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yes the male is doing the right thing... Sometimes it is just a small batch of eggs. Yes the eggs should look small and white. Good luck with raising the fry .

Ok so it has been two very exciting weeks, and both the parents seem very happy tending to their own business. As for the fry, i have 14 still surviving!! I am so excited, i really did not expect them to survive since i was not able to go out and get them live food, since this happened during finals week, but i did have some little creatures growing in my java moss so i threw it into their tank, and they seemed to like them. So now they are beginning to eat the Small Fry Liquid Formula and some are eating the first bites tiny ground flake food! I am so happy! I hope i got by one of the hard parts, or are the next couple weeks even harder? Also what is the best filter to get for the tank, right now i do not have a filter in there since i bought this one and is disrupted the water waaay to much. Any ideas? ASAP please since i am running to petsmart to pick up my dog from grooming now!

I thought so too but for some reason the fry are always going to the surface...:%) I will try to get some pictures...i just need to run and get new batteries for my camera!

If I am not mistaken the labyrinth organ in Bettas doesn't fully develop or function for several days after free-swimming begins. So therefore aeration might be needed for that short time. I'm sure if this is not correct, someone will call me on it.





Last edited by Jessnick at 22-Jan-2005 13:28

So far it seems like you are having far better than average success with your very first spawning! Congrats on that! What are the mother and father of this spawn? I would love to see pics. The real fun will begin when it is time to cup them all! Seeing what you end up getting makes all the effort and worrying well worth it though. Thanks for the update!

Well today i woke up and the fry were in different places around the tank. But the male is still putting them back into the nest and does not seem like he is eating them. Some of the fry are swimming to the surface but i cannot tell if they are breathing or what. They still seem to want to go back to the bubble nest though. The water seems a bit deep and it seems like sometimes the fry are having a little trouble getting to the surface so i think i am going to take out some water little by little from the surface with a small cup!

How are those babies doing for you? Can't wait to hear an update!

Leave the male until the fry are free swimming on their own. They still need him right now, and it sounds like he is being a great daddy and doing just what he needs to do. You wont need to remove any water. Make sure to keep them warm and start feeding them a TINY amount of baby food (easy to find at the lfs), and start hatching brine shrimp for them too. Sounds like you are having a lot of success for a first time around! Congrats!

I am so excited!! I did not think i would get them to hatch but they have! They are so cute! They keep falling out of the nest, but the male places them back in, so i do not know if i should take him out or not. I am feeding the male frequently, and he so i do not think he is hungry. But when should i take him out? It seems that if i take them out know that when they fall out of the nest they will not have a way to get back into the nest...can i decrease the water level? It is a 10 gallon tank and has 3/4 of it full with water, should i siphon slowly or take out by cupfull? I know it is probably too full! Sorry for all the questions but i did not expect them to hatch, as this is my first betta spawn, and the first time the male and female have bred!

I agree with Daniel the male is doing everything he needs to do. He will stay just under the nest, blowing more bubbles and catching any eggs that fallas needed. Take him out when the fry are free swimming or he will start to look at them as food! Good luck

My bettas are breeding as we speak but everytime they wrap around eachother no eggs fall out. Does it usually take a couple tries? Also there is a rock under the nest, will the male pick them up off of that surface? This is so exciting and interesting! (my first betta spawn)

It seems there are only a few eggs in the nest, they look small and white, is that what they are supposed to look like? The male will still not leave the nest and keeps blowing more and more bubbles on it, is that what they do? Well i hope all goes well, i am not expecting anything super, but it was pretty exciting and now i know the process and hopefully i will become more sucessful!

Yes, do NOT turn of your lights. They should be on from now on until you remove the male.

DO NOT make the mistake I made my first spawn! Whatever you do... DO NOT TURN THE LIGHTS OFF!!! Leave the lights on all night. I was uneducated and flipped off the light out of habit and woke up to a destroyed nest, a confused male, and NO salvagable eggs. THEN I bought, read, and highlighted a book on bettas so I would not make first timer mistakes with them again. Too bad too... would have been an awesome spawn of some GORGEOUS plakats!

She finally dropped the eggs, and he was able to catch every single one before they fell to the ground. They embraced many times. He ate many of the eggs...i think he put some in the nest, so i left him in there. I cannot see any eggs in the nest but he will not leave the area under the nest and keeps blowing more bubbles into the nest, and fanning it. I cannot see it because the nest he built was so thick! Will he get better at not eating his eggs after a few more tries? My female is now in her own safe haven enjoying blood worms and medication without a pestering male!

I bred Bettas not too long ago and the eggs are definitly visible. The male will get most of the eggs up to the nest, but some will fall...don't worry he'll get them all (the female even helps in some cases which mine did as soon as she came out of her trance), but like Booger said try to make it as easy as possible for him. Ofcourse at this point be careful not to disturb the bubble nest too much. Good luck it is quite a site to watch.

Last edited by Jessnick at 16-Jan-2005 17:51

Check out the article on betta breeding in the breeding advice forum. It is very helpful and may answer a lot of your questions.

Are you sure that the female produced eggs? How did you condition her and what did you use? It can take a couple of tries before the male gets the squeeze right. Some never do. Don't get discouraged.

Yes you should be able to see the eggs in the nest. I would move the rock too. You really don't want the male to have to dig/pick around a rock wile he's trying to hurry and get them into the nest. He might tires himself out to much.

Also, how can you tell that there are eggs in the nest? can you see them?