Active Betta...?

Question

My betta made a bubble nest, so I got him a lady. I put them in a breeder tank (one that separates down the middle so that they are in the same water but can't reach each other) and fed them freeze dried bloodworms. I left them there for three weeks and noted that his bubble nest was still there, she was swollen and fat with eggs, and they seemed to sit and look at one another a lot, so I took out the devider. They danced around a bit doing what I assume is the betta "nasty", and then they just stopped... rather than swimming to the top as I'd imagined she would (to lay her eggs in the bubble nest, no?) she started to chase him. I had my net on standby (because I know to take the male out after mating, because often one betta will kill the other) but I couldn't manage to get him out before she'd taken a few good chomps out of his tail. After the injury, he was REALLY inactive, he just sat at the bottom of the tank, but now that he's healing, he's REALLY REALLY active. Is this normal?

Btw, for anyone who is interested, she did lay her eggs after I took him out, but the bubblenest was partially destroyed from my trying to net him, so I don't think she's very happy and a lot of the eggs just sunk to the bottom... I got him some Betta-Max (which I think is a hillarious name for that product!) and put it in his tank... All this transpired a few days ago and he's looking much better, I just wondered about the change in activity. He was such a mellow fish before, and now he darts around like he's nervous. I've checked the water pH and had it tested at Petco to see if it was okay, and the lady said it was, but she wasn't a vet, so I don't want to rely solely on her opinion... Also, how long does it take betta eggs to hatch? Should they have by now? Are my baby bettas dead?

This is my first time breeding bettas, so please let me know if I did anything wrong! I think I described my entire process... I might have left something out, but I don't think so.... Thanks in advance!

Also also, what do I do with the babies once they're FISH? I know you can't keep bettas together, but what about BABY bettas? I just removed her from the tank with the eggs (very carefully... I did my best not to disturb the nest) so she wouldn't eat them. There's plastic grass for them to hide in, but is that enough?

Answer 1

Breeding
Bettas have a fairly short lifespan, and are most successful as breeders when they under a year old (bettas in pet shops are usually at least six months old). They breed in bubblenests and do not require a large tank or special equipment.
Most breeders find that a bare bottomed tank of roughly ten gallons works well, although smaller tanks are also suitable.Ideally the fish should be conditioned prior to breeding, by feeding them a diet of live foods. The water should be at a pH of about 7.0, and temperature around 80 or slightly above.

The male will blow an elaborate bubble nest when he is ready to spawn. The female should be provided with a hiding place, as males may become aggressive during courtship. Even with a hiding place, it is common for the female to lose a few scales or have their fins frayed during spawning.

When they are ready to spawn, the pair will display intense coloration and begin circling each other under the bubblenest. The male will wrap himself around the female who has turned on her back. As she expels the eggs, they are fertilized and begin to sink. The male will scoop up the eggs and spit them into the nest. From this point on the male will tend the brood. It is advisable to remove the female, as the male may become aggressive towards her as he tends his young.

The male will continue to tend the bubblenest, spitting eggs that fall out back into the nest. In one to two days the eggs will hatch, and the fry will be visible hanging in the bubblenest with their tails pointing downward. They will feed off their yolk sack for another thirty six hours, during which time the male will continue to pick up any fry that fall out of the nest. The male should be removed within two days after the fry hatch, as they may eat the young once they are free swimming. The fry should be fed a couple of feedings daily of baby brine shrimp or very fine baby food. Tetra makes a dry mixture specifically for egglaying fish, and many pet shops carry frozen baby brine shrimp. Take care not to overfeed, as the uneaten food will foul the water and can quickly prove lethal to the fry.

Answer 2

Wow! Sorry, not trying to be mean, but research before you try breeding again, which would include what you are going to do with the fry.

As far as your male being inactive after breeding, it's a very stressful activity, that can be very violent, he was probably nursing his wounds and recovering from breeding, if done right, he wouldn't have been fed much for that 3 week peroid of time, and so would be very tired after spawning. I wouldn't worry about him being active unless he's ramming into the sides of his tank (almost always caused by high ammonia). He may just be happy now that he's by himself again, seeing as male bettas are very solitary creatures. Females can be kept together with close supervision until they figure out who's the boss, though. I had my girls together for about six months, before someone put bleach in their tank.

With bettas, when they mate, they will sometimes attack each other, and will have battle scars later on to prove it. First thing wrong, you took out the wrong one. The male is the one that tends the bubble nest and eggs, thats why they all fell to the bottom. The male will normally scoop the eggs up in his mouth and blow them up intot the bubble nest, which he will then either chase away the female or kill her so you need to remove her, not him. You will be lucky if any hatch, and if they do,they most likely won't survive.

For the first 3 days the fry will feed off of their yolk sacs during which, if they fall out of the bubble nest, daddy scoops them back up into the nest, so he will sometimes appear to be eating them, but he isn't, although some do :( there's not much you can do if he decides to eat them while they are still in the nest, you take him out and no one tends the nest, so they die anyway. Sometimes they will eat the dud eggs that didn't get fertilized so that they don't start growing fungus and infect the good eggs.

After 3 days, the fry will be free swimming, at which point they become food to the male so you must then remove him as well. Once they are big enough you need something to do with the fry. If your breeding pair do good and daddy doesn't eat the eggs, you may end up with 200-500 fry.

If you have the room to house them(males need housed in seperate containters up to 1.5 years to let their finnage grow out) until they are old enough to sell, good luck with that. If not, leave the breeding to the pros, who have somewhere to put them. Betta breeding isn't something you do for "fun", but if you decide you really want to go through with it, best of luck to you!


Sarah

Feel free to e-mail with any questions!

Answer 3

This link will give you some of the info you'll need on what to expect in the future - females don't actually lay their eggs in the nest - the males "squeezes" her to get her to release them - she drops them and they go to the bottom of the tank, and he picks them up and puts them in the nest. Also, it's the female that gets removed - the male has to stay with the eggs to pick up any that fall, and he also replaces the fry that fall out. If the female stays, she's likely to eat the eggs. You only remove the male when the fry become free swimming.

Before you try mating them again (and it will take her a few weeks to have more eggs mature) make sure you know what's going to happen, and also start preparing food for the fry - they need small, live food, so you need to have infusoria, vinegar eels, or microworms ready for them when they do become free-swimming.

Answer 4

well, actually the male is the caretaker and he squeezes the eggs out of the female and picks them up to the bubble nest. The male may be stressed out from the chasing.

Answer 5

Sounds like he is afraid of being attacked again. Maybe you need to get something that he can hide in. I have a male Betta, which has a log shaped hiding ornament for his tank. And if he is fearful he will hide in it.

Answer 6

it truly is general for them to be lively whilst they get a greater tank. in case you notice white dots on the fins, watch it throughout the time of here few days to work out in the event that they multiply. If it gets worse, it would desire to be ich. you may get ich therapy at your interior sight aquarium shop. sturdy good fortune

Answer 7

Sorry... i dont really know that much about bettas, i have other fish... and they usually do that after they mate, so it mught be normal! sorry!