Keeping breeding bettas together permanently...
- Thread starter Liz
- Start date
I would think you'd need a much bigger planted tank for that. Wouldn't the male continue to pursue her relentlessly at all times? Not much space to run from him in a 5 g.
Yeah I figured. Well what about keeping the male with the fry? I have heard that he culls them and that I'll be left with like 5 or 6 healthy, big babies.
Also, could I feed the fry newly hatched triops? that would be a whole lot more convenient than brine shrimp.
Also, could I feed the fry newly hatched triops? that would be a whole lot more convenient than brine shrimp.
What I'm thinking of doing is planting my tank, waiting until the tank is cycled, cover the filter intake with cheesecloth (secured with a rubber band) buying a female (I already have a nice young male) or borrowing one from a friend if he has one, breeding them, removing the female, and see what happens if I leave the male with them fry, and not feed them and see if they can live off the natural organic and biololgical matter in an established, planted tank.
I wouldn't do that... especially in a planted tank because the eggs/fry will fall from the bubble nest and the dad has to pick them up before they rot; he won't be able to find them in that sort of tank set up. Breeding bettas is a very big commitement considering that they can have upwards of 100 fry that need to be seperated once they start fighting. A 5g tank is actually a good size for breeding bettas, but it needs to be set up properly for it to be successful. Do not keep a male and female permanently together in a tank that size, one of them will surely end up dead. I'm not sure about the triops, never heard of that being done... The daddy fish does not cull the fry, that is a job for the breeder. Check out this website, they have an extensive section about breeding bettas: http://bettatalk.com
I've read that in their natural habitat that the male will drive the female away but often the female will stay somewhat close in case something happens to the male. How big a male betta territory is I have never seen anything about.
I think it's better and less stressful for both fish to be seperated after mating. It'd probably save you a headache as well.
I think it's better and less stressful for both fish to be seperated after mating. It'd probably save you a headache as well.
in a larger tank could you keep multiple females with 1 male without issues so he doesnt just harrass the one female?
I'm sure you could, but it would have to be a fairly large tank with lots of plants and such.
I've actually heard of females being the aggressor during mating. Apparently the males fins can get torn to shreds. Not sure how true that is though...