Can I breed bettas in a small tank?

Question

I have a small tank, maybe about half a gallon. Can I breed my bettas in it?

Answer 1

Lots of bad info floating around about breeding bettas. I have bred bettas well over 1000 times over the course of more than 20 years. I would strongly suggest you use nothing smaller than a 10 gallon tank. One, there isn't enough room for the female to move away and rest between rounds of laying eggs. Two, that container would be impossible to filter and it will need filtration before the fry are free swimming. Three, the container would be impossible to heat and unless you have a place that is consistently in the high 70's to low 80's (day and night) it will need to be heated. Four, there isn't enough room for the babies to grow for more than at best a week and moving them would be a tough thing to do to them.

I'm sure there are more reasons not to do it, but those 4 alone should really be enough to make you think twice about it. It really would be a mistake.

MM

Answer 2

the recommended size is 10 gallons. you can get away with smaller but a half gallon is way too small. what will you do with all the babies if the breeding is successful? the waste will build up waaaay too fast. also, the water needs to be warm, the babies are a lot more sensitive than adults, although adults are still tropicals and should be kept in heated water (78°F to 82°F). also it is violent, if the female doens't have a place to hide and room to run it could end tragically.

read up about breeding before trying it.

btw, they do NOT naturally live in puddles and they do NOT like small spaces. have you ever seen a betta in a 5gallon tank that's filtered and heated. they actually move! yes, that's right, betta fish aren't supposed to just sit there. they live in RICE PADDIES not puddles... these are rice paddies:
http://www.brents.com/organization/VacationImages/V2000Photos/BaliImages/images/Rice_paddy_view_from044.jpg

far cry from a puddle. don't believe everything walmart tells you.

Answer 3

You are VERY lucky to have bettas breed let alone in a very small space. You need a larger tank, the one you have is just cruel. Even if it's not heated immediatly as long as it's in a warm spot. Try to convince a local aquarium store to take some of the fry before they die perhaps?

Answer 4

With due respect to Magicman, I, too have been breeding Betta for over 10 years (but never serious).

Maybe it's becos of the region difference (I stay in S'pore, very near to where Betta originate from), I used to breed them by using a 11" by 6" wtih water lever no deeper than 6". (dun knw how to calculate the volume, but know it's certainly no bigger than 10 gal) It's ok, they still breed and mate!

So, I seriously dunkn why is there so many 'thumb-down' for ppl who answer 'Yes'!!

Bigger space will serve better for female to hide and retreat if the male get too aggressive. But remb not to give them too deep of water as should they mate, the male will be very tire in geeting all the eggs back to the bubble nest.

Bigger space will also encourage the fry to grow faster and bigger, and reduce the chances of fry killing each other for space.

Good luck to you, buddy.

Answer 5

No offense but the first answer is wrong....you can use the small tank, in fact is is good to have a small tank for breeding, but only fill it about half way up. get a hurricane glass lamp cover, and put it in the middle of the tank. Introduce the female intot he hurricane cover, this will keep the male from getting to her right away and hurting her. Let them get used to each other for maybe like a day or so. Let him start to prepare his bubble nest. It is very important that there is a bubble nest!!! This is where the eggs will need to stay! Gently pull out the hurricane lamp cover, so as not to disturb the bubble nest. Keep an eye on them, just in case they really hate each other and try to kill each other instead of mating. You will know when they mate when the male curls his body around the female and her eggs drop, then he fertilizes them. She is "stunned" and paralyzed for like a minute. During this time them male grabs as many eggs as he can get, in his mouth, and gently places them in the bubble nest. I think they might do it a few times, but when they are done, GET THE FEMALE out, SHE will eat the eggs, it is the male who watches and tend to them until they hatch! Then take the male out.

Answer 6

http://www.ask-the-vet.com/breeding-betta-fish.htm

Some of the advice you have received in the prior answers are not correct, sorry guys. Click on the link above for some great information on breeding bettas. If you go to "Google" and type in "Betta breeding" and then "search" you will find a lot of great information. They love blood worms, preferably frozen rather than dried.

Edit: Just read Magicman's answer, he's completely right, he knows what he is talking about.

Answer 7

Yes. In the wild, bettas live in small puddles, and prefer that to larger pools of water. Do not keep the bettas together for very long however, as they will still fight, even being male and female. You need to seperate them as soon as you notice any agressivness.

Answer 8

i think so, you have to watch for the male to be aggressive even to the females they tend to bite fins also remove the male at the right time so he doesnt eat the eggs, they live in small takes why not?

Answer 9

no because they need space for them to swim

Answer 10

i would like to know what bettas are.... what are they?? lol (what kind of fish)