There seems to be one of these threads on an average every 5 days or so. Speaking as an outsider, somebody who has kept but never bred bettas, it seems to me that there are certain very specific problems with betta breeding that does not affect some other common species:
they need special care before and during the mating procedure
they have vast numbers of fry
these fry need very special care (not like my bristlenose fry, whose care consists in bunging in a slice of cucumber once a day and occasional water changes)
the fry cannot be sold until they are comparatively mature (not like guppy or bristlenose fry)
before this happens, the male fry will need to be separated into individual containers- space, outlay, and lots of hard slog with water changes
given the need for separate containers, it is unlikely that you will find an lfs willing to take more than a very few males; what to do with the rest? (this is different from say dwarf plecs, where they can easily take and sell a whole batch)
it is well known that many bogstandard bettas face a cruel and uncertain future, being kept in unsuitable containers by owners who do not know how to care for them
The analogy with cats and dogs is a good one- most responsible people would not let an unneutered common tabby out, since it is so difficult to find good homes for the resulting kittens.
Given this, I find it hard to understand why so many betta owners are desperate to breed, while several less problematic species are expensive or hard to find in the shops because nobody cares to breed them. Of course, there is a greater interest in watching the breeding process of bettas than in watching guppies, but there are lots of species that do have interesting mating habits, but not so many of the problems of the bettas. Why aren't more people breeding clown plecs, red whiptails, leopard frogs, peacock gobies, sparkling gouramis, or - for those of you who really want a challenge- khuulie loaches?
I would know.
