Question

[Faia Betta]

I only bought them on Friday if that but I'm curious

My male betta - a.k.a. Rainbow - is constantly blowing bubbles --- that's why I picked him cause it's a sign of a healthy betta in a petshop.

anyways, one of the females - Rudy - who has longer fins than Sapphire - is hovering around the trap [I use a hooded "double sized" breeding trap to keep Rainbow in] and is rather bossy. Bossy in that she'll flare and nip at Sapphire, the second female.

It has me kind of stumped because beforehand, before today when I noticed such behavior, both of the girls got along fine...



The only addition to the tank is a feeder ring - to keep the blood worms from drifting all over the place - which is beside the male's trap....

Neither Ruby nor Sapphire show breeding strips, Sapphire is more nervous and prone to showing her "stress" lines more while Rudy is a deep red [hence her name] and rarely shows "stress lines".


So my question is

Is Ruby interested in the male?

Or keeping Sapphire away from the feeder ring and the bloodworms?



Also, I have 2 females in the betta tank --- with some plants --- should I get one more girl so as to spread out the potential harassing by Ruby

 

[afishdude]

can you tell me what size tank, and what exactly is in it and what. because its very confusing on how you have this set up. it sounds like you have a main tank with a male then a breeding trap with 2 females in it???

 

[Faia Betta]

Tank - 5 gal --- already established by a handful of guppies which I gave away before beginning with Bettas

Fish
2 females - they have the run of the tank right now
1 male - he is in the breeding trap with a cover over top

2 plants, LARGE, plants that are glued to the side of the aquarium

1 outside power filter - came with the tank - I'm considering the corner filter but just not yet
1 heater

and 1 feeder ring - which was added today.



ammonia = 0
ph = 7ish
temp = 79 to 80

 

[afishdude]

what are you trying to do? spawn?

or are you just keeping them like that?

IMO the tank is small for 3 bettas, the male shouldnt be kept in a breeding box because it is way too small for him.

 

[Faia Betta]

ya obviously can't listen.

It's a doubled breeding box --- a LOT --- bigger than a cup.

Yes, I do plan to breed at some point in time.


No, the tank is NOT too small for 3 bettas with proper water changes and care given to both the tank and the fish inside....


So either you can give advice on what maybe causing 1 of the gals to become tempermental or kindly step aside for the next person along....



I despise it when people think cause it says newbie, it means newbie to fish keeping period

 

[afishdude]

well when you figure 1g+ per betta and 3g+ preferd, thats alot bigger than a cup also!

i hate it when people comapare to the size of lfs fish cups, compare to the 1g+. and i dont think your breeding box is 1g.

the transparent is because the female is very stressed from having the male in the tank. they should never be kept in the same tank, even with a breeding box unless you are spawning. and even then only for a couple of hours.

5g is horibly small for breeding, when you breed you will need seperate tanks for all 3 fish, preferably 5g ea. if you do breed in a 5g then you will have to move the fry in about a month, and that is very stressful and hard on the fry. you would be better off getting a 10g so all the fish have a larger tank and more swimming room.


i have no idea what you are mad at, noboy is yelling at you. i am asking about the tank so i can tell you whats happening, not to bug you.

 

[fry_lover]

lets get this male out of the breeding trap and into a proper set-up, unless he just there very temporary, just coz they kept in silly containers in shops, dont mean its okay at home.

Listen to the Dude, you dont have to agree, but he trying to help, others will join in soon.

how big is a "double breeding box" then?

 

[afishdude]

a double contains about around 1 liter of water.

 

[fry_lover]

a double contains about around 1 liter of water.

okay, so about the equivilent of x3 cans of coke?

 

[afishdude]

3 cans of coke is more than a liter. its about 2 and 1/2 cans.

 

[modaz]

please correct me if im wrong but isnt 5g about 19L?, asking cause i only work in Litres lol

if so i must admit its too small for the 2 females without having plants or something for the stressed female to retreat to and settle. that should ease the issue a bit, shes stressed b/c you have the male in there and the other female is making it worse as well.

Ive done the same thing a while ago to determine which female will spawn with the male

One thing you gotta understand is that some females will never spawn with males and are constantly terrified of the presence a male in the tank and some will, the presence of the male has let you know which female is more to agree to spawn with him at a later date.

You need to now get the male out and start to condition the fearless female ready for when you have the time, the space and the resources to spawn and end up with a possible 100+ batch of fry, considering the outgrow period is vital and if you cant accomodated this then wait until you can.

If im right and the water volume is 19L then i gotta say that ive just spawned my SD/HMs in this volume of water but there is also another 5" of tank space to increase the volume as the fry grow and when ready they will go into a 100L until ready to seperate for the finla outgrow period, the 19L that ive used has got a surface area of 12" X 18" which is important to allow that extra space so if your tank has less water surface than that you will need to rethink about how your gunna do this.

Im only telling you how i spawn my bettas and after 5 weeks of a spawning programme and at present over 120 fry from 3 spawns and the space to outgrow them, so its important to move things around and get the ball rolling with the correct size tanks for what you plan to do.

Research like crazy as i still research even though ive got spawns on the go ATM. you'll always learn something each time.

 

[afishdude]

very well said, its the same thing i said but you said it better.
and yes 5g is 19 liters.

 

[modaz]

very well said, its the same thing i said but you said it better.
and yes 5g is 19 liters.

19L, IT IS excellent, see, im getting there

 

[afishdude]

accualy its 18.9L