View Full Version : Breeding Bettas - My Way
Ok, here are the basic guidelines I follow when spawning Bettas. Please note that everyone does it differently but here is what has worked for me and the method that I feel comfortable with
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Spawning Tank (I'll recommend 45cmx22cmx28cm but you can also use a see-through plastic container with similar dimensions)
Small 25w Heater
Styrofoam cut vertically in half (or you can use a cube of normal bubblewrap) *bubblenest location*
Middle part of a normal 2l plastic coke bottle (punch a few holes in it for water circulation) *protection for female*
Small sponge filter (you can spawn without a filter but rather don't*
Java moss or Guppy grass *for female to hide in once released into the tank*
Culture of microworms *essential for fry's first food*
Baby Brine Shrimp (BBS) *essential for good fry development*
Aquarium Salt *to keep fry-attacking bacteria at bay*
Plastic or glass jars *to separate the males once they show aggression*
Anti-chlorine & bio-med (eg, tetra aquasafe & Nutrafin cycle)
Healthy Betta male & female
Optional extras
Indian Almond Leaves *makes the bubblenest more solid*
General anti-fungal medicine *keeps fungal bacteria at bay*
Daphnia *alternate food for fry*
BASIC GENERAL INFO ABOUT BREEDING BETTAS
Bettas can be a bit challenging and at times, frustrating to breed. The more you attempt breeding, the more you will get to understand certain key factors in the success of breeding Bettas and raising fry.
Bettas are bubblenest breeders. This means that the male creates bubbles in his mouth (mixtures of air and a special saliva content) and 'blows it' on the water surface. This nest will act as the house for the eggs and developing fry.
Bettas are quite aggressive breeders as well, so it is important that you become familiar with their general behaviour first (pls research this on the net first). You can't possibly explore breeding these beautiful fish without knowing what they are like in general.
Once in the spawning tank, the male will (or should) build a bubblenest at a location of his choice (which you can actually manipulate). The male will 'court' the male by flaring at her (basically he's trying to show her just how much of a man he is :p) and also be attacking her for a few days. After a couple of days, this whole aggression attitude will disappear and the two will be under the bubblenest together when they have accepted each other and are ready to spawn.
During the spawning process, the male will embrace the female and squeeze the eggs from her; as this happens, he fertilizes the eggs. Once the he is done squeezing, he will collect all the eggs as they falls and from the floor-bottom. During this, the female will float and appear as if she is dead (don't ask why this happens) but will come-to after a while. Good females will normally help the male collect the eggs once she is 'conscious' again. This process will be repeated until all the eggs are out of the female...this can last for several hours.
Once the spawning is done, the male will see the female now as a threat to his nest/eggs/fry and will chase her away. Now I've read all over the net that he will kill her but I am yet to encounter a female's fatality...I personally believe that she gets the hint and stay away from the nest once the spawning phase is over. It is at this stage when you remove the female as the male will guard the nest and ensure the fry makes it to free-swimming stage (well you hope at least ). Once the fry reaches this stage, it is now that the male is removed. From here on, you become the daddy and make sure the fry reaches maturity Let me now outline how to get from point A to Z
SETTING UP THE TANK
Place the tank on a solid surface out of direct sunlight.
Do not use any substrate at all; the tank must be bare else the falling eggs from the bubblenest will get trapped in the substrate and rot because the male cannot see it.
Put the sponge filter in a back-corner but do not switch it on...this only happens once the fry are free-swimming
Put the heater diagonally or horizontally in the bottom-back of the tank and set the temperature to 24 degrees Celsius
Fill the tank with normal tap water only a 1/4 of the way (can be slightly less as well)
Place your java moss or guppy grass on either the left or right side of the tank (stick the dry Indian almond leaf in between of this if you have)
Now add the 'coke bottle' directly next to the java moss/guppy grass
Take the styrofoam cup/bubblewrap and tape it on the water surface against the front of the tank in the opposite direction of the moss
Add one teaspoon of aquarium salt (if you have the anti-fungal medicine, add 3 - 5 drops only as well)
Add anti-chlorine & bio-meds to the water to remove ammonia and to speed up the nitrogen cycle (if you're in CPT, our water isn't hard, so anti-chlorine won't really be necessary but I'll recommend you rather do it)
Once you've done the above, I will recommend you add an airstone into the tank temporarily just so that there is some water movement. Let the tank stand for a minimum of about 3 days but I'll recommend 7 days. The reason why I say 7 days is so that you can allow time for infusorians to develop in the java moss/guppy grass so that they fry can also munch them when they are free-swimming.
It is very important that you condition your male and female for the spawning process. By this I mean that they will need to be fed a very good diet for at least a period of 2 weeks. Food I can recommend is Hikari micro wafers for small tropical fish, BBS, etc etc. On the day you will add the fish to the tank, feed them very well as you will not feed them again until the spawning is completed and they've been removed from the tank.
After you've left the tank for a couple of days so that it can mature, add the male tank. Leave him in the tank for about a day. You should find that he started to build a bubblenest by the following day. Now, add the female into the chamber of the coke bottle. NB - When adding the fish, be sure to acclimatize them properly.
Once the fish is added, you must leave them the heck alone. It is during this stage that you'll notice that the male will continuously flare at the female around the container and head back to his nest to continue his nest-building. You can release the female (just lift the coke bottle out of the water gently) at one of the following stages:
The male's nest is half-built or more
The female is showing readiness of spawning (vertical bars on her body if she is dark-bodied)
After 1 - 2 days after you've added the female to the tank
At this stage, the male will now aggressively pursue the female and nip at her. I believe that his is him showing her that he is indeed a healthy/strong mate for her. She will hide from the male in between of the java moss/guppy grass or even perhaps behind the filter. She will observe the male and the nest quite often. Periodically (if she is ready), she will show interest by swimming to the nest and inspect it. If the male is not ready to spawn, he will attack her so that she flees. This process will go on for 3 to 6 days, depending on the male's readiness. In my experience, spawning usually happens after the third or fourth day once the female is released into the tank. If you reach day 7, toss the spawn and retry from scratch.
Note that the pair has to accept each other. Most of the times, this comes naturally, but if you are unsuccessful after a few tries, retire them from each other permanently and try to find different mates for them.
Let's assume that you are lucky and the pair accepts one another. At this stage, they will swim around each other underneath the bubblenest. The female will be swimming with her head down in an S-direction movement; this is a sign of her submission to the male and that she is ready to spawn. The male will embrace her and squeeze the eggs out of her, during which, he fertilizes the eggs. Once done, she will float as if she is dead while he collects the eggs with his mouth. Once the female snaps out of her little trance, she will normally help the male collect the eggs and both of them will put the eggs in the nest. Once all the eggs have been returned, they will start the embrace process again. This can last up to 6 hours. You will know the spawning process is done when the female is no longer by the nest...this means the male would've 'turned' on her. Note that he will not go after her in the tank as he will stay by the nest and protect it to the death from any threat (including the female). It is at this stage that you remove the female very gently from the nest because you don't want to disturb the water surface too hard as you will knock the eggs out of the nest. Once the female is removed, give her TLC as she needs to recover from her wounds and must be fed well as she hasn't eaten for days.
Ok, now you're only left with the male in the tank. If he is a good male/parent, he will spend most of his time fixed underneath the nest. Time and again, he will wander away from the nest but not for a long period. You have a problem if your male doesn't show any interest in the nest at all. If this happens, toss the spawn and retry again at a later stage.
The eggs should hatch in a period of 36 hours. They will feed on their yolksac until they are free-swimming. Note that some fry will hatch earlier than others...this is normal. When the fry hatch, note that they will constantly be falling from the nest as their swim bladder has not yet developed. Your male will be gathering them as they fall and put them back into the nest. After about a day or two, most of your fry should be free-swimming. It is only at this stage that you remove the male gently (be careful not to net any fry as well). Give him extra TLC as he has been in there longer and been doing way more work than the female has. Please note that some males tend to become vulnerable to infections and diseases after spawning, so make sure his courters are uber-clean and you look after him very well.
Ok, now that both fish is out, it becomes your job to raise the fry. Here is where the fun starts. Once the male is removed, you need to feed your fry immediately. Give them a very small portion of microworms. Although there are infusorians in the water, don't depend on this as they are only there as a 'backup' (in my opinion) between different fry hatch periods. IE, for the fry that hatched first, their yolksacs should be depleted by now and you would hope that they will feed on the infusorians from the plants until the bulk of the clutch 'catches up' (hope I'm making sense here :wondering:)
For the first week, feed the fry at least twice a day for 7 days with microworms. After the first week, you should switch to BBS as this is the real food to accelerate their growth. Only at this stage do you switch on the filter (not too violent as major water disturbances will just throw the fry left, right & centre)
As for water changes, once you've switched to BBS, only add aged water with similar temperature one day at a time until the tank is fill up. When you start the water addition, please remove the bubblenest holder (styrofoam cup or bubblewrap). Only once the tank is filled up to the top do you siphon water out of the tank with normal airline tubing. This is where it becomes very time consuming to raise Bettas. For maximum growth speed, daily water changes are needed at this stage. You should at least drain 50% water and replacing with same. At week 4 - 5 you can try crushed granulate foods...this is very important as the fry has to learn to eat this. If they don't, you will have to feed them live foods for quite some time...so, do not make them accustomed to only eat live foods.
In between all of this, you will find dead fry. This is normal as some are just weak and malformed. If you lose lots of fry on a daily basis, then you might have an assassin in the water :amazed:.
Note that a lot of other things can go wrong during spawning/fry development (excluding Eskom power failures), so please post on here your problem and I'll try to assist as best as I can. Here are some pointers/tips for breeding:
In my experience, 24 degrees Celsius is the magic temperature to breed Bettas. I've tried 26 and upwards but only had failed attempts although European Breeders I've communed with recommend I only spawn in 28 degrees. What I can say to this is that I can recommend to perhaps turn the temperature up to 28 once your fry is free-swimming
A lot of males or egg/fry eaters. So if you notice one day that most of your fry is missing while the male is still in the tank, I've got bad news for you my friend. A lot of people have different opinions on this but it is my opinion that the egg eaters are usually a sign of males that are either poorly conditioned, or too inexperienced to breed.
When selecting a pair, ensure that they are more or less the same physical size of one another. No point in having a small male and a big female as he won't be able to squeeze the eggs from her body. More than likely, she will show him who's boss and attack him instead. Vice-versa applies
Patience is the key. Yes I know....most of us don't have patience when it comes to fish but seriously, this will save you a lot of frustrations if you just do it by the book and have patience.
Develop your own spawning style. I know many novice Betta breeders will have tons of questions surrounding the breeding of Bettas, but I will say that you only need to know the basic 'framework' (if I can use that term) and discover the rest on your own. Your eyes will be trained with Betta behaviour the more you observe them. Bettas are very interesting and curious fish, so take the time to study them and become familiar with their personalities; believe me, each on is different.
Ok, that's me for now. If I've missed out something, please feel free to shout. I am here to help anyone that attempts to breed Bettas so please don't be afraid to ask...there is no such thing as a stupid question. I have done many spawns (and lost many due to Eskom power failures) and I am happy to share what I know with anyone who is interested
Cheers for now ppl
Dale
Henk Hugo
11-09-2008, 16:54
WOW! what a read... awsum stuff man! any photos of the spawning process?
Yeah, got some....just need to post them. Gimme some time quickly
Ok, here are pics of my tank setups when I breed (obviously the airstone is removed once I add the male)
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5004049.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5004047.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5004045.jpg
And here are pics of the spawn happening
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5003999.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5003998.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5003997.jpg
And here are pics of daddy looking after the hatched fry
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Betta%20Males/Demon/S5003704.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Betta%20Males/Demon/S5003705.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Betta%20Males/Demon/S5003708.jpg
Henk Hugo
11-09-2008, 19:01
wow! thats great!
Thanks Henk, I'll be trying breeding again hopefully within the next month
Cheers
D
Slummies
29-01-2009, 13:43
2 Questions:
i understand you dont feed them during this time, but is there not a build of ammonia?
2: do you even use methylan blue?
Hence the guppy grass + java moss + duckweed (mostly the guppy grass & duckweed) & allowing your tank water to age first before you add Mr & Mrs Betta. Water addition & changes will come into effect much later during the spawning process anyway, so no need to worry about it if you set your tank up properly
No, never used it before, but I do add about 3 - 4 drops of anti-fungal medication into the breeding tank when setting it up. Give methylene blue a try and see what it does for you
Chiao
D
FIRST
tahnx for schweeet info. just wondering where can i get my Indian almond leaves?. i live in Somerset-West, studying at Stellenbosch.
FOR WHEN U HAVE TIME :bigsmile:
This has been the best source of info so far... (been reading quite a bit) - should've known to set it to pages in South Africa, hehe. got my tank yesterday and fish today... dunno if I'm doing everything right, got female in glass vase inside tank 22x45x25 (close to yours) they sorta getting used to eachother, male making his gills open etc but he's quite a bit bigger than her... dunno if this will be a problem. Fed them bloodworms twice today.
I've created the nest and stuck it in so long but, seems you say i have to wait a week or 2 so will do. my tank is still full for now will empty it later, feels like waste throwing out all the anti-clorinated water tho. wondering if i should keep them apart for the next to weeks and condition them as you say or if its okay that they see eachother. i only have one tank and like 3 glass vases to put them in.
got filter in tank and filter stone in vase... and just a few plastic plants... hopefully it will do for now, didnt add gravel. think its necessary to add real plants? is it worth the maintenance?
-not really sure when filter is needed and when not, like when i take them out of the tank and put them into vases, and if they need plants in there or sumthing... basically just how to maintain them. and if u think it's necessary to try find a larger female or more suitable size male.
Hey Chris
I have some Indian Almond Leaves if you want, just come and collect.
From the sounds of it, your female might be a bit too young to breed with. How small is she? Picture of both fish perhaps? The male should at least be the female's size or a bit bigger, but never the other way around for two reasons: 1. The female will most likely dominate the male if he is significantly smaller than her, and 2. If they should breed, he won't be able to embrace her properly during the spawning process.
Conditioning period is recommended for 2 weeks minimum with a variety of different foods. While conditioning, they shouldn't see each other as you're trying to get both fish in the best physical condition possible. If the male sees the female, he will go to work on his nest building and flaring at her etc etc....rather save that for when they want to breed, not during conditioning.
Definitely get yourself some real plants in there. You can get some from me as well.
The filter (assuming its a spunge filter) is only switched on after the fry is free-swimming, but gently as well....don't want the fry going in all different directions in the tank.
One more thing, I have now stopped using microworms as the fry's first food thanks to Prof. Dirk Bellstedt. I only use frozen rotifers for the fry and they are luvvin it and growing up much quicker as well. My last surviving fry were only fed on this and grew at a rapid pace.
Let me know if you want to collect the plants and some Indian leaves this Saturday. Will also show you the fry of my latest spawn as well as another breeding tank that I setup last night.
Cheers mate
Dale
Will this technique work for gouramis?
It should, don't see any reason why it shouldn't as the two fish species share very similiar behaviours. I know that Gouramis do yield much larger fry quantity than Bettas.
I bred Golden Gouramis but that was by accident...I just tossed the pair into a 80l with plants & duckweed...they did the rest :)
Cheers
Dale
Jo! that would be great :smile1:. Will let you know if i'll be able to make a mission that way if thats okay, will check for this Saturday, pretty keen to come and check out what you've done. Lemme know if you're headed this way tho, if you'd like to make a stop, check out my tank and share some of your knowledge etc. I live in Somerset-West and study at Stellenbosch. :bigsmile:
Ye, female is quite small. Don't see any stripes on female, her fins are spread, she's blowing bubbles and has the white dot under the belly... hehe. Struggling with the patience :push: they're body language shows potential, probably just me.:wondering:
It okay if they dont have any filter and in small vases (more or less diameter of a cd)? how regular do i have to change the water then and feed them? Smaller meals more often better? I only got bloodworms and stupid flakes, dont think they like them... 2 weeks are long... sigh
water not as clear as yesterday, dunno if i can/should do anything bout that. can probably leave filter on till i want them to start making the nest?
Male blowing bubbles but they dont last as long as females...
taken photos, can't find my cable... :push: will keep on searching.
Thanx man!
appreciated
peace
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/images/misc_mns/progress.gif http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/images/buttons_mns/edit.gif (http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=3136)
No probs, come around and then we can chat further. Let me know how it goes.
I might come to Somerset West this weekend anyway, so I'll let you know bout that too
Cheers mate
Dale
Awesome, plz do. take my no. for now, then gimme a call if u in the area. it would be appreciated if you could bring some of those leaves :P - if u remember, wouldn't mind paying for them.
lol, shot...
can't put no. on forum or PM you, hehe will stay in touch.
Hey bro,
don't think will be able to come through this weekend :( , maybe next. plz lemme know when u in the area and keen to make a stop. ;)
- i'll send u my no tomorrow.
thanx,
chrz
btw - what are "frozen rotifers"? where you get them? saving time now that u don't have to breed bbs?
you might be in luck, I'm heading to Somerset West later today, so I can come and drop off some plants for you. Call me on 082 941 8419 so that I can get directions. Bagging ur plants now
Rotifers - http://dmc.utep.edu/rotifer/info.html
I buy them from the Prof.
Saving time - Indeed, and it give my fish babies all the nutrients they need :)
Hey Dale,
lol, still not qualified to PM so have to post here...
Thanx so much for coming man, it's really cool. The plants are sweeet and the knowledge priceless, shot alot!
;)
I still have lots of questions and really keen on learning, realise that will have to do research and learn from experience, but i'm not gna hold back with my questions :)
so if you don't have the time to answer them, dont feel obliged, hehe.
Was wondering how to clean the sand properly, i know how to clean the gravel, but the fine sand will prob be a different story...? also, if u have a link of where i can read up on those plants u gave me that'd be neat, don't go through any trouble for me though.
struggling to remember their names. Sorry to say that all i remember is guppy grass and japanese something... hehe, but u reinspired me for sure, i'll start doing some reading.
also, the male is still chasing her around like crazy, even chasing the neons now and then, seems to have endless energy, just hope the female doesn't get hurt or too exhausted... he's starting to blow lots of bubbles tho, i'm curios to see where all this is going... :P
keep me posted on how things going on your side and whats going on in those 11 tanks of yours, flippen curious, will have to come check it out some time! i want to know everything about all of them! haha.
goodnight bro.
thanx for rotifers link ;)
hey bro!
the mating has started... i just put in a divider so the other fish cant get to them, and used that platform setup... might just aswell make it a bit easier for him... no so many eggs yet... he struggles to find them on the white bottom, even though its bare...
was wondering... will my neons and fighters be okay at 28C ??
Howzit
Glad I could help out. Please go and get those things I wrote down for you asap.
Just google "Aquatic Plants Information" and that should steer you in the right direction. Also check the "Beginners" section on this forum for more information.
I keep my siamese females & tetras in 30 degrees, so you won't run into a problem keeping neons at that temperature
Feel free to call me if you run into any problems or have questions
Cheers
Dale
hmm... looks asif they're breeding okay... anything u think i should do to help them out... i've set the water level to 28C now... will probably be needing those rotifers soon?
damn bro, you know my fish that eats the algae... the one i called the janitor? cant remember it's real name? it died... think its because of the water temperature??
that sucks...
think i need some help here... hehe... where can i get the rotifers of microworms? and how do i feed it to them?
thanx :)
oh yeah... how will i know if he's fertilized them?
just curious... how many of your fry survived?
and is the multi-fungul-something necessary?
peace :)
Slummies
23-02-2009, 07:14
Dale: I dont have BBS for my fry, can u i feed em liqui fry?
Slummies
23-02-2009, 09:15
Dont you go on SAFF anymore mate?
Slummies
23-02-2009, 15:18
south african fish forum, another forum similar to this
my neons are panting?! :O
what do i do?
too little oxygen? the rooibos teabags in the water?
@slummies - You can try feeding them liqui-fry, but I'll recommend you rather use Frozen Rotifers (get from Prof Dirk Bellstedt...PM him to take further). My betta fry's first food is the frozen rotifers and I won't be going back to microworms at all. Will still stick with BBS though, but not so often. I've seen results of what this F.R can do, so I have a big belief in it.
I do still log in to SAFF and post there, but I spend most of my time on this forum and another local one.
@chris - The male won't guard the nest if the eggs are off...actually, he will most likely eat them.
Your neons sound like they are most likely going to fish-heaven. Add a bit of aquarium salt to the water...that might help them, but if not, then cut your losses.
Cheers
Dale
my PH 7.2 and my CH >16d ??
lol, don't wanna lose anymore fish... ><
yo, the fry are looking like little eggs with tails... male still helping them back into egg nest... any tips on what to do at this stage?
should i move the guppy grass and duckweed closer to the nest? or underneath it? feed the male for some energy? when do i get the rotifers? really want as much as possible to survive...
thanx,
cheers,
chris
tank is full, do i cycle the water? and put on the filter? i dont have any old water... ?
also, i have a glass cover over the tank to keep from getting a draft on the water surface like you said, should i remove it? and when? - i left a gap for some air. light is still permanently on... let me know when it's okay to switch it off plz.
thanx so much, hehe
nite nite :)
Leave the tank as is for now, don't touch it. Perhaps get that tank cover + light in the interim...don't want the cold air killing your fry once they start to grow, but the glass cover should do the trick until you get the items on the list.
Nope, leave the plants exactly where they are.
Don't feed the male. Get hold of Prof Dirk and get buy some frozen rotifers from him. You only feed that once the fry are free swimming.
No water changes at this stage, just add a capfull of Nutrafin Cycle to your existing water.
Leave filter off for now.
Chers
Dale
Slummies
24-02-2009, 06:50
Solex: maybe another 3? pm me what you can get me http://www.fishforum.co.za/forum/Smileys/saff/smiley.gif
All me eggs have hatched:) started last night and now they got little tails http://www.fishforum.co.za/forum/Smileys/saff/smiley.gif http://www.fishforum.co.za/forum/Smileys/saff/smiley.gif http://www.fishforum.co.za/forum/Smileys/saff/smitten.gif
Solex: once they free swimming, can i remove them ? or MUST i remove the male? His done a bloody good job
Oh, and any idea why Washington has not attempted to make a nest. the female you sent me is ready, but his not
Slummies
24-02-2009, 10:58
iv removed him.. they all seem to have hatched and are chilling in the nest. he is exhausted, lying on the plants in the tank
Sure thing, will organize for you
Only remove the male once the fry are free-swimming. Leave the fry in that tank....they should only be moved to another grow out tank minimum 1 week after they are free swimming, or unless the tank is very dirty. Not compulsory to move them immediately, they can stay in the tank for quite some time before they require new cleaner courters
Recondition both fish again if the male isn't interested. After you recondition them, don't let them see each other, but instead, show the male another male....this also triggers them sometimes to want to breed. I've doen this about 3 or 4 times before with success.
thanx man
makes me sad to see the fellas that dont get saved... and get left at the bottom.. :'(
How do i get hold of prof Dirk to get those frozen rotifers? i think i'll be needing them soon...
thanx :)
@ Solex69 - o yeah, i got some more guppy grass... was wondering if i should put it with the fry? or maybe bit later so i dont knock them outa the bubbles...
the rooibos tea has made the water pretty brown, i got the SAFE WATER like you said, added like 2 drops to the fry's side and 4 to the other side... the sides dont really mix, separated them with a plastic clipboard. i'm not really sure if i should add some more? water still brown.
you said i should get that dolphin f80 Hang on back filter... why do you prefer it?
and do you use that magnet scrubber or the anti-algae? what should i buy for my plants?
lol, thanx
cherio :)
ah, here some pics... :P
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww274/sheep000/DSC00940.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww274/sheep000/DSC00939.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww274/sheep000/DSC00938.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww274/sheep000/DSC00933.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww274/sheep000/DSC00927.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww274/sheep000/DSC00925.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww274/sheep000/DSC00921.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww274/sheep000/DSC00920.jpg
this is of while back, have more plants, browner water and little eggs with tails coming out of them now :)
@ Solex69 :) - hey man, you said to get that dolphin F80 H.O.B filter... don't see it at the petshop in Stellenbosch. Will check the others shops still...
They had this filter though. - for R111.00
http://www.guitaraccessoriesandmore.com/catalog//501-1.jpg
What you think?
thanx
;D
What a tank for betta breeding. How this happened, I'm still surprised. But hey, if it was successful, then I should probably shut up :D LOL hehehehe
Dunno what the cup with cd cover is doing in there though as your tank has no substrate.
I use Jebos in my betta tanks, so it'll do fine. Just make sure that you get the correct filter for your tank capacity
Cheers
Dale
The vase acts as a stand for the CD-cover which decreases the distance the eggs drop my bruh :P
seems to be helping! haha!
you prefer the dolphins though? and the H.O.B filters? why?
and proff. Dirk? how to i get hold of him?
I know, but it doesn't matter how far the eggs drop...the make will go down and collect them all. He'll have problems if there is a substrate as he might not see them in between the sand/gravel
Dolphins are my preference for the smaller versions of HOB, but I bought a few Jebos first before discovering Dolphin. Not going to chuck them out just because of a name :D
HOB filters for my tanks as internal filters caused a strongish current for their tanks (was using the smallest internal filter). The HOB has a very nice flow rate for these tanks and I just like the lil' waterfall effect :)
Cheers
Dale
oh, kewl, hehe... ye, but he seems to struggle spotting them on the base, maybe because its also white... and not too clean... some of the fry manage to swim that distance themselves though... poor male is struggling/juggling, shame. he keeps on knocking them down and his bubbles dont last that long... He probably would of found those IAL quite usefull. :)
I think i'll be needing those rotifers soon... the proff. Dirk you spoke about, is he the Dirk on this forum? Bellstedt??
Yes, Prof Dirk Bellstedt is on here.
Duckweed actually works better as the nest location...the male builds his nest in between & around the duckweed and it holds the nest nicely in tact, doesn't break easily.
Your male will be very busy with fry maintenance, but once your fry is free swimming, I suggest you remove him. Also, get your other fish out of the tank so that your fry has more swimming space. So, get another tank :)
Cheers
Dale
Oh, kewl. then you toss the styrofoam cup when using duckweed?
Does anarachis/enodia? work just as good for the fry as the guppy grass?
Slummies
25-02-2009, 12:41
got them free swimming:) you think that tank is bad.. i wont post pics of mine then:) :)
Yeah, you can toss the styrofoam cup when using duckweed, but you can use both if you'd like. I prefer not to really use the styrofoam cup anymore as I've had fry get caught on top of the bubblenest on the side of the cup...dead :(
You probably mean elodea. I dont see why not...you basically have to provide adequate cover for the female
@slummies - Come now slummies, post a few pics man :)
Slummies
26-02-2009, 08:20
i will as soon my laptop os working. when can i switch on my hob filter? when can i add them to the female tank, dont want them to be eaten!
You can switch the filter on very gently approx 2 -3 days after they've reached the free-swimming stage. Tip: take the filter out and put a small spunge around the inlet of the filter so that your fry doesn't get sucked up into the filter.
Still a long way for them to be moved to another tank with bigger fish...you're signing their death warrant if you add them while they're still small
Cheers
Dale
@ Solex69 - thanx for all ur help man :) these rotifers are quite messy/stinky lol. how do you handle yours? it okay to remain in liquid form in fridge not the freezer for a while? im using a block in a plastic bag with a needle hole in the corner to drip it in the tank... hehe, think i put in a bit much though, not the best tool to use...
Sounds like you're using way too much rotifers when it comes to feeding time. Always keep the rotifers freezed. When you need to feed your fry, cut a small piece (about 1/4 of a block) and put it in a small plastic container. Add a few ml of water and it'll start disolving the rotifers. Use a dropper to suck up the liquid and then drop it into your tank water.
No probs, that's what we're all here for...to help each other where we can.
BTW, I trust you going shopping tomorrow for the list? If you'd like, come check out my setup....give me a call in the morning sometime if you can make it
Chiao
D
Slummies
27-02-2009, 08:32
shot mate
BTW, my fry are still alive. Hiding in the plants though and seldomly comes out. Added a few baby guppies to the tank as well. Will be monitoring growth to ensure that the guppies don't outgrow the betta fry and possibly munch them
Chiao
D
Slummies
27-02-2009, 10:42
each day they look more and more like fish. how long till they start developing fins and stuff? i switched on the filter. i tied floss at the intake and slowed it down to a trickle.
Well bettas grow at a medium pace but can be sped up with daily water changes and a very good balance of food
Are you able to take pics of the fry and post them yet?
Chiao
Dale
Slummies
27-02-2009, 13:39
not yet. will do asap
Slummies
27-02-2009, 13:57
Something very interesting just happened. i have run out of heaters, so my pineapple betta is in a bowl that is floating in the main tank. the woman in there show no interest in him. but, i added tabasco (new father) in the bowl to get ol Washington spiced up. well, only thing he did was attract the ladies. his old mate was first to the bowel and loving him. weird how they are attracted to each other. rather cute.
Buys on the prowl for your females slummies. I've already seen a few but they are not good quality and not worthy of putting into your tank. I'll go make a a turn at a few mates of mine...they should have decent females.
Cheers for now
Dale
ahoi :)
when can i start feeding them chopped bloodworms? how do i feed variety while they're still so small?
i'm still leaving the lights on 24/7 hehe, it okay to switch them off at night now?
Slummies
02-03-2009, 07:35
shot bud
Sorry for delay...laptop was hit with malware so I had to rebuild it :(
@slummies - Ok, females I found are all crap quality. Will be checking on Friday what I can find again.
@chris - If they are free swimming & the male has been removed from the tank, then yes, the lights can be switched off. Only feed the rotifers for now. You can mix between rotifers and BBS within a week
dont have bbs... can i just carry on with the rotifers? and switch to chopped bloodworms in say 10 days?
Mongwopman
05-03-2009, 08:17
been feeding my 60 or so fry with BBS, also been crushing a mixture of betta flakes with it. Need to develop my own rotifers or microwrms though.
Sorry once again for the delay...laptop just doesn't want to come right :(
@chris - Yes, you can continue to feed the rotifers just fine. Once they fry starts growing, you can switch to very fine crushed granulate (ask Prof Bellstedt for his Goldstar #1 food...works brilliantly).
@mongwopman - Where's the pics of the fry bru? :)
Cheers
Dale
BTW, one of my Halfmoons spawned today. Got absolutely no idea how long it went on for as I was out for most of the time. Female is removed and male is guarding nest. All good so far....will keep you guys posted
Cheers
Dale
Ok, the male is still taking very good care of his nest. I had a look last night and there are quite a lot of fry in the nest...still too small to be picked up by my stupid camera though, but here are some pics:
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005044.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005045.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005046.jpg
The male will be removed tomorrow morning...the bulk of the clutch should be free-swimming by then. If not, he will stay in the tank until tomorrow night.
I've bumped up the temperature to 28 degrees in the interim and will be slowly siphoning aged water into the tank using normal airline tubing until it is filled. Once that is done, I'll siphon the floor-bottom of all the dirt/debris. Thinking of removing some of the hornwort in there as there are quite a lot, but I'll see how it goes. Filter will only be added in next week...will use HOB with inlet covered with a spunge, flow rate will be very slow.
Will post more pics once they are a bit bigger.
Cheers
Dale
Ok, here's updated pics of some of Ice's fry growing up...there's about 25 - 35 in this lil tank...they getting moved to a 60l 2footer (last pic) that I re-setup for them.
As for the Halfmoon's fry...they are still way too small to be captured. They are still in the breeding tank and will be coming out once I move the above batch. Then, I can begin another breeding attempt :cool:
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005238.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005243.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005255.jpg
Ok, I moved both batches of fry this evening. All safe & sound and happy in their new tanks. Have noticed a minor level of agression on the first batch but they are still too small to want to kill each other (males that is)...they're just establishing the pecking order in their new tank
I'm quickly going to clean up the the current breeding tank and set it up again. Won't be adding any chemicals....tank can stand for about 2 weeks (might even leave it for a month) to mature
I'm actually surprised....I've got more fry of the 2nd batch than what I actually thought. Pics to follow soon
Chiao
D
Ok....just had another spawn. Free hatched today and falling like crazy from the next. Got a few dead at the moment...seems like the male is either Ray Charles or couldn't care too much, but I think I should still get a healthy amount of fry from this batch if he decides to not be a chop and eat them. Here are some pics
The dead fry (sorry but I got a crap camera)
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005376.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005377.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005394.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005395.jpg
------------------
And here are some pics of my developing fry of the DoubleTail spawn
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005381.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005384.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005385.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005388.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005389.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005393.jpg
hey, dale, lookin good my man! i've got like only 5 left in my main tank.. more or less the size of those... all blue... hehe, they're swimmin with my corys and the dolphin f1200 internal filter. (found none pegd to it yet :P hehe) female nice and fat... male died from finrot - got nipped by my other fish, dont wanna talk bout it. want to get n good looking rare-tail male to breed with... like george, damn he's beautifull... still need to put up pics. got 5 tanks now 1 "diana walstead" (quoting phil here) and two other ones i set up... 45cm and 60cm... got a 1.2m and another 45cm that i still have to set up... you told me this would happen! lolol! my pocket she's feeling teh burning... will put up some pics when i find my new phone's software...
cheers dale, thanx for all the help man - invaluable (feeling obliged to thanx phil here too, helpin me out so much, hehe)
peace.
;D
lol...MTS has begun for you buddy :)
Males tend to become a bit sick after spawning that's why the moment they come out of the breeding tank, they need uber clean couters and very nutritious food (feed at least 3 times a day if you can for the first 2 days). So far, I've lost all the Halfmoon males shortly after I spawned with them...the last one lasted the longest after the spawning, 3 weeks. They just seem to be more prone to disease after spawning than the other tail-types from what I've experienced.
BTW, remember to not feed your bettas every single day...give them at least one day off in the week if you can, but rather do 2 alternate days per week. Once they become very fat and stay that way, it's a sign that their body aint digesting the food quick enough because of the excess food they consume.
No worries mate...I'm here to help where I can, so is everyone else :)
Cheers
Dale
ye, i think they get a bit depro after taken away from the fry... not sure, but it really looks that way... misquitos messed up my other batch, got a spunge filter now, that would probably work? the BOYU SF104? thanx
Nice thread Solex69 - A good read
Shot Gav
@chris - yup, that filter will do.
Will post updated pics on latest spawn once my camera can pick them up properly
Cheers
Dale
Wingman001
09-05-2009, 20:35
I have a question:
i have put the female in the tank for a day and the male built the nest and does the fairing thing, I let the female out and he chased her every where.this was on Thursday, yesterday they where still chassing each other today the nest in no more and chasing has stopped there just swimming together? what happened do, I leave them? today is Saturday?
Take her out of the tank...recondition both of them seperately and try again in two weeks. From the sounds of it, your male doesn't want to do his 'thang' with her....either he doesn't like her or he is a 'senior citizen' as far as fish is concerned
Wingman001
10-05-2009, 20:44
She looks really fat like she has a bunch of eggs?
is that a ploblem?
Really fat probably means she's eating too much food. You should only feed your betta 5 out of every 7 days. I would suggest you don't feed her for the next 3 days. When you feed her on the 4th day, only give her half of what you'd normally feed her. Over feeding can especially be fatal to bettas
Wingman001
11-05-2009, 08:27
Cool, will do did not know thee so suseptable!
Wingman001
11-05-2009, 13:03
just another question how many different kinds of female's do you get and colors?
Lots....what you're asking is how many colour guppies can you get :)
But basic body colours are white, brown, yellow, sometimes pure red but quite rare, Fins vary all the time.
Yeah, rather don't feed them too much food....after a while, their internal organs will suffer failure and result in their death. Seen this happen so often in the past
Cheers
D
Time for some updated pics. I should be able to begin in-line breeding them soon...there are a few prospect females that are almost ready for mating.
Pics of the 1st batch of fry
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005562.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005563.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005564.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005572.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005569.jpg
And here's the 2nd batch fry. This batch is actually growing at a faster pace than the first batch. Could be genetic, or it could be that there's more fry in the 1st batch excreting their growth stunt hormones
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005575.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005574.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005578.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005580.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005579.jpg
And here's my 3rd batch...still very small these guys are
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005552.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005555.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005554.jpg
Henk Hugo
23-05-2009, 19:57
theres some stunning fish there man
Shot Henko....don't think I'll sell any fry off the first batch, but perhaps some of the 2nd.
Posting new pics shortly re other males
Some really great lookin' fish there Dale, I'm sure you'll have no problem selling when you want to :)
Wingman001
25-05-2009, 17:45
I have two males in the same tank with tree females, 2 of the females died from torn fins. What am I doing wrong?
hi there
Males must NEVER be put together in the same tank. Betta males are highly agressive towards each other. Needless to say, that agression was carried over to the females as well.
The rule is 1 Betta male with a few females. I currently house one of my Halfmoon betta males with 6 females and they are getting along just fine. He is a strong male, so they aren't bullying him.
I suggest that you remove the male immediately as one of the two will end up dead...the survivor will have his fins damaged to quite a degree.
If you must, add then at least 4 or 5 females to the tank for the single male. I normally house my males in their own dedicated tanks. I only moved this male in with my females because I had to make space for my new males
Shout if you get stuck mate
Cheers
D
Time for an update
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005875.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005877.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005879.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005885.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005886.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005887.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Breeding/S5005888.jpg
Thus far, I've counted one definite doubletail female.
Also, to my surprise, I think I have one male in this lot....rest still all look like female.
EDIT - Here's more pics of the tank that houses these buggers
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Tanks/S5005900.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Tanks/S5005901.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Tanks/S5005902.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Tanks/S5005903.jpg
Mongwopman
12-06-2009, 09:27
Looking good Dale, they look about the same size as some of mine.
that tank look awesome man!
What do the parents of this spawn look like?
Have a look here for parents
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?t=271
Mongwopman
13-06-2009, 19:28
Damn man, thats a nice matchup! Cant wait to get my breeding stock!
Saw some crowntails today but didn't buy as I don't have space at the moment. Will most likely get your stuff on Monday, but let's see how the schedule goes
Mongwopman
13-06-2009, 19:49
Oh awesome man! What sort of colour schemes?
i owe you big time man! Let me know!
Colours varied quite a lot, quality was great as well.
Nah, no worries....I don't mind helping out a fellow enthusiast
Mongwopman
13-06-2009, 19:57
Excellent stuff!
I really appreciate it bru!
Gert Combrink
13-06-2009, 20:31
Dale, it looks so Damn good, it makes me wonder if I should not give Betta's a go again!
Mongwopman
13-06-2009, 20:40
Dale, it looks so Damn good, it makes me wonder if I should not give Betta's a go again!
...again?
What sort of breeding were you doing? technique? tails shape?
Gert Combrink
13-06-2009, 21:28
Normal veil tails in 50 cm tanks, using glass lantern chimneys to house the females.
bred quite a few, but the market for normal bettas arn't that good.
Since 1971, I've bred Kribs, Angels, Gourami's, Oscars, Deacons, Corys, various malawi's and Tanganicans, and the normal selfbreaders like Convicts, Jewels and livebearers.
Earlier this year, I managed to even get bumblebee gobies breeding twice!
I appreciate a challenge and always look for the rarer species to breed, but get bored quickly!
Mongs - If you want fish to breed, give them to Gert cos anything that lands up in his care land up breeding.
Mongwopman
14-06-2009, 10:51
hahaha! So the rhino horn is strong in him!
Update on my fry:
They are a nice decent size now (ready to be parted with).
The greatest thing for me thus far is that I've identified at least 3 males amongst the fry and there hasn't been a single fight in that tank yet. I'm not going to split these fish up; instead, I'm going to keep them where they are and let them grow even further and see if I can let several males co-exist in peace 1 tank (I've read on the internet that there are a few people in the world that managed to get this right). So, hold thumbs...there's nothing I can do, except to not remove them from the tank, to prevent them from fighting
I've also noticed a small little bubblenest amongst my floating C.Cornuta earlier in the week when I fed them. A third of my females are ready to spawn already btw :)
Will post pics later
Cheers
Dale
Mongwopman
05-07-2009, 16:01
waiting for the pics dude!
Howdy guys & gals
Just to update you, I've successfully inline bred with my bettas. Order as follows:
Original Pair
Male - Phenotype White DoubleTail
Female - Genotype Opague CrownTail Female
Their Fry
Male - Genotype Navy Blue DoubleTail (pheno = Veil)
Female - Phenotype Navy Blue DoubleTail
Their Fry
About 3 / 4 weeks old now. Spawn has yield about 25% phenotype DoubleTails. Have +/- 50 fry which has been transferred today to my fully planted 60l tank. Colours and finnage starting to develop nicely now. So far, bulk of the fry are white in colour. Will let you know once they are ready to be sold if you're interested in breeding bettas (siblings pair).
All my tanks in the fishroom has gone today, so I'm left with only 4 tanks.
I still have my fry from Halfmoon spawn as well, so I'll attempt the same as described above in due time and post an update when I'm ready.
PS - All the fry in red text above has been moved to my fully planted 1.2m community tank today and there are 4 males in this batch and they've been living in peace in the same tank since I bred them. Whoever said that betta males can't live in harmony together hey? :p
The trick is to always keep them together...never split the fry from each other else they'll turn on each other. NB - This isn't always a guarantee...think I just got lucky but I'm trying it with the latest batch of fry as well so see if this method works each time round.
They occupy the tank with: 1 X Discus, 2 X Ottos, 2 X Denison Barbs, 1 X S.A.E.
If you're interested in buying bettas from batch in red, let me know via e-mail (solex69@gmail.com) (cos I don't log on to forums much) and we'll chat. All are high quality of course
Cheers 4 now
Dale
Gert Combrink
27-09-2009, 08:48
I would like to attest to the quality of the abovementioned betta's. They are BEAUTIFULL! It was also an eyeopener to see these high quality males swim together. Maybe things could change once the testerone kick in... LOL.
Good luck, Dale.
Gert
Ferryman
27-09-2009, 19:02
They're lookin great for sure, only one tiny problem, that huge chunk of space between here and Cape Town...
moodleygm
28-10-2009, 16:04
Thanks for the inspiring article. It has certainly inspired me to try my hand at betta breeding. I followed the article step by step and I am happy to report that the pair have spawned (28/10/09) I removed the female and the male is busy with the nest. I would like to know whether a light is needed to be kept on at night. Would you point me to a retailer of Indian almond leaves- your help would be greatly appreciated.
Wow, this is so cool. Definitely going to give it a go.
Thanks man!
BlackFly
13-05-2010, 14:02
Great source of info - thanks!
Update:
Due to interest of my current betta stock, here's a video taken last night. They are all siblings and happily living in peace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcrxVzjJ_2I
I've decided to setup my spare breeding tank to breed mother back to son....results will be stunning. Will keep you guys posted on that.
Cheers
Dale
Solex do you have any wild types?
Nope, would like to get someday though.
Honestly, I haven't had much time for the hobby in the last few months. I've downscaled big time on tanks, but going to give my betta breeding another go
Gert Combrink
15-05-2010, 11:15
Thanx Dale.
Very nice video - nobody believes me, when I tell them that you keep a school of Bettas like Guppies!
Keep us posted!
Gert.
TankMaster
14-08-2010, 19:28
Wow man. Really nice fish in that tank.
Hi all
I know I've been very quiet...that's mainly due to church, work, gym and the new g-friend :)
As some of you may know, I've downscaled big-time on the hobby but I am glad to announce that I'll pick up betta breeding within the next few weeks again. Still have the same batch as last time, so the next successful spawn will be more DoubleTails. I think the phenotype yield of the spawn will be much higher after all the strain purification I've done (what a schlep!).
Will post more info once I have it
Ciao 4 now
Dale
Gert Combrink
09-02-2011, 20:49
Nice to have you back!
Waiting in anticipation!...
Thought you left the country. Now all you have to do is buy some of Altums dragons and breed them for us.
Thanks gents
How much are his dragons going for each? I hope it's good quality
Hi
Its pretty much some of the best quility out there especially the Platinum whites.
Ok cool, sounds exciting. Once my breeding tanks are setup, I'll be giving him a call
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?6545-The-WaterZoo-Betta!-HalfMoon-Pla-Kat-HMPK
Here are some of them, He have not yet posted all the strains.
Ola everyone
So I've setup my breeding tank today. Kinda got stuck during the process with what to do next as I haven't done this in a while....had to chuckle :)
Anyway, here's the 1-&-½ foot tank I'm using....just finished setting it up.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Tanksetup002-22Feb2011.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/Tanksetup003-22Feb2011.jpg
Just added some Java Moss, Elodea and Tropical Hornwort.
Small spunge filter in place...will be switched off once male is introduced. Will only go back on once the fry are free swimming at a lower strength.
Using airline tubing as my bubblenest location....added come C.Cornuta to aid the male
Temp aimed for at 24°
Using a standard lantern chimney for female protection....might put a spunge underneath for water to filter through tomorrow
Got a standard light in there
I have no fry food at the moment; gonna buy some frozen rotifers from Prof if he has stock.
Breeding pair:
The lucky contestants are brother & sister from a purified strain that I bred (took me a while to get that right)
Male - Genotype DoubleTail
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/DTGenotypeMale001-22Feb2011.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/DTGenotypeMale002-22Feb2011.jpg
Female - Phenotype DoubleTail
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/solex69/DTPhenotypeFemale-22Feb2011.jpg
The male is going in to the tank about the end of tomorrow as I used a litre or two of the tank water they're currently in. If all is well, female will be introduced to him on Friday. Hopefully, we will have a spawn by Sunday evening or Monday morning.
Ok, so that's it for pre-spawn log.
More updates to follow
Ciao
D
It looks awesome! Makes me want go all out!!! Can’t wait to see the fry!
Fry will look stunning, that's a guarantee
windfire
23-02-2011, 16:14
dude seriously always loved your bettas, that female is stunning. she's a cellophane right? the males colour is awesome too!
Ok, female was released in to the tank 5mins ago as the male has built a bit of a nest. Thinking of dropping the temperature a little bit as the water may be too hot for spawning conditions. Heater set to 24°, but the temperature feels hotter....will be dropping the setting on the heater to about 22, considering the water volume in the tank at the moment.
Yup, female cellophane/pastel. The male's fins has been nipped a bit but I don't really care about that...his genetics is all I want from him. Genetics are the most important thing if one wishes to breed the best looking phenotype bettas. The fry in this spawn will definitely look stunning...it's just a matter of how many
Ok, just got back home and the fish are busy spawning. The pair is very inexperienced, but that's to be expected.
Will post more updates later
cool man, how do you know when they spawn...? as i have a male and female, in diff tanks, would like to give this a try..
Well its pretty easy. Once they are spawning, the male will embrace the female and 'squeeze' the eggs from her body. See page 1 of this thread for more info on breeding.
thanks, did so, and will set up my 1.5ft for this, and see if i can do this......
Hi Guys,
Here are my boys; I am still looking for girlfriends for them.
7209
7210
I am definitely going to ask some advice as soon as I find the lucky ladies!
Why not get them larger tanks?
I am in the process of getting my set-up ready, this tank is only for the time being.
Sirie, please indicate your location.
Oh and the colour on your Betta - is really good
..Did you have to reject many in your selection or buying process?
Hi Altum,
I am in Pretoria. Thank you, I had to look around quite a bit to find Bettas that had no damage to the fins and didn’t look abused in general. Final I got the boys, the effort paid off. Now to find the ladies and the search starts again. Basically I just read a lot about the Bettas and what a healthy well kept little fighter should look like. As I am a novice hobbyist, most of my decision was based on knowledge gained by our old trusted friend Mr. Google (LOL). The idea is to start breeding.
Spawning failed due to inexperience of the pair...actually more the male than the female
They've been reintroduced last night....spawning should happen Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
Ciao
D
Good Luck! Can't wait to see the fry!
D did anything happen yesterday or today?? That female is beautiful!!
Does any one know where I can find Crown Tail Bettas (in Pretoria)? A male and a female.
Pass. Maybe one of the sponsors can hook you up?
You can get someone in CPT to get you a CT male in CPT and send it to you, but you're gonna struggle finding CT females. I only had a batch of CT females once; bulk of them died on day 3 though thanks to a bad import batch. The few that did survive lasted only until the following week. Imagine how happy I was
How do I know if my female wants to breed with my male?He keeps flashing his gills at her.
Him flashing his gills is just the normal courtship process. Once the pair is introduced, she will be running for the hills and he will attack her...this is normal, so don't be worried. Normally after 3 days (could go up to possibly 5 - 6 days), the whole aggression attitude changes and you'll find the male will now allow the female underneath his bubble-nest. She will swim in a type of S-shaped direction with her head down (showing her submission) and then they'll mate.
ok.He built his bubble nest.
This was the best article on the subject that i have ever read, probably because it is from S.A. .
1 Question, Where do i find frozen rotifers.
Thanks Wally
This was the best article on the subject that i have ever read, probably because it is from S.A. .
1 Question, Where do i find frozen rotifers.
Thanks Wally
The best person there to contact is Prof Dirk Bellstedt (http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/member.php?154-Dirk-Bellstedt). He has that on his list of food sold....
How do you guys feel about the weekend or holiday blocks you get at the pet shop for a betta tank?
Not a big fan of them.I rather Pay my buddy and if he screws up he usually hides from me. I always K@K him out and the he has to cough up the cash for my losses.
Fish can go easily for 5-7 days without food.
Hi
at what ph are you breeding your Betta?
This has helped as now I know what happened to my fry and why, so thanx for the info, I now know what to look out for
Hi there
My pH for breeding bettas is normally between 6.8 to 7.2.
Ciao
D
Fantastic read, i had a nice siamese fighter when i started, needless to say he died did not know how to care for him. definetly going to get another (now that i'm wiser and got u guys for advise) and try breeding them. i've got a small tank that i currently use as a sick bay. Once again fantastic and inspiring read.
Shot, thanks sharkie.
Update
I have a very young red crowntail male that I've put in my breeding tank about 2 weeks ago. I put one of my pheno DT females with him and they're busy breeding right now. Will post again if the spawn develops positvely.
Also got myself two very nice looking halfmoon males as well; they'll only be bred a later stage.
Ciao
D
And a question! Have you fed your fry Frozen BBS before? Just thinking about an alternative to live BBS and microworms.
update is that I gave all my remaining bettas to rooivlerkie last night....don't have much time on my hands these days
nope, no success in feeding fry with frozen bbs. i just feed them with frozen rotifers....that works like a bomb!
ciao 4 now
dale
keith1964
15-02-2012, 13:37
My first unexpected batch of fry will be about 6 weeks old (-50 fry) some has grown at a rapid rate, removed larger ones and placed into grow out tank. I was so impatient I bought me another 8 females and 6 males CT. I will be setting more tanks and I have a contact to build me a nice stand. My friend donated me some tanks and I will be purchasing more. My males I have then in Betta Containers inside my female tank. I am planning on setting up more spawning tanks and more grow out tanks.
Do you perhaps know where I can purchase some halfmoons and double tail bettas? I would like to breed the rare colours if possible. I am finding this forum a great help.
I am not intend breeding yet first set myself properly and also bought HM and DT.
keith1964
21-02-2012, 09:19
Where does one find Dry Indian Almond Leaf?
keith1964
21-02-2012, 12:13
Infusorians on Java Moss - How much do I need to put inside the spawning tank? I do have about 2 bundles of java moss, a few strands of Elodia and 2 floating plants with long roots hanging down.
Microworms cannot get but can I use I few drops of Liqui-fry for egglayers.
Last nite I taped some styrofoam board on the surface on the tank.
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