the bettas need to be fairly young. Like 6 months or so. Old bettas that you get in pet stores often can't breed any more. Very sad really.

Make sure you condition the female with live foods for a week before putting her in with the male, to make sure she has a big full belly of eggs. Veritcal lines should appear as opposed to the normal 'fear streak' horizontal ones.

My bettas always liked the styrofoam cups, even when given the option of floating plants as well. Maybe provide both. My males always built a bubble nest after a water change. Try this.

Also condition the male as well, to get him ready to mate. Then after a week of condtioning put them together in a tank with no filter, as you did, and with no substrate. Also have lots and lots of plants for the female to hide in, even pipes and flower pots. Put a glass divider in the tank instead of a floating cup. Make the male's half bigger. Then after the male flares and builds his nest you can try putting them together. Watch them carefully. They should chase and stuff but watch for any serious damage.

As pumaward said, some fish just aren't compatible. Try lots of pairs.
Hope this helps too,
:)
 
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