You need to use a sponge filter m8, i think the whisper one will suck the fry up...
You only want 2 fish in the tank, the male and female (female not straight away...)
ph i have mine at 7.5 (Ideally you want a PH level of about 7.0.)
Did you read this, (its all in the link i gave you - follow that and you cant go wrong)
Tank Set-Up
Set your tank in a sturdy spot where it's easy to access but not in a high traffic area. Fill it half way with clean dechlorinated water.Add your heater, corner filter,plants etc..
Set your heater to between 80-82F, the warmer the water the faster the eggs will hatch. Which isn't exactly a good thing because that could lead to under-developed fry. 80F is perfect. Adjust your gang valve so that the sponge/corner filter let's out one bubble per second.
Bunch your plants close together in one area to provide lots of cover for the female. Cut the styrofoam cup in half longways and float it in a corner, the male will build his nest under this. Don't ask me how they know to go there, they just do.
Adding Fish
Ok, so you're ready to add your bettas. Here's the standard procedure, add your male and your female at the same time, putting your female IN the chimney vase so the male can't get to her. He will be extremely excited and she will be scared but she'll soon relax when she realizes he can't get to her. He will begin working on his nest and when you think it looks full and ready, go ahead and release her.Usually after 24 hours. You'll need to cover the tank to give them privacy but you should keep an eye on them at all times. If the female is getting beat badly or not cooperating go ahead and remove her and try procedure #2 in a couple of days.
*Procedure #2 is to add the male to the tank first, let him build his nest,then float your female in a small clear speciman cup, she'll get excited right away and he won't feel pressure to build a nest in a hurry because he already has one going. You can immediately release the female and they should begin spawning right away. Again, keep watch in case things get to rough in there.
The Spawning
The male will lead the female to the nest for her inspection, if she's not pleased she will destroy it.If she is happy with it she will swim around underneath it,head down. Don't be surprised if they get pretty brutal during the spawning, the occasional nip and rip is perfectly natural. The male will flip the female over and wrap himself around her and squeeze, eggs will fall from her and she will float in a paralized state for a few seconds. Again, don't be scared this is all normal. The male will fertilize the eggs during the wrap and as they fall he'll pick them up and place them in his nest. Then they will wrap again,more eggs,more paralysis and so on. Occasionally the female will assist the male in picking up the eggs.
You'll know when they're done because the female betta will be hiding in the plants or off on the other side of the tank. You must remove her swiftly after the spawning! The male will indeed kill her if you do not so you really have to pay close attention at this point.
Careful getting her out, don't chase her around the tank willy nilly with a net, just gently scoop her out with a cup in order to not ruin the fathers nest. Now cover the tank with a towel and leave him be.
Eggs!!
Dad will watch closely over the eggs for the next few days. Don't feed him at this time,it may trigger his appetite and right now he's not hungry anyway, he's got work to do. The male will sit diligently watching his nest. He may cruise the tank from time to time,checking for stray eggs or predators,be careful not to let him see you, he will eat the eggs if he feels threatened.
After 24 hours you will notice little baby fry falling from the nest like rain, now's Dads time to shine! For the next 48 hours he will catch the babies,day and night, and put them back in the nest. That's why it is important to leave some dim lighting for him at night. If he gives up quickly or turns on the fry and you notice him eating them, go ahead and take him out and lower your water level to about 3". The fry will feed off their egg sacks for 2-3 days,these are attached to their belly and they're rather heavy,that's what causes the fry to fall.
For 2 days he will watch over the fry, on the 2nd day they should go from this position l to this position _ and swimming on their own vertically, remove dad now because he's hungry and those fry are starting to look delicious!
You should already have his tank set up and ready for him
/www.bettatalk.com/breeding_bettas.htm
