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This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 24,401 times.
Many people keep the beautiful betta fish, which some people call Siamese fighting fish, as pets. Male Betta fish are often kept in separate tanks from other males and females because they may attack and kill tank mates. If you have betta fish and would like to breed them, it’s important to provide a protective environment in which they can spawn. Creating a tank with good water quality, plenty of hiding spots for the female, and places on which eggs can cling can ensure that the mating process proceeds smoothly and the fry, or baby fish, survive.
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 3:
Preparing the Tank
Ensure the tank is large enough. Although bettas can breed in smaller tanks, use a 5–10 gallon (18.9–37.9 L) tank for breeding. This can provide needed space for the female and help optimize the mating process.[1]
Check the water quality. Maintaining water quality is essential to keeping your fish happy and healthy. It may also help provide the best environment for your bettas to mate.[2]- You can buy a fish tank water testing kit at most pet stores.[3]
- These tests can help you identify any problems with the water, such as high ammonia.
- Test the temperature to make sure it is between 50 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit.[4]
- Test the water for acidity. Most fish thrive at a neutral pH level of approximately 7.[5]
- If the water is too acidic, you can buy a chemical neutralizer at most pet stores.[6]
- Test for oxygenation to help ensure that the saturation exceeds 70%.[7]
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Filter the water gently. Fish create a lot of waste and an important component of maintaining water quality for a protective environment is filtering it. This can not only help keep your bettas healthy, but may also aid the mating process and help the eggs and fry survive.[8]
Arrange floating plants as hiding spots. Female bettas need places to hide to relieve stress and avoid injury.[11] Plants can also help protect the bubble nest of eggs. Arrange a selection of floating plants in your tank to help ensure an optimal and protected place for your bettas to breed.[12]- You can use either live or artificial plants in the tank.[13]
- Purchase plants at pet stores or retailers that specifically deal with fish.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:
Preparing the Pair to Mate
Choose the bettas to breed. You want to select the healthiest bettas to mate. Choosing the right pair can help ensure their health and continuation of quality breeding stock.[14]
Feed your bettas. It’s important to make sure your bettas are well fed before they start breeding. This will help optimize the breeding process and may help ensure the vitality of the eggs and fry.[17]
Treat any health issues. If your fish is showing signs of illness and you’re not sure what the cause is, use a commercial fish medication to treat any illness. This may help heal your fish from any diseases or parasites and could aid breeding.[20]- You can get commercial fish medication at most pet stores and even some larger retail stores.
- Be aware that commercial fish medications are not regulated by government agencies, which means the treatments may be useless or could harm your fish. The best treatment is always being sure of the disease for which you’re treating.[21]
Introduce the mating pair. Once you are sure each betta is healthy and well fed, you can introduce the pair. It can take a few days for the bettas to get used to one another in separate tanks, but this may help prevent injuries and poor quality eggs.[22]- Start introducing the pair by placing their tanks close to one another for a couple of days.[23]
Move the male to the breeding tank. After you introduce your bettas in separate tanks, place the male in the breeding tank. Don’t allow him to see the female for a while to help prepare him to breed.[24]- Give the male a few hours to get used to the water in the breeding tank.[25]
- Watch for signs of distress in the male. Symptoms of stress in bettas include swimming near the surface or banging up against the sides of the tank.
Add the female betta to the breeding tank gradually. Contain the female in a separate container and add her to the breeding tank. This can help her get used to the tank and may keep the male from getting at her immediately.[26]
Monitor the bettas to detect attraction. Watch the bettas for a few days to see if you notice whether they’ve taken an interest in one another. This can help you know if you should find another mate or should watch for the female to release eggs.[29]- Flaring, or fanning the fins, is a good sign of interest of interest between bettas.[30]
Identify a bubble nest. It may take 4-5 days, but if there is interest between your bettas, you may notice that the male releases a bubble nest. This can help you to release the female from the hurricane glass or Styrofoam cup in time to mate.[31]
Place the female on top of the bubble nest. If the male builds a bubble nest, he may also try and attract the female. Placing the female on top of the bubble nest will help her place the eggs in the protective bubbles.[34]Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 3:
Understanding Further Breeding Basics
Learn about the breeding process. Once the male and female show interest within their protective environments, they are usually ready to mate. Learning the basics of this process can help you successfully breed bettas and help their spawn survive.[38]- After the male blows his bubble nest, he will mate with the female by wrapping himself around her several times. Thereafter, the female will lay her eggs.
- It’s normal for the two fish to engage in some nipping and chasing, and it’s usually not to the death.
Remove the female from the breeding tank. Once the eggs are laid, take the female out of the tank. The male is a very devoted father and may cause her injury if she stays.[39]
Take care of any wounds on the bettas. It’s not unusual for bettas to have torn fins after they mate. Injuries make bettas more susceptible to disease, so you may want to treat the water to help ensure that your bettas stay healthy.[43]- A commercial water treatment such as MarOxy or Bettamax can help to ward off disease in recently mated bettas.[44]
- You can purchase water treatments at most pet stores and specialty fish suppliers.
- Both the male and female may suffer stress from the mating. Make sure to watch for signs of this and take appropriate action, such as separating the fish in separate tanks from other bettas.
Watch for the development of eggs into fry. Watch for the eggs to hatch after about 36 hours. The fry, which look like little black dots, will also have little tails hanging down. Recognizing the development of the baby fish can help you remove the male fish and ensure the safety and health of the fry.[45]- You can put the male back in his original tank.[46]
- Feed the fry once they're free swimming. Do not feed them when they're still hanging from the bubbles or on the bottom of the tank.[47]
- To make fry food, put a lightly boiled potato in a jar of aquarium water for 2 days to culture microscopic creatures collectively called "infusoria."[48] Put some of the water bearing infusoria in the tank water 2 times a day.
- You can keep the fry together for approximately 7 months, at which point they may start fighting and flaring with one another.[49]
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Expert Q&A
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- QuestionHow many fry are produced per mating?
Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianThe number will vary depending on the tank conditions and the health of the fish. A typical number of eggs in a bubble nest range from 50 - 500. - QuestionApproximately how many fry live to become fully mature adult fish?Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianBettas produce large numbers of eggs because the journey from fry to adult is a hard one that few survive. While the mortality rate varies depending on the water quality, temperature, and availability of food, an average of 10% survive from fry to adult.
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Warnings
- The mortality rate among fry is quite high. You can expect for about 25% of them to survive.[50]Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/fish-care
- ↑ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/fish-care
- ↑ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/fish-care
- ↑ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/fish-care
- ↑ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/fish-care
- ↑ http://www.algone.com/oxygen-in-the-aquarium
- ↑ http://www.firsttankguide.net/betta.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/fish-care
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/fish-care
- ↑ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/fish-care
- ↑ http://fish.mongabay.com/disease.htm
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ Cut a Styrofoam cup in half. This will be her container.
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
- ↑ http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/bettafish/breeding.php
About this article
Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. This article has been viewed 24,401 times.
Co-authors: 14
Updated: June 3, 2019
Views: 24,401
Article SummaryX
To help your betta fish breed, put them in a 5 to 10 gallon tank so they have enough space to mate. You should also give keep the water temperature between 50 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit with a pH level of 7 so your fish will stay happy and healthy. Fish create a lot of waste, so you’ll need to give the tank a filter that will keep the water clean, but is also gentle enough that it won’t disturb your bettas’ mating. Once the water is perfect, place some floating plants in the tank, since these will provide a hiding spot for the female betta to relieve stress while also protecting the bubble nest of eggs. For more tips from our Veterinary co-author, like how to introduce your two bettas without them fighting each other, read on!
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