My female betta not showing vertical strips?

Question

i have a 10 gallon tank and the couple are in it the female and male were conditioned with bloodworms fed 1-2 times a day

the tank is heated with a styrophome cup and a few silky plastic plants

they were recently in seperate tanks for 2 weeks but now i put the female in a chimney and the male is roaming free slowley making the bubble nest

the female seems to have a slightly larger stomach then before and the white dot(srry forgot the name) is sticking out but no vertical strips

i releashed her one time so she could get used to the surroundings and the male but the male flared and chased her and her horizontal lines went really bold

my point is is it normal that she gets these stress lines when put together with the male and why are the vertical lines not there and also if she gets stressed out everytime shes with the male how is she going to breed when the male is ready

and yes they are both under 1years old and ive done my reserach on caring for the fry and etc.

Answer 1

I think you've done your research really well, and you've got all the supplies you need to make this a successful pairing. She's got a chimney, he's got a bubble nest, they've both got a heater and a styrofoam cup. The only thing you need more of is time.

The male is willing to breed (bubble nest), but the female is stressed (horizontal lines) and at this time unwilling. Give them some more time to get to know one another with her safely in the chimney and raise the temperature to 82 degrees if you don't already have it that high. The raised temperature and them being able to see one another will, over time, get the female willing to breed.

But all you can really do is set the mood. If she isn't interested, there's nothing you can do. Some females simply won't breed. But I don't think that's what's happening here. She's most likely just stressed out (he can kill her, and she knows it) so giving her more time and 82 degrees Fahrenheit should help the breeding occur within the next week.

Just give them some more time, with her safe in the chimney so he doesn't kill her.