Breeding Bettas is for some a very easy process, while some have a very hard time. It's as much up to the fish as who a person decides who to marry. Some bettas don't seem to care who thy spawn with, and some will pick one mate, and refuse to spawn with anyone else. The worst though, is when you have a fish that is so beautiful, and you just can't seem to find anyone he or she likes, or they just don't seem interested in the whole breeding process(TSTL; To Stupid To Live as we on the bettas listserv like to joke.) But let's start at the begining.......
Before you can breed, you must have a male and a female betta. Remember to choose them in the color you wish to breed for.
When you see the fish in the stores, in most cases, you will be looking at a male betta. It is the male betta with the long flowing fins that most people fall in love with, and the males that need to be kept in seperate living spaces. A male betta will fight another male betta to protect his territory, but will usually stop when one admits defeat. It is usually not a fight to the death, although death can result from injuries sustained if the fish is weak enough that it can't fight off an infection that might set in. The same types of injuries can occur during the breeding process, so you might want to take precautions to insure his return to health.
This is a male betta!
This is the elusive female betta!
Female bettas are as in most cases in nature, the smaller and less pretty of the pair. Most females you will find will be a rather nondescript grey, with black horizonal stripes, but a few will be as pretty as the males, only they have shorter fins. Breeders have been working on improving the looks of the female as well as the male, and more and more are turning out as pretty as the one above. Most stores do not carry female bettas un less they are requested due to the lack of interest in the females.
