Friday, November 24, 2006

Breeding Betta Fish

Breeding Betta Fish

Betta fish breed most successful before they reach a year of age. (Bettas are usually bred between 6 months and 1 year) They breed in bubblenests and do not require a special tank or equipment. In fact the male Betta fish takes care of almost everything. Were that only true for the human species - um... wouldn't you agree Ladies?

A bare bottomed tank, ten gallons or so is sufficient but you can get away with smaller tanks if need be. However, you must condition the Betta fish before breeding. This is not complicated and simply involves feeding your Bettas with live foods.

You should test your water's acidity. Ideally you want a PH level of about 7.0. The temperature of the tank should be 23 C or slightly higher (80 F).

When ready to spawn, the male Betta fish will blow a bubble nest. Be sure to provide the female Betta fish with a place that she can hide in. This is to protect her from the male who can become aggressive during the courtship period.

It is not unusual for the female Betta to lose a few scales or have their fins frayed during spawning. Spawning will cause both male and female Bettas to display intense colors and begin circling each other under the bubblenest.

Next, the female betta will turn over and the male Betta will wrap himself around her as she expels the eggs. The eggs are fertilized and will sink to the bottom of the tank.This is where the male Betta fish takes over. He will scoop up the eggs in his mouth and carry them into the bubble nest. The male will tend to the brood from here on.

You should remove the female at this point. The male can become quite aggressive towards her as he tends his young. Any eggs that fall out of the nest will be put back by the male. Within a day or two the eggs will hatch and you will see the fry hanging from the nest, tails pointed downward. The fry are fed, for the next day or two, from their yolk sack. If the fry fall out of the nest during this time the male Betta will continue to put them back in the nest. When the fry begin to swim freely, you should remove the male or he will begin to eat them.

Feed the fry twice daily. Use baby brine shrimp or very fine baby food. You can use a Tetra dry mixture specifically designed for egglaying fish. Most pet shops carry frozen baby brine shrimp.

Remember - do not overfeed your fish. The excess food will foul the water and can quickly prove lethal to the fry.

Please keep in mind that these are just guidelines for breeding your Betta fish.

If you are serious about wanting to breed your fish then you shoud really invest in a more intensive course and learn all the necessary tips and techniques. This is especially true if you want to sell your fish. There are not a lot of guides that specifically deal with breeding Betta Fish but I have found an excellent publication that is reasonably priced and deals exclusively with Betta breeding. For those who are interested in becoming a Betta breader you can find the link below.


"Taking the Mystery Out of Betta Breeding" by Tho Le

Check out Betta Fish for more information on Betta Fish care.

Breeding Betta Fish

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great looking fish!

Anonymous said...

Great Article

Thanks

Betta Fish said...

Thank you for your comments; I am interested in trading links with your betta fish blogs. Below I have listed the info for two of my betta fish blogs, please email me the info for two of your sites and let’s make this happen!


http://breeding-betta-fish.blogspot.com/

Breeding Betta Fish

Tips and articles on breeding betta fish




http://caring-for-betta-fish.blogspot.com/

Caring For Betta Fish

Articles and tips about caring for your betta fish




Looking forward to hearing from you,

Mel
Mel4576@hotmail.com