New Betta for me

[gazat]

Hi All,

Just to let you all know i have my first male betta (well i got it last week). I have also a female betta (purchased next day from a different LFS), this female is in another tank, i am going to try to breed them at some point in the near future so get ready for some questions from me.

Anyway this is just an excuse for me to post for the first time on this new message board.

Gaza
:grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[Davy Reynolds]

I'm glad someones started posting :grin:
Well good luck with the new bettas. Dont ask me to many questions on them I always see to end up killing them

 

[gazat]

Hi Davy,

Had to be one of the first to post on the new board. You now me i will be asking lost of questions as want to know more about my bettas.

Gaza

 

[William]

Hehe! I will read up on them for you

Good luck with the breeding attempts I found this information for you:

Betta eggs sink so after each spawning, the male picks them up before they reach the ground and deposits them in the bubble nest that he has built. The male continues to care for the young and maintain the bubble nest until they are free swimming. After about 36 hours, the spawn should hatch and three days later become free swimming. Their first food should consist of very small organisms such as Paramecia and Rotifers, a fish food called micropearls has also worked very well in my class and is much more convenient than raising live food to feed to babies, but live food should always be included in their diet. After about five or six days, they are large enough to eat Brine Shrimp or Daphnia larva. It is possible to raise the fry on dry food alone but they won't develop to their full potential.


William

 

[William]

Forgot to say, I love the avatar

William

 

[Rose]

A male and female betta huh. You have your work cut out for you when you mate them. Make sure you have lots and lots and lots of time and jars for when the little dudes start growing. They will take a ton of time to raise. You need to a lot of prep work BEFORE you start to breed them. Just thougt I'd give a little insite to all the work your makeing for yourself. Ask away when you need the help. Rose 8)

 

[gazat]

Hi All,

Thanks for the advice Rose. I have already started to collect the jars ready for the little dudes as you call them. I have started to condition the fish on live food already. I have done plenty of investigation but knowing me i will still need yo ask for help :0 .

Before i begin to breed them i need to free the fry tank i have so that i can move the female / male when the time is right.

Speak to you soon

Gaza

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Got that tank sorted yet

 

[gazat]

Hi guys & girl. :grin:

Still waiting to get rid of the platty fry to a good home before i can free the tank up. My lfs are adament that they dont want them. I dont want to put them in my main tank as its upto its limit in terms of stock level.

Never mind i will just have to get another tank for the fry.

Gaza

 

[William]

Hi, I hear you have plattie fry! I have 6 platies and want them to breed. I know they are livebearers and hear they are really easy to breed if so what do I need to do?

Any tips for keeping the babies alive while still keeping them in the main tank just until i get a net, i don't want to get a net before i get fry cause otherwise it is sort of tempting fate ya understand!

I have 5 females and 1 guy... what a lucky fish he is :grin:

William

 

[gazat]

Hi, I hear you have plattie fry!  I have 6 platies and want them to breed.  I know they are livebearers and hear they are really easy to breed if so what do I need to do?

Any tips for keeping the babies alive while still keeping them in the main tank just until i get a net, i don't want to get a net before i get fry cause otherwise it is sort of tempting fate ya understand!

I have 5 females and 1 guy... what a lucky fish he is :grin:

William

Hi William,

Breeding platty's is relativly easy, well i found it was. I waited for all the visible signs, gravid spot, fish hiding away etc. then i moved the female to a separate fry tank, i put her in a breeding trap that allowed the fry to drop through the tarp and into the tank. The tank had a few plants in it to provide cover for the fish and provide some food for them. I fed the fish on crushed flake for afew weeks until they were big enough to accept live food (which they love).

My first set of fry that were left to fend for themselves in the main tank didn't last 1-2 hours.

Rose gave me a lot of help and tips, she is the real guru on the subject.

Gaza

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Here gazza, another tank needed :grin: Better watch it'll keep growing and growing

William, plants are really needed to help the fry hide from the other and to give them a chance. Be careful if you put the mum in a trap. Do it as late as possible cos she may terminate the pregnancy.

 

[William]

My 'plattys' appear to be hybrids (well the male is either swordtail or hybrid for sure) I guess this means no fry! I will have to wait till I get my guppies... hehehehe :laugh:

William

 

[gazat]

Hi guys & girls,

Just giving you an update on my betta breeding project.

Well i conditioned the fish for two weeks on live food (bloodworm and daphina). I then raised the temperture in the tank that the male is in to 80-81. The water level was lowered to about 150mm-170mm in depth. The female was then put in a jar and floated in the breeding tank. The male was showing to the female a lot, but unfortunally he didn't make a nest. The female was in the breeding tank for a total of about 36 hours, before she was returned to the original tank. I am currently reconditioning the fish to try again in 1 weeks time. :0

Does this sound ok or is there something else that i should be doing.

Gazat

 

[Rose]

A couple of things to think about here. the first being is the female ready to breed? Meaning is she showing the stripe when you put her in the cup or what ever with the male. If not she's not ready to breed yet. The other thing is that some males don't build bubble nests before he mates, he does it as he mates with his girl. There is no deffinate science to breeding bettas. Some there is no doubt that they are ready others you put together and hope for the best. Rose 8)