are my females ok?

[renaldz]

hi there in my tnk i have 2 females and 1 male betta. They are happy together and do not fight. I have just noticed that both of their stomachs are bulging??
any ideas on why this is?
thanks
renaldz

 

[RandomWiktor]

I'm amazed that there is no fighting. It might not be a lasting harmony, especially since....
Your girls are filling up with eggs! No worries. However, they may become more agressive to one another or the male now since they will be competing for mating rights.
I don't know what type of bettas you have or if you are intending to breed, but I'm assuming you do not intend to, so if you see the male bubblenesting, you can either remove the girlies to prevent an accidental spawn, or let them have at it then destroy the nest and dispose of the eggs promptly.

edit: just in case you read this and consider breeding, please read the thread on proper breeding; if they are VTs, it shouldn't be done at all, both genders will need prepping, the offspring can # in the hundreds and be hard to place, etc.

 

[renaldz]

well the bettas i have are the normal veil tail type! where i live it is impossible to buy any different 1's! the problem is i would love for them to breed but because there are too many about then it aint fair as they wil end up going nowhere! i do have another tank tho a small 6gallon hex that has a heater and an air pump but no filter! this is not set up though at the moment! if i did want to keep them how do i go about breeding them??
thanks
renaldz

 

[RandomWiktor]

You really shouldn't, that was what I was trying to say. Not only will they be almost impossible to find good homes for, but unless you have conditioned the adults, have a grow out tank (as in not 6 gallons, but closer to 20), and have a few hundred little jars for the growing spawn once they get agressive, the whole thing will probably fail. There should be a sticky thread on this board or on FAQ with more info, but I would very, VERY strongly caution against breeding at all.

I think you meant the 6 gal for keeping the babies? Can't work - like I said, they have massive spawns, and even if only 15 survived, that's 15 new tanks since they can't be housed together.

 

[renaldz]

ok then thanks for the advice i wouldnt really know what to do when breeding them so i think it is best i just kep a close eye on them!
thanks
renaldz

 

[RandomWiktor]

I'm sure they'll be happier then, too The females should release the eggs on their own if they don't breed with the male, so don't worry - those big bellies won't last long. However, you might want to feed them a little more, and a little richer food source, since they're using a lot of energy to make all those eggs! Just watch for constipation if you feed something high protien.

 

[renaldz]

ohhh ok then will do normally i just feed all the fish just flake food but l8ly i have been dropping in a few small cubes of frozen bloodworm and brineshrimp. but yes i will keep a close eye on them. Is there any thing else i could feed them?
thanks
renaldz

 

[Kiarra]

Frozen peas. They're an excellent natural source of fiber, and should prevent them from becoming constipated. Take the pea out of the freezer, put it in a small amount of water, stick it in the microwave. Only a few seconds...in my microwave, it takes less than 10. Then transfer the pea to room-temp dechlorinated water and let it cool down. Then remove the shell and dump the innards into the tank.