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Breeding Bettas

         Just a few words before the information. I have been spawning fish since I was a child, and bettas are the most time consuming that I have ever dealt with. This is not meant to discourage you, but rather to let you know what will be needed of you if you do decide to breed your bettas. There can be anywhere from 50 to 400 fry, they have to be feed a special diet, at least twice a day. When the males reach about 2 months old they have to be moved to separate jars and the jars have to be cleaned regularly, then you have all the fish to get rid of. What will you do with them? Pet Stores? In short be prepared to spend a good amount of time taking care of your newly hatched fish and being patient and vigilant. When trying to sell to your local pet stores they will normally want a guarantee for the fish, 1 week is standard.


Equipment Needed for Breeding
10 Gallon Tank
Seasoned Sponge Filter
Large Styrofoam Cup
Mardel MarOxy - medication
Gang Valve w/ 3 Outlets
Brine Shrimp Eggs & Hatchery
Mikroworm Culture
Trop. Fish Food Flakes
At least 20 Quart Jars - for 2 to 3 month old males		 pH Test Kit
Thermometer
Kordon’s NovAqua - buffers fresh water, protects the fish from infection and fluid loss
Black Water Tonic (optional)
Liquifry No. 1 (Egg Layers)
Rocks, Etc. To Hide
Warm Place For Jarred Males
 Baking Soda
25 or 50W Submersible Heater
Kordon’s AmQuel - removes harmful ammonia, chloramines, chlorine and many other organic toxins
Air pump & tubing
TetraMin’s Baby Food "E"
6 or More Ramshorn Snails


CHOOSING A BREEDING PAIR

         Start with a pair of 4 to 8 month old fish. Young fish are more vigorous, the spawns may be smaller, but the fry are generally stronger. The female is sexually mature when you can see a small white spot, her ovipositor, between her ventral fins. Females have a much smaller role to play then the males, and usually perform well their 1st time. Sometimes, young males may ignore the eggs, eat them or the fry, or have no idea what to do with them on their 1st or 2nd spawn. Usually, by the 3rd attempt, they become good, attentive fathers. The colors of the pair is immaterial, unless you are breeding for a particular color. Wait 2 weeks before breeding the male again, and a month for the female. The bettas you see in pet stores are usually 7 months or older.

Click Here for what to look for in the fish.


THE AQUARIUM

         Use a 10 gallon tank that has been cleaned thoroughly. DO NOT USE SOAP!!!! Soap is toxic to fish. A solution of 1 part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water will disinfect safely. Chlorine can be removed by sitting it outside in the sun for a day or filling the tank with water and adding extra dechlorinator. No gravel will make it easier for the male to find fallen eggs & simplify cleaning. Cover the tank to minimize drafts, reduce evaporation, and keep the temperature uniform between the water and the air. During summer hot spells open the lid to vent excess heat. A fluorescent hood-light will make it easier to see the fish.

WATER IN THE AQUARIUM

         Fill tank 1/2 to 2/3 full of water, add 1/4 tsp. of NovAqua, 1/4 tsp. of AmQuel, 1/2 tsp. of MarOxy, and 1 tble. of salt. Use salt for tropical fish, it has nothing added to it. The disease called 'velvet' will kill the fry, and salt prevents it. If your water contains high levels of salt, don't add more. Softening water in the tank is not necessary, except as a last attempt to get a pair to breed. pH should be between 6.8 and 7.4, but 6.5 or less will kill fry. Test pH twice a week. To adjust -- 1/8 tsp. baking soda for every 5 gallons of water will safely raise the pH.. Water should be kept around 80º F. If pair won’t spawn, try a different temperature, or add Black Water Tonic. Don't allow the temperature too much above or below. To maintain the temperature use a 25 or 50 watt submersible heater.

WATER FILTRATION

         A sponge filter is a must. Be sure it is seasoned (operated in a tank with fish for 3+ weeks). Put filter in the spawning tank before you add the male and female. Arrange directly under the heater to disperse the warmed water. Keep the water slowly moving. Bettas do not like swirlinging water.

THE MALE’S NEST

         A large styrofoam cup, cut lengthwise, is simplest. The front makes it easy to view the nest and fry. A ring (like a plastic heater-clamp) pressed to the back of the cup will hold it against the glass. The male betta, in a tank between 80º-85º should build a bubble nest in about 2 hours. Done by taking air from the surface, coating it with saliva and releasing it. Sometimes they will accidentally shred the nest but they will rebuild it. Nests are usually 2" across and 1/4" high. If the male doesn't perform per average don't think the spawn won't succeed. Bettas can be conditioned to spawn with any type of high protein food; brine shrimp, blood worms, black worms, but the best, when available, is mosquito larvae.

ADDING THE FISH

         Clean male's container about once every 2 weeks so a degree of debris builds up. After adjusting temperature, pour betta, water and debris into the breeding tank. When the fry are free swimming there will be no ammonia in the breeding tank, and a small culture of infusoria for them to eat. Place a glass chimney inside the breeding tank and insert the female. The male will work on his nest, display for the female, then go back to his nest. Sometimes nothing will happen for a week or more. Be patient. After the male has built his nest and continually returns to the jar with the female to display, he is ready. The female signals readiness by several methods. In dark red, blue or green females, horizontal fear stripes are replaced by two or three vertical lines behind the head, and in the belly area. They will also assume a 45 degree, head down angle. A pale bodied fish will be unable to display the pattern change but will assume the head down angle. This is the time to release the female from the chimney, taking care not to damage the bubble nest. (If the nest is against the chimney, tip the female out carefully but leave it in the tank. Any damage will be repaired quickly.)

SPAWNING

         Could occur in the first 24 hours -- but usually not. If they haven’t spawned after 3 or 4 days, replace them with a different pair. If you don’t have another pair, then wait and wait. To prevent fighting, they need to be watched now. Sometimes they get along just fine and spawning takes place quickly. Sometimes the male takes off after the female with blood in his eye, especially when she approaches the nest. In this case he's not ready, return her to the safety of the chimney. Spawning takes place under the nest. The female will go there first, the male comes to her, nudges her gently then moves over her, rolling her over until she is upside down and he is wrapped around her. If the embrace is right, their ventral openings are in close proximity, and actual mating takes place. The female, will releases 10 to 20 eggs, the male simultaneous releases sperm, fertilizing them. The male relaxes and moves away from the female who floats as though stunned, her body still curved in an 'S' shape. The male grabs the slowly sinking eggs, in his mouth. After he has taken in all that he can find, he swims back to the nest and blows them into the sticky bubbles. Now the female has recovered, after nosing around for any eggs the male may have missed (which she will eat), she goes to the surface for air, then goes back under the nest.

REMOVING THE FEMALE

         Spawning is finished when the male drives the female away from the nest (12 hours tops), or when there are so many eggs that you know that the 50 jars won’t be enough to hold all the males. Use a small net and wait until she comes to the surface to breath to catch her. Place her back in her jar and add a drop or 2 of MarOxy to help her recover from her injures.

WAITING FOR THE FRY TO HATCH

         Add Liquifry NO 1 for egglayers. There can be 50 to 400 eggs in the nest and the male is busy blowing more bubbles around and under them. He may move them to another location in the nest and he may put so many bubbles around them they aren't even in the water anymore, don’t worry, if they're fertile, they'll hatch. Some males eat eggs. Ironically, the next nest is magnificent. At 80º-85º, the eggs will acquire tails in 24 hours, and begin hatching in about 36 hours. Be sure to feed the male during his vigil (live food is preferable, don’t overfeed). Some males won’t eat anything while attending the eggs. Note: the fish need light to induce them to spawn, nice bright light seems to inspire them. Turn off the light at night or the male will get no rest.

THE FRY HAVE HATCHED

         If the cup is pressed to a front corner of the tank, you will see most of the fry clinging to the glass and cup. Count them quickly, they will scatter in less than a day. Spawns of 25 to 50 are ideal for beginners. The tank looks deserted for the first 5 or 6 days. About 4 days after spawning the fry are moving more and able to swim from the bottom to the top of the tank, remove the male now. At this stage, frustrated by not being able to keep them in the nest, he may eat them. Put him back in his container, he'll usually collapse to the bottom, exhausted. Put a few drops of MarOxy in his water also as he could have rips in his fins.

THE SNAILS

         When the fry are free-swimming, drop 6 or more Ramshorn snails into the tank -- they scavenge uneaten food and dead fry. Do Not put in until the fry are free-swimming.

FEEDING THE FRY

         Their egg sacs sustain them for up to 36 hours after hatching. The fry are not really swimming much and not eating, put a little Artificial Plankton/Rodifer powder in, in case the stronger ones want to pick at something. By day 5 feed the APR twice a day plus microworms (an eyedropper is handy). Usually feed APR for 2 days, then add microworms twice a day for another 3 or 4 days, adding just a few baby brine shrimp for the stronger ones. By the time they are 10 to 12 days old feed primarily baby shrimp, adding just a few microworms for the smaller ones, and Tetra’s Baby Fish Food "E". Don’t overfeed. Too much food will pollute the tank -- only feed them what they will eat in 5 minutes.

FEEDING LARGER FRY (1/4" and up)

         Tropical fish food flakes (high protein), adult brine shrimp, blood worms (live or frozen -- be sure they are thawed to tank-temperature), and daphnia, are good sources of food. Do not collect from ponds.

CARING FOR THE FRY

         The fry begin to breath air when they are about a month old, this can be a dangerous time of their lives. No matter how warm the water is, if the air they breath is cooler, they will die. If the room is cool, keep a full lid, with a light on to keep the air warm. Before the fry are 2 months old they are moved into larger quarters, a couple 10’s or a 20. They are still eating the baby brine shrimp augmented with fine flake. Use a flashlight to check for fungus, ick, and red or green fin-wash.

TANK MAINTENANCE

         Monitor temperature and pH. Don’t allow organic material to accumulate in the tank. A 12" section of rigid tubing inserted into the end of 2+ feet of airline tubing makes a good siphon for cleaning fry tanks. Be careful when around the fry. At 1 week, begin raising the water level (slowly siphon water into the tank through airline tubing) about one inch every three or four days with dechlorinated water that is the same pH and 1 or 2 degrees warmer than the water in the tank. Don't change water until after feeding the brine shrimp, then only 5% every other day in the course of vacuuming out the dead shrimp. (Don't forget to add a little salt, if needed).

JARRING THE MALES

         Usually jar the males between 10 and 12 weeks of age, keep the temperature and pH comparable to that in the tank. They're easy to spot and they usually haven't begun fighting yet. (Once the fins are torn, they will not heal straight.) They will grow faster after jarring, and they are a lot more work to maintain. You may have to remove the larger, more aggressive fish as early as 6 weeks. Cover jarred bettas with plastic wrap, cardboard, etc. -- don't use aluminum foil.

COLOR AND FINS

         At 1 month, some fry may show hints of their potential. Don’t expect anything spectacular until they are 4 or 5 months old. Some varieties, especially marbles, change color as they get older.

Most fish should reach marketable size at about 4 months old.

Color Chart for Breeding

Green (turquoise) + Green = 100% Green
Green + Steel-Blue (a silvery-gray color) = 100% Blue ("Royal" or "Cornflower")
Green + Blue = 50% Green and 50% Blue
Steel-Blue + Steel-Blue = 100% Steel-Blue
Steel Blue + Blue = 50% Steel-Blue and 50% Blue
Blue + Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Green, and 25% Steel-Blue
ST (Single-tail) +ST = 100% ST or 75% ST and 25% DT (Double-tail)
ST + DT = 100% ST or 50% ST and 50 % DT
DT + DT = 100% DT (some breeders believe not an advisable cross)