Breeding and rearing betta fry

[KeddyPie]

I was thinking (as much as people tend to not approve of this) buying a high-quality breeding pair of mustard gas or something similar (I just love those ones) and just breeding them once. Of course, I would be fully commited to that one spawn, trying to have the best outcome... But it is mostly to see if it is something I am interested in in the long run I can't decide to start breeding bettas if I've never done it, but I don't want my test-spawn to be Vieltails or something... Just the amount of effort and dissapointment in trying to find them good homes would turn me off of breeding.

Of course, I'm talking about the DISTANT future, like... in 5 or 6 years, when I've wracked up a lot more fishkeeping exp points (I've only been doing this a few months) and have my own house with a lot of space. Luckily, I'm in love with someone who is slowly catching on to my own addiction to fish, so I don't think I'd have much of a protest He's on pins and needles, giddy with excitedment that he is getting his first betta on wednesday or thursday, and went and bought a tank and set it up the day after I told him I was adopting some! I swear, he thinks he's adopting a child or something, he's so serious about it!

Thanks for the estimite, more are appreciated ^___^ I think I'd set my money limit on 500 dollars (and go overboard with needed materials, because they're always reusable for other things... Like getting a 30 gallon growout tank instead of a 10, and maybe building a betta barracks shelving unit with removable dividers instead of a hundres cups, so as I find homes for bettas, I can re-size the exirsting barracks to give everyone more room, and eventually use it as just a few fairly large betta tanks

Keddy

Also, if anyone cares, there is a VERY loud cricket in my room that I can't find I have to wake up in 6 hours, and I'll never get to sleep at this rate!

 

[splashluff]

no problem! ^_~

WOW, it sounds like you and your BF are Betta-addicts in the making! thats awesome !! I totally agree about re-using the materials... actually, as breeders get more experience and acquire a lot of supplies and good tanks, it starts to cost WAY less. I'll hopefully be spawning two pairs by the end of the year, so I get to re-use all of the equiptment (at least) once! And, then I'll by using the 12gal for a female community tank

 

[OohFeeshy]

KeddyPie... this is just a guess I'm sure Wuv and the other experienced breeders know much better.

10 gallon spawn tank ~ $20
50 gallon grow out tank ~ $60
Filters/siphoning equiptment ~ $25
Heaters ~ $20
2 Cultures (Microworm + Vinegar Eel) ~ $30
BBS + hatchery ~ $20
10 Plants (live or silk) ~ $20
Other stuff (nets, scoops, thermometers, water testing kits, dechlorinators,etc) ~ $40 at LEAST
$0.50 jars x 100 ~ $50

GRAND TOTAL ~ $285

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Seems a bit much to me... Not sure on the tank prices, but it may be cheaper to go for a couple of smaller tanks. Not only can this work out cheaper, it also helps cut the spread of disease. Filters you can DIY from old containers, a basic airump and some media, siphoning equiptment is airline tubing which is very cheap, the cultures will only be a few dollars each (not sure on vinegar eels but they seem alot of bother), bbs hatchery can easily be DIY'd.

Anyway, a few questions.
1. How often should you do water changes on jars of about... beanie box size?
2. Roughly how long from hatching to sellable size?
3. Can you feed decapsulated BBS without hatching them?
4. How long until they stop needing feeding (or other maintenance) twice a day (school etc.)?

And finally, since if I did breed I might have a pet shop buying, what colours are best to get maximum variety of fry colour?

 

[JesusFreak44131992]

How does one use the airline tubing syphon? I have a hard time getting the store-bought ones to work, what with all the movement and whatnot.

When eactly are the fry ready for brine shrimp? They seem etremely small for the first week (gouramis, actually), and don't look as though they are able to consume soemthing so big.

What do you think about liquid fry food? Any suggestions?

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The liquid Fry makes them grow thats about all though so you probally would want something more to supliment there diet. hope it helped

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

sweet that answered almost all my questions...if i wanted to say sell/giveaway these fry at what would the youngest age possible be?

 

[HODDY]

Hi would liquifry be any good for the fry?and do apple snails give off infusoria?
thanks!

 

[gordi]

would a lone betta male ramdomly make a bubblenest? or do they need to be prompted?

 

[zoekin8yg]

would a lone betta male ramdomly make a bubblenest? or do they need to be prompted?

They will bubblenest when they feel 'happy' as it were when conditions are ideal in their tanks, or when they are horny

 

[girl4God81]

No, they don't need to be prompted, but you can prompt them if you wish

 

[corey01]

hiii,
i had a beautiful male betta about a year and a half ago. i bought him from my LFS and he died shortly after about a week and a half later (very sad). Ever since then ive been tempted to get another but this time on his own not in a community settup. so what do you think about getting 1 to go in a 30 litre (about 6 gallon) aquarium?! thanks corey

hiii,
i had a beautiful male betta about a year and a half ago. i bought him from my LFS and he died shortly after about a week and a half later (very sad). Ever since then ive been tempted to get another but this time on his own not in a community settup. so what do you think about getting 1 to go in a 30 litre (about 6 gallon) aquarium?! thanks corey

 

[Bungy]

I have just attempted a try at breeding a couple of Betta's - woooops...!!!
Firstly I have a 70G tank with 1 male and 3 x females - all very happily living/feeding etc with minimal flaring.

I prepared a small tank with around 6 inches of dechlorinated water 50/50 with regular tank water, placed a piece of bubble wrap on the surface and floated a few plants for cover. Put in the heater and brought up to around 80. (no filter at this point).

I netted the male and in he went, followed very quickly by the fattest female who I placed in a John Smiths pint glass filled to the same level as the tank and rested in the centre of the tank. The male immediately circled the glass constantly flaring at the female - she was going nuts at first but eventually settled and assumed the nose down position. Male at this point investigated the bubble wrap frequently and returned to flare at the female - this happened for an hour or so - I got called away to have my supper but upon returning to my surprise and horror the glass was empty - she had leapt out and was hiding for dear life behind the horizontally placed heater. I moved her out and then the trouble began - the male went ballistic, chasing her furiously round the tank, flaring and really digging in hard rams - the female was clearly very distressed but Id heard that things can get a bit rough so I left them alone for the night. This morning I returned to find the female floating on top of the bubble wrap out of the males reach, but still alive - no bubble nest had been built to speak of although a few were present. Again I left them and checked again this lunch time, she was still atop the floating bubble wrap and not surprisingly didnt want to leave. At this point I removed her to a separate fry tank where hopefully she will recover.

What went wrong? I have another 2 females in the main tank to try...??? The male is still in the small tank waiting for his next victim... What should I do next please help....

Bungy

 

[TribeOfShroom]

I have just attempted a try at breeding a couple of Betta's - woooops...!!!
Firstly I have a 70G tank with 1 male and 3 x females - all very happily living/feeding etc with minimal flaring.

I prepared a small tank with around 6 inches of dechlorinated water 50/50 with regular tank water, placed a piece of bubble wrap on the surface and floated a few plants for cover. Put in the heater and brought up to around 80. (no filter at this point).

I netted the male and in he went, followed very quickly by the fattest female who I placed in a John Smiths pint glass filled to the same level as the tank and rested in the centre of the tank. The male immediately circled the glass constantly flaring at the female - she was going nuts at first but eventually settled and assumed the nose down position. Male at this point investigated the bubble wrap frequently and returned to flare at the female - this happened for an hour or so - I got called away to have my supper but upon returning to my surprise and horror the glass was empty - she had leapt out and was hiding for dear life behind the horizontally placed heater. I moved her out and then the trouble began - the male went ballistic, chasing her furiously round the tank, flaring and really digging in hard rams - the female was clearly very distressed but Id heard that things can get a bit rough so I left them alone for the night. This morning I returned to find the female floating on top of the bubble wrap out of the males reach, but still alive - no bubble nest had been built to speak of although a few were present. Again I left them and checked again this lunch time, she was still atop the floating bubble wrap and not surprisingly didnt want to leave. At this point I removed her to a separate fry tank where hopefully she will recover.

What went wrong? I have another 2 females in the main tank to try...??? The male is still in the small tank waiting for his next victim... What should I do next please help....

Bungy

Really silly Q, and I do apologise, but was your female showing vertical bars??? and was she visably swollen with eggs?

 

[Bungy]

Really silly Q, and I do apologise, but was your female showing vertical bars??? and was she visably swollen with eggs?
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Not a silly Q at all - all the help I can get is appreciated.
No vertical bars present only horizontal ones which fluctuate all the time from full colour and no bars to pale with horizontal.
Swollen, difficult to tell given that this is my first attempt but this particular female was slightly larger and fuller than the other two although all the same size when I bought them from the LFS 3 months ago.

 

[Bungy]

Any suggestions anybody please......

 

[TribeOfShroom]

Not a silly Q at all - all the help I can get is appreciated.
No vertical bars present only horizontal ones which fluctuate all the time from full colour and no bars to pale with horizontal.
Swollen, difficult to tell given that this is my first attempt but this particular female was slightly larger and fuller than the other two although all the same size when I bought them from the LFS 3 months ago.

Ok don't quote me on this. This is a very brief overview of what tends to happen (bear in mind I've not bred bettas yet, I'm going on the advice and research that I've read on this forum and other sources.)

But when breeding betta's you need to condition them. After conditioning you introduce the female to the male via a glass chimmey (or other suitable container) the male with then flare at her (showing off) etc and this will stress her, but after a while (if all goes well), she will present vertical bars and will go into the submissive position of head down. Now it is important that she is full of eggs.

This is when you release her into the tank with the male.

Now I forgot to quickly check Wuv's original post, but I'm sure if you read it. It will tell you how to go about conditioning your bettas to breed.

Wuv if you can give some advice, me thinks it would be helpful plus I wouldn't mind getting a bit more info for my breeding (couple more days untiul I get my tanks repaired!! WOO!!) lol