Bettas are a world apart from livebearers!!!
I am working with my first Betta spawn, but I've been breeding livebearers (guppies and veil tail and lyretail sailfin mollies) for a couple years. Bettas are a whole different set of rules!
NO harems!!!
Betta male and female need to be separated or he will kill her!
The way I spawned mine was in a 10g rubbermaid window storage box with 4 inches of water, a styrofoam cup cut in half, and some java moss as well as some floating anachris and a small cave for the female to hide in after the spawn.
I put the male in the spawning tank, with a upside down styrofoam cup turned upside down (to hold the nest) and an hour later I put the female's cup in the tank with him... So they could get to know eachother. I left her in view of him IN HER CUP so she was safe from him for a day... During which time he would flare at her, then run and make or add to his bubble nest, then flare at her again. When I figured they were ready I turned her loose with him. And after the egg laying was done (when she swam off to find the shelter) I pulled her out and let her rest in her own tank.
I also added Atisons Beta Spa to my water...
Basically they are territorial, the male builds a bubble nest and the female lays eggs in it, but beyond that she is an intruder! Once he has eggs, he wants nothing to do with anyone or anything else til you remove him from the fry once they are swimming on their own.
The male I bred (Winter) was a perfect gentleman. He literally escorted the female (Milady de Winter) to his bubble nest and then wrapped his fins around her and she started laying.
HOWEVER I did have one female (Snowdrop) who got into the tank with her brother, and he SHREDDED her!!! So not every male is a gentleman... They can be SAVAGES.
I've read that even courtship can be a little brutal with mutual chasing and nipping... Which I understand is to be expected. I was just thankful my first attempt was better than any I had read about, after reading enough blogs about females de-finning males after being shredded by males during breeding attempts, and after Snowdrops little crazy encounter with her brother, I feel really blessed it went so well for my prize male and female.
Read every how to website and breeders blogs to prepare yourself... Bettas are a totally different ball game! But having said that, even with completely different rules, it's still FUN and exciting. Slower though... The Fry grow so much slower than livebearer fry! (or Corydora, or zebra Danio fry for that matter)
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