Bettas!?! Breeding Tips?

Question

I am getting 2 bettas tomorrow (a male and a female) I have this aquarium http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753118 and TetraMin food. Can anyone give me some tips for breeding? How can I make my tank a breeding ground? Do bettas lay eggs or give birth to live young? Will the parents eat the eggs or young readily or only under certain circumstances?

Answer 1

That tank is too small for one betta let alone two.  A single betta needs a MINIMUM of 1 gallon with 2+ being more ideal.  Anything you heard about bettas actually liking small spaces is complete bunk.  There is no such thing as a tank that is too big for a betta, maybe too deep for a male with large fins that has to swim to the surface to breath but a tank with a shallow depth can be an unlimited number of gallons to house a betta.  Those tanks can make nice temp homes or sick wards for a betta but it's only 1/2 a gallon and not a good choice for a long term home considering it can't be fitted with a heater.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

That 2 gallon there makes a great home for a betta and would only need to have the water changed once a week vs every other day in a half gallon.  Even those 1 gallons that are nearly the same price as the product you posted would be a much better home.  They also now sell these 1.25 gallon tanks for bettas that are quite classy looking but have an open top design meaning you'll have to cover it with something so the betta doesnt jump out.

To breed bettas you need at least a 10 gallon tank and bigger is better.  You'l also need a sponge filter and micro foods to feed to the fry.  Prior to breeding you'll have to condition the bettas with high quality foods so that the female will grow eggs and vertical barring on her sides and the male has a chance to build a bubble nest in the 10 gallon.  You than place the female seperate from the male but within sight so they can court for a while before releasing the female and leting them spawn.  Once the female has released her eggs she must be kept seperate and once the fry are free swiming in about 3 days or so the male must than be taken out.

NEVER house males and females together as they can and will kill each other, slowly but surely.  The females can be just as aggressive as the males and they don't have those huge fins to weigh them down.  You can house small schools of female bettas together but the males must be kept on their own.  

You should really take some time to research this all a bit more so you know what your getting into.  Bettas can have several hundred fry in a single spawn and all the males will eventually need to be housed seperately untill new homes can be found and its not easy doing water changes on 50+ individual tanks.

Answer 2

WHOA! Research time! Betta's are one of the hardest fish to breed! Also, that tank is to small, plus they can not live together. They can ONLY be together for spawning. Read these 2 links, they tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about spawning and breeding Betta's.

http://www.bettatalk.com/breeding_bettas...

http://www.bettatalk.com/rearing_the_fry...

Once again, I do NOT recommend trying to breed these fish if you are a beginner! Guppies and other live bearers are a much better suited choice for a beginner. If you want something harder than that.....kribensis or dwarf grouamis.

Answer 3

First before you purchase bettas, please talk to a good informed person that knows about this. You need to get a baby piece that fits in your tank.If you don't they will be eaten.

Google bettas  and you will get a lot of good information. They are not easy to raise.

Do not just buy them and not know anything about them. The mating is very hard on the female.

I wish you luck.

Answer 4

I don't know much but I do know that the male will make a bubble nest and then mate with the female who will lay eggs. Sorry that I couldn't tell you any more.  

Answer 5

I have been breeding bettas for a while. I am a expert. Your male betta will make a bubble nest wich will hold the eggs. If you get your female betta and put it in a small tank and you Put your male betta in another. Then put them right next yo eachother. This will encourage your betta to create a bubble nest. His bubble nest should get very large. Once you think it is big enough. Put your female betta in. But if u put it in too early your male will destroy it. If he doesn't destroy it he is ready. Give your betta's sometime to get use to each other. Once they have there eggs remove your female or else she will be killed. After they hatch, remove your male  2 days after. or they will be eaten.

Good luck!!!

Answer 6

The tank is alright but I do not think that is big enough for breeding. Why don't you consider something like the 5.5 gallon goldfish starter kit. I know they suggest goldfish but it's perfectly fine for a betta.

Anyway, breeding is not as hard as you think. What I would do is put the male betta in the tank first for around 3-4 days. Then buy the female and place her bag/container in the tank, just to see how the male and female react. If the female starts forming diagonal black lines on her body, she is ready to breed. If she becomes pale and tries to hide, she is not ready.

Bettas lay eggs. The reason why I would leave the male alone in the tank for a couple of days is so he has the time to form a bubble nest. This is what the parents store their eggs in. Another tip about breeding: the females lay eggs upside down and the males take them into his mouth and spit them out onto the bubble nest. When the female finishes spawning (I don't know when but ask a petsmart person), take the female out immediately so that the male doesn't attack it. Also, leave the male in the tank until the eggs hatch (probably 2-3 days). He needs to be there so he can fertilize them and so on.

I hope this info helped and good luck with your bettas!