Things You'll Need:
- a pair of bettas
- small fish tank
- small piece of bubble wrap
- quiet spot for the tank to sit
- magnifying glass
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Step 1
First select lively, healthy fish with good color Healthy fish will show no sign of illness. Check the water in the tank at the store and make sure that it is clean and the fish shows no sign of illness. For easier transition from the store feed your bettas the same feed they ate in the store.
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Step 2
Put the male Siamese fighting fish by himself in a shallow aquarium. The water level should be about five inches. An ideal tank will have a PH level of about 7.0 and a temperature of around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. A bubble stone set to gentle is a good addition to the tank. For removal of debris, use a new turkey baster. It will gently remove debris without upsetting the bubble nest. Place the female betta into a jar and place the jar into the breeding tank. For the next few days feed your betta a combination of frozen bloodworms and live food. Place a piece of bubble wrap on the surface of the water to help stabilize the bubble nest. The nice thing about using bubble wrap is watching the eggs develop through it.
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Step 3
There are some signs to watch for to know when the pair is ready to breed. The male will be ready as soon as he starts to build the bubble nest. The female’s stomach will start to distend and end at the ovipositor. This is the white egg spot and it can be seen between the front fins. There will be vertical strips on the female’s sides when she is ready to spawn. When the signs show the pair are ready move the female betta into the breeding tank with the male. Don’t be surprised if the bettas spar a little before they mate. The female betta often losses some scales or fins during the mating ritual. If the female betta starts to show any injuries, remove her and try again later.
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Step 4
During spawning, the male betta will chase the female until she lets him wrap her up in his fins. She will then start laying eggs that will drop to the bottom of the tank. The male betta will fertilize the eggs as they drop. He will then catches and collect the eggs. After collecting the eggs he will put them in the bubble nest. The bettas will repeat this behavior until all the eggs are released. Bettas can lay as many as 500 eggs. If the female doesn’t spawn the first time, try again after 2 weeks of conditioning. As soon as the spawning is complete, remove the female to her own container. Be careful with the bubble nest when the female is removed.
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Step 5
Another unique thing about bettas is that the male takes on all the parenting duties. He will guard the nest for the next 48 to 72 hours catching any eggs that fall and placing them back in the nest. The new born betas, called fry are very tiny. Once the fry are swimming around and the yolk sac is gone, start offering microscopic food.
Breeding bettas is an exciting project. The bubble nest is a very unique feature of these fascinating fish. It is fun to watch the male betta take care of his baby fish. The bettas are an ancient breed that continues to intrigue today. Be sure and read my article on raising baby bettas.
