Betta fish breeding Guide

Want to learn How to breed betta fish? You would find it exciting. Breeding betta fish requires specific planning and preparation. Bettas can produce upto one thousand eggs in a single spawn. When these eggs hatch, hundreds of babies will be swimming around. They would require jars, equipment and feed stock.

Selection of breeding Stock
The most important step in breeding bettas is to find a good pair of male and female bettas. Bettas with similar color and fins are likely to produce more colorful babies. Betta fish have a short life span between 3 and 5 years. Idea time for betta fish breeding is when they are 6 to 12 months old.

Setting up the Tank for Breeding Bettas
You would need a spacious tank with a lid and a light. Do not place rocks or gravel inside the tank as the eggs might get stuck below them. Use only treated water. Maintain the temperature of the water at around 80 degrees fahrenheit. This is the ideal temperature for betta breeding.

Conditioning
Bettas are naturally aggressive fish and will not allow any other betta to come close. Hence it is necessary to condition the breeding bettas to get used to each other. Keep a glass hurricane globe inside the tank. Place the female betta in it. Next introduce the male betta in to the tank. The male will start circling around the glass globe flaring at the female inside. During the conditioning period, the bettas must be fed well. Lot of live food will produce the best results in a short time.

Betta Fish Bubble Nest
After some time, the male will swim away and start building the bubble nest. He will be darting between the female and the nest. It is time to release the female into the tank. You will notice them chasing and biting each other, which is normal. The female will then start checking if the bubble nest is ready.

Laying the Eggs
When she is sure the nest is ready, she will start rubbing her body and tail against the male, indicating that she is ready for breeding. The female will assume a submissive position and allow the male to get close to her.The male will wrap herself around the female and squeeze her. With every squeeze, you can notice eggs dropping from the female. The male will be busy carrying the dropping eggs to the bubble nest and placing them in the bubbles. When the female has released all the eggs, she will move away into her hiding place. Move her out of the tank now.

The Babies – Betta Fry
The male will be spending all the time tending to the bubble nest. He will not be eating during this time. Do not try to feed the betta now, as the uneaten food could pollute the tank. After two or three days, the eggs will start to hatch. 100’s of fry can be seen falling from the nest. The male betta will be busy picking up the falling fry and putting them back into the nest. The male can be moved out of the tank, when the fry are free and swimming. Start feeding the hungry fry.

Betta Breeding takes a lot of effort but the joy of success in bringing to life 100’s of bettas makes breeding betta fish worth the effort. The 100’s of baby bettas would eventually grow to be adults.

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