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Breeding

Materials Needed

Tank Supplies Food Supplies

Getting Ready

          Getting ready for a new pet can be stressful and difficult. However, we're not talking about just one or two newcomers; how about 10, 20, 50, 100, or even 200!!! Yep, you read it, 200 baby bettas can come out of a spawn. When mating fish, especially bettas, you never know how many babies your gonna get. The only thing to do is to be well prepared just in case it happens. The more prepared you are, the more live and healthy bettas you'll have at the end of the month. If you are not well prepared, expect a high mortality percentage. It may be cruel, but it's very true.

          Breeding bettas is like an art. You must be gentle, diligent, and be willing to spend large amounts of time and effort into this project. Patience is really the key towards success with bettas. Sometimes the entire spawning (mating) process can last from one hour to a few days. Spawning itself can last from 1/2 hour to about 3 or 4 hours.

Getting the Breeding Tank Ready

          Setting up the breeding tank is very easy and barely takes 10-20 minutes. The first thing is to decide what kind of tank will be used for breeding. Some people I know have used 2 gallon tanks. Keep in mind that baby bettas will need an ample room for swimming and breathing early on in life. The last thing you want is to have a very crowded tank. Waste materials build up, allowing ammonia, other toxins, and diseases to thrive under these conditions. I like to use both 5 1/2 and 10-gallon tanks. The 5 1/2-gallon tanks are for "first time" bettas. By this I mean that it is difficult to estimate how many fry "first timers" will have. You don't know whether they will produce 10 or 100+ fry in a spawn. So, all bettas that are bred for the first time are placed in this tank. The 10-gallon tanks are only used when I know (mainly through experience and data) that the spawn is capable of containing 50+ fry. The larger the tank, the easier it is to survive. Also, as the babies become a little older, the usage of a larger tank is inevitable. Unless the spawn is small, they will outgrow the smaller tank.

          After selecting the proper tank, the next step is to begin placing needed things inside the aquarium. First, you will need a filter. You might be thinking, "Why?". Well, as we all know, bettas breathe the atmosphere just like you and me. We have lungs, they have a labrynth(please refer to my "Definition Page"). However, during the first 2 or 3 weeks of life, this organ has yet to develop. Therefore, they must extract oxygen like other fish...through their gills. Unless the tank is large and the spawn is small, you'll need a filter. Most people, including myself, find it best to use a sponge filter. They are inexpensive(a plus for college kids), very gentle and create harmless bacteria that clean the tank. Also, the tiny fry are less likely to become stuck or sucked up like conventional filter systems. Basically, you want to watch the fry grow, and not watch them getting a tour of your filter!!!

          Secondly, NO gravel in the tank. The male will be spending a few days tending the nest. When eggs or fry fall to the bottom of the tank, dad will swim down and spit them back up into the nest. He has enough work as it is. The last thing the male needs is to search through gravel trying to find the fry before it drowns! Place yourself in his position. Pretend you were at a park. You have 5 children, all very young but old enough to walk and play. They see a swing set, they want to play. You place them on the swing set. Oops, one of your kids falls off a swing set. Naturally, you'd walk over, pick them up, and place them back on the swings. Now, imagine the same thing happening but this time, a little different. When the child falls into the sand, he sinks in and disappears. You panic. You scream. You run over and start searching through the sand trying to find little Chris. Unfortunately, the sand is too deep and you can't find him. Bettas go through the same thing. See how traumatic it can be?! To say the least, try to stay away from gravel or use very little of it. If you have plants in the aquarium, try to use something other than gravel to keep them down. I find it easier to use metallic anchors to keep plants in place. They are small, heavy, flexible, and can be found anywhere.

          Thirdly, plants!!! Plastic, silk, or real? Plants are optional but are great for breeding tanks. Plastic plants are Ok. They do not need any light or care at all and last forever, not to mention that plastic plants are great for keeping a bubble nest in place. The only downside to them is that they could actually be an accomplice in ripping fins. During mating, the male will chase the female and visa versa. Both will bite one another. Both will dash and dart quickly to get away. If either swims fastly through a plastic plants, their fins may get caught, scratched, and will eventually rip. Silk plants are the best "fake" plants. Like plastic plants, they perform the same job by anchoring bubblenests. Unlike plastic plants, the betta's finnage will not be harmed or tattered in any way. So damage to the betta will be less. Live plants are even better. The good thing about live plants is that they are like silk plants, but are also as stong as plastic plants. Like silk and plastic, they need little to no tending (depending on the type or species of plant!). Unlike the other two, live plants are natural and can help clean or keep the tank balanced until a conventional filter can be used. One plant is good enough to perform a few jobs. First, a live plant can control the nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia in the tank. Second, the plant is a host for infusoria. This means that it helps create the tiny animal food your babies will need to consume for the first week or so of life. Finally, it keeps your aquarium semi-clean if you don't have a sponge filter. The only problem that could arise would be the algae level in your tank. This really doesn't do much harm. It just looks dirty. I find that StressZyme can some what clean the tank. As mentioned before, plants are sort of anchors for bubble nests. However, if you don't have any plant type objects, the usage of a styrofoam cup will do. All that has to be done is tape half the cup to the glass. The male will get the hint and begin to build his nest. If he has already started the nest, either take a spoon and move the nest, or just let him do it himself.

          The last few item you need are water, a cover for the aquarium, and a male and female. When filling the completed tank with water, make sure the water is safe. I remember going all out when I first began to breed my bettas. I bought a $30 water testing kit. It was useful, but a little too much. All you really need is an ammonia kit and a pH kit. Both cost about $5 - $7 and come in handy. Obviously, if you get bottled water, you really don't need to test the water. But if you're like me and are obsessed with "safe water", then test it. Just make sure you get regular bottle water, not distilled. The main thing to be on the look out with water is the chlorine content. If you live in the city, chances are you have a high chlorine count. This will hurt the betta. It deteriorates their health and the finnage begins to dull and rot. Right now you probably have the car keys in your hand and ready to buy bottled water! To save money, just fill a jug or bucket and let the tap water sit around for a day. This clears the water of chlorine. Hence, saving you some cash. By the way, only fill the tank with 6in(15cm) of water. It helps the male when he's tending the nest.

          Now, to complete the setup, all you need is a cover. Whether its seran wrap or an aquarium top, they all perform the same job. There are two reasons for needing a cover. First, you don't want your bettas to leap out of the aquarium. For some reason, after mating, bettas (the female especially) will jump out of the tank. A top or cover to the tank will ensure that they stay aquatic! The second reason for covering your tank is humidity. The bubblenest will not last very long without humid air. The bubbles will pop and the male will have to start over again.

Conditioning the Pair

          Conditioning your male and female can be very easy. Two weeks prior to breeding, begin the process. DO NOT mate them right away. The females need ample time to fill with eggs. Pick the male and female you wish to mate. Place them in separate containers. Some people may place the male in the breeding tank right away. I prefer to wait. Bettas, as we know, can be very messy. By placing them in the breeding tank immediately, you run the risk of allowing ammonia to increase. However, if you have plenty of plants, then you need not worry. They, the plants, will clean and balance the water naturally.

          After placing both bettas in their own containers, make sure the water temp stays around 80 degrees. Bettas will get stronger, happier and will spawn more rapidly if spoiled correctly!

          The next step is feeding your bettas properly. Although flake food is nutritious for fish, when breeding, they do not offer the extra little "power" nature has. Bettas will become very fertile if placed on a diet of frozen or live food. For me, feeding is very crucial. It's the difference between a healthy and wholesome batch of fry, or a small and weak spawn. Feed them good and plenty. I feed them small to medium portions about 4 times a day. This keeps their bellies full and keeps the fish fertile. (Please see my "Foods" page for more details on how to feed bettas.)

Before Breeding: Signs of Breeding

          The cardinal rule for mating is patience! Bettas are like people; they can be VERY picky and fussy. If you place the female in the breeding tank too early, she'll suffer damage to her finnage. First, make sure that you have been conditioning properly. All you have to do is look at the bettas and you'll know. The male will swim around more than usual and the females will have eggs under her stomach. If you're wondering how to tell whether or not the female is full of eggs, just look for a white mass near her belly. Males are always ready, so there is no need to worry about them. Just make sure that both male and female are within their breeding age. For males, the breeding age ends at 10 months. After 10 months, they become very fussy and are almost impossible to breed. Females on the other hand will breed until they are 18 months old (1 1/2 yrs).

           The male shows some signs of being ready to breed by building a bubblenest. Some males don't even build nests, so don't worry if you don't see one. After mating, they'll build one.

          OK, here's the tricky part...the actually signs of readiness. The female will show at least one of the four signs. The four signs are...

1. Head Down dance (2/5 odds of doing this)

The female, when placed in a container next to or in the breeding tank, will begind to swim and wiggle with her head facing down at the male. Sometimes, the female will do this "dance" but not face down. Just look for a wiggling female.

2. Abdomen FULL of eggs (4/5 odds of noticing eggs)

This is the next sign of readiness. Females will ALWAYS have eggs in their abdomen. The only difference is that the eggs will not begin to develop further until the female is ready to breed. As soon as you place her next to a male after the conditioning process, her hormones will trigger the growth stimulation of the eggs. Hence the eggs become more noticable. An abdomen full of eggs is easiest to point out in cambodia females and dark females. Opaques can be tricky mainly because of their pure white color (guess what color are the eggs!!!). It took me forever to figure out whether or not my opaque female was ready to breed.

3. Flaring back at male (9/10 odds of doing this)

Since all bettas flare at one another, you should find other signs than just noticing this one. As the male flares up and starts swimming around her container (if you decided to place her in her own container, but in his tank)she will not try to swim away from his, but in fact, will swim with him and follow him around.

4. Tigers and Zebras (Vertical and Horizontal stripes...1/1 odds of seeing this!

This is the easiest sign to notice and should be combined with others to give you an idea if the female is ready or not. When a female get excited she will exhibit either vertical or horizontal white lines on her body. The chemical that produces these lines is the same chemical that develops her eggs. This is why she seems "larger" when she has the stripes. Vertical stripes are what you want. The female will look like a tiger fish rather than a betta. These stripes indicate readiness to breed. Horizontal stripes are a sign of fear and stress. If you have a dark colored female that has lost some color after a water change, look closer, you'll see the horizontal lines. When breeding, a female will change from vertical lines to horizontal lines if the male is too aggressive or territorial. This causes stress and fear in the female, causing her to exhibit these lines. There are exceptions and rarities. If a female is ready to breed, but is intimidated my the male, but still wants to breed badly, lol, you'll have a checkered or plaid appearance. When breeding, make sure this, the vertical lines, are combined with other signs to help you determine whether your female is willing to breed.

Introducing the Pair

          Here we go...stay calm, now's the most important part. After conditioning the pair for almost 2 weeks and seeing the visible signs, release the female into the males tank. At first, from what I observed during my mating of bettas, the female will immediately go after the male. She doesn't bite him, she just swims after him, nudging him with her head. When the male realizes that there's an intruder in his territory, he will begin to chase the female. Make sure there are enough plants where she can hide and rest from him. You may notice that she has been nipped a few times. This is normal. Leave her in the breeding tank unless she has been beat up badly, has had horizontal stripes for some time, or even appears to be struggling to breathe.

          The whole breeding process takes about 2 to 4 hours. The actual conception takes up to an hour, depending how experienced the bettas are or even how many eggs she has. Be patient, you can't rush them. Here's a technique that works for me. I mate the bettas early in the morning, around 9am. Also, I wait for a day where it will rain or is actually raining at the time. The low pressure help the eggs come out faster, making the entire breeding process take place in less than 1 hour. If the pair hasn't bred by 10pm, I take her out, place her in clean water, and start again the next day. NEVER leave the female in the males tank over night. Just like he nipped at her during the day, she take revenge at night. I know a person who made that mistake. Although the pair did mate, the female absolutely destroyed his finnage. The eggs had to be artificially hatched (the process in which the water is lowered to about 1 or 2 inches and the eggs are left to hatch by themselves) because the male was too weak to tend the nest. Eventually, you're pair will mate.

          During the mating, the female will nudge the male on his sides until he finally gets the hint. He takes her under his nest, she turns upside-down, he wraps around her and presto. As he squeezes her body and releases his hormones, the eggs begin to drop. Sometimes it takes a few wrappings before the eggs are released. As the eggs are released, he fertilizes them. The eggs fall to the bottom of the tank where they stay until he rescues them. After each wrap, the male releases the female and goes after the eggs. She floats away unconscious. Don't worry, she appears dead but is not, she's just stunned by the hormones and will regain consciousness after a few minutes. If she wakes up while the male is still collecting eggs, she'll join in and help. The betta eggs need oxygen to survive. This is why they are placed in the bubblenest. The exchange of oxygen at the surface keeps them alive. The male and sometimes female will pick up the eggs in their mouth and coat them with a special saliva that keep the eggs buoyant and also protects them from diseases. You'll get an idea when the spawning is over. The male will violently chase the female. Do not ignore this. Take her out A.S.A.P. for is he capable of seriously injuring her of even killing her!

          After removing the female, make sure you place her in a tank with clean and treated water. Use Stress Coat to treat her wounds. Females are very resilient fish. Unlike the males, they almost always recover from wounds. They are even hardy when shipped, recovering faster than males. The male on the other hand should be left in peace to tend the nest. The next few days are very crucial. He will spend all his time looking after the eggs and fry once they hatch. If you have a light on your tank that won't cause fluctuations in the water temps, turn it on. It makes it easier for the male to find eggs that have fallen during the night. Also, some people recommend that you don't feed the male. If you must feed him, try to do it at the other side of the tank. He doesn't need caviar on top of those bloodworms!! Make sure you siphon the uneaten food as carefully as possible. Males that are nervous will begin to eat the eggs. If this happens, get him out right away!

          Eggs hatch after 1 or 2 days (24 to 48 hrs). At first, the fry are very, very small yet visible. Compared to dad, they are about 1/20th the size of his eyes or about the same width of a human hair. YES, that's very small. As soon as they hatch, they hang vertically from the surface of the water. If one happens to fall, dad will come over scoop them up with his mouth and spit it back into the nest. Don't go crazy if you see him picking up a few at a time, he's not eating them. However, if you notice that he catches them, but never spits them back up to the surface, remove him because he's eating them. In this case, lower the water to about an inch. A day or two after the eggs hatch, the fry will begin to swim horizontally and will not need the bubblenest. Remost the male ASAP. He will get frustrated going after them and will make a meal of it. Please see my page about taking care of fry/juveniles.
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