Betta breeding methods

[bm5424]

I'm thinking of trying to breed bettas for my 4th time. I haven't got fry yet. I'm hoping you can tell me your methods from conditioning the fish to the tank setup and caring for fry.

[bob mccoy]

well everyone has there own way but i put the male in a 2 to 3 gall tank with about 5 inches of water in it. i put a bubbler in it that barely bubbles lice one or two bubble every few seconds. i leave him in there for a week . then i put some fake plants in one end of the tank for the female to hide in . then i put the female in a jar or some clear glass container i use a mason jar. then put her and the jar in the tank so he can see her and they can get used to each other. if they are compatible with in one week he will build a bubble nest on the top of the water. after he is done you can release the female into the tank . she will hide in the plants till he entices her out to breed. when they are ready she will shim by him and he will wrap around her and squeeze the eggs out and fertilize them . as they fall he will pick them up and put them in the bubble nest. after they are done doing this remove the female. this could take from anywhere from 2 hrs. to next day so keep watch. the male will take care of the eggs until swimming fry appear then you remove the male and feed him and her as normal. i soak lettuce in a jar of water the day they start swimming cause the bugs and bacteria in the lettuce will come out into the water and it take 3 days to do this . and i give the fry one table spoon of water 2 times a day for a week then i start them on baby brine shrimp and other suggested foods.the tank water needs to be at 80 degrees from start to end. any more questions just pm me

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by bm5424

I'm thinking of trying to breed bettas for my 4th time. I haven't got fry yet. I'm hoping you can tell me your methods from conditioning the fish to the tank setup and caring for fry.

I breed Bettas this way:
Condition the potential pair by adding higher protein foods like Bloodworms or Black Worms to their normal diet for approx. 1 week. Female should be nice and round with the first egg showing at her ovipositor.

Tank with new water and no filter-Covered to keep humidity in, water 80-82 degrees, Water height- no more than 6 inches. (I use anything from clear shoe box trays to bowls to glass tanks for spawning tanks. The water height is what's more important.) Some tubes such as PVC fittings or piping or other hiding places for the female along the bottom. I usually have 3 to 4 of these in the tank.

Male loose in tank- Female in glass jar, I use a piece of Romain lettuce leaf roughly 2" square for the male to build his nest. ( As the lettuce starts to deteriorate, infusoria cultures begin to happen.)
Assuming your fish have been conditioned, Males build nest within 24-36 hours, Females show breeding colors almost immediately, If female does not "challenge" the male when he flairs at her, she is most likely not ready for breeding. (My females flair their gill plates right back at the males.)
If all signs point to a compatible pair, I release the female in the morning.
I've had spawns happen as quickly as 45 minutes after introduction to 7 days later. (Note that if the male is highly aggressive, I will put the female back in the jar at night for their protection.) Once spawning is completed, the female is removed. Male cares for the eggs and fry. The male comes out the day before the fry are free swimming.

Rearing fry:
I don't usually start my fry with infusoria other than what was in the tank from the lettuce. I start hatching setup for live brine shrimp the day the fry start free swimming so that they are newley hatched by day 2. (PM me for more instructions on hatching out brine if you need it.)
At about 7-10 days old, I start a sponge filter with very little air (Fry are very sensitive to water movement.) I seed the sponge prior to using it to have a "cycled" filter instantly.

From this point on, it's feeding and careful water changes to get them to grow.

Feel free to PM me if you need more help with these fish

[bm5424]

The person I'm buying my bettas from is a breeder. He says he's got males at 6 months and young females. For females he has hm and ct. For makes he has pk, hm, ct and I think some deltas. I would get 2 males and 2 females. What types do you think will work best and sell best or for most.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by bm5424

The person I'm buying my bettas from is a breeder. He says he's got males at 6 months and young females. For females he has hm and ct. For makes he has pk, hm, ct and I think some deltas. I would get 2 males and 2 females. What types do you think will work best and sell best or for most.

In all honesty, the way to know what to breed is to ask the people or stores you intend on selling your fish to, what they want. Grade A Halfmoons might sell for more money but you might sell 10 times as many veiltails as Halfmoons so you would make more money selling more cheaper fish. Your customers hold all the answers
Some of my fish actually produce Veils, Doubletails, Deltas and lower grade Halfmoons in each spawning. Since I have such a variety, I get my customers to order a little of everything. Just something to think about

[bm5424]

Should I breed hm to hm to get some nice halfmoons or pk to hm to get som nice show plakats after a few generations?

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by bm5424

Should I breed hm to hm to get some nice halfmoons or pk to hm to get som nice show plakats after a few generations?

The choice is yours and your customers if you are trying to sell the fish. I have customers that will buy halfmoons but won't buy Plakats no matter what shape they are. You need to decide what you want to end up with and if your customers want what you are going to end up with. That tells you what to do.
All I can tell you is that breeding HM to HM will give you the highest percentage of HMs per spawn.

Don't forget to post some pics of what you produce