Question About Breeding

[girl4God81]

I bought a male betta several months ago and he began the usual bubble nest. It wasn't huge but it lined the tank. About 6 weeks ago I bought a female betta full of eggs (I felt bad for her b/c they had put her little cup next to the males, so she is full of eggs because of it). Her little white thing (whatever it is called, on the under side of her belly), is sticking out. I didn't intend on breeding them but decided to try. I fed her the usual betta pellets, as well as blood worms. For a few days I put their tanks side by side to get them to see each other, and once she got her vertical stripes and he began making a larger bubble nest, I put her in a breeding net in his tank. They both seemed interested and after several hours she was floating upside down and he was trying to show off with his bright pretty colors, and flaring of his fins. I finally released her and after some chasing and light fin nipping she began floating upside down, but he never really seemed to understand what to do. I know they are both new at this and I know it's difficult to breed betta's (especially for a newby like myself) but nothing ever happened. Over time he would go through periods of ignoring her to trying to get her attention, at which point she still had her vertical stripes but was just staying at the top corner, or hiding from him. I have tried SEVERAL times and have pretty much given up. But the problem is that it's been 6 weeks and she still has not released her eggs. I bought a bigger (10 gallon) aquarium and have since moved her into that with some platies and mollies. She seems content, but has horizontal stripes (and doesn't that mean they feel threatened?). Also, I have put my male bettas tank next to hers (only the past 2 days, not the entire time she's been in the tank) and since then, she has vertical stripes (whenever she sees him). I also put him in the 10 gallon tank with her and the other fish for a few minutes (watching him closely, of course) and she got SO excited! She kept flaring at him (which never happened, she was either interested in him or ignored him before). When he was in the 10 gallon with her, he would scare off the other fish as they would come near her, and she was swimming up to him alot (which she also didn't do before), flaring, or just rubbing up against him. She was also following him around everywhere and showing her vertical stripes (stronger than I've ever seen him). She was cute because it was almost as if she was going "here i am!!!! SEE ME?? Right HERE!" And he wasn't too interested except for chasing her off.

So after all that explanation, I am wondering if it's just that he isn't that interested..but she is. He only makes a few bubbles now...but they are far and few between. Should I try another male? He mostly seems to scare her and nip at her more and more. Don't worry I am done putting them together, unless anyone has a better idea. Please let me know!

 

[leighann]

sometimes the male can be stubborn and all bettas will eventually breed i have heard but there are a few things you can do to speed up the process...water changes can induce males to make nests, you can add a small amount of tetra extract to also help the male build a nest.
you could try introducing another male in a covered containter, this will help the first male betta by putting him into a competitive drive. hopefully these suggestions help.

 

[Jaded12]

Sounds like your girls ready as can be. I would try them one more time, making sure the tank temp is at least 80 degrees, and remember it can take 12+ hours for spawning to occur, once I had a pair in the spawning tank for 3 days before they finally spawned. If it's unsuccessful this time and he still seems completely disinterested, maybe you should try a different male. Did you get this particular male from an lfs? if so theres a chance that he may be too old to breed, male bettas pass their breeding prime at about 18 months old.

 

[girl4God81]

Thanks so much, maybe it isn't too late after all. I bought him from Walmart (mostly because I feel sorry for their bettas). I don't know what kind he is or how old. I am mostly scared that he will kill her. I left them overnight once and she was ok but hiding in the corner as usual, and we went out of town once and I left her again overnight and probably about 24 hours with him and she looked worse than ever, and he had even nipped at her scales. Since then she's doing much better and I'm trying to avoid fin rot, her scales are healed. The breeding tank was 2.5 gallons and she's now in the 10 gallon with other fish (as I said before). should I transfer her back to the 2.5 gallon? Right now I have him in a breeding net in the 10 gallon tank hoping to get him more excited about breeding..I am just clueless. I just don't want him to kill her. Once he starts nipping at her pretty bad, she gets scared (it seems) and won't go near him (unless they are in the 10 gallon where she is more aggressive) but Im also afraid he will hurt the other fish.

Also, if I get another male should I look for certain signs that he's ready to breed other than him making a bubble nest? Or, are there signs that maybe he's younger?

Oh yeah, and what is an lfs???