When prepping, I place the male and female side by side with no blinds. This allows the two to become familiar with each other. I feed them about 8 to 12 black worms daily.
When I notice that the male has begun to construct a nest, I remove him and place him into a ten gallon tank filled with clean water 1/4 of the way, some java moss, and fresh Indian Almond leaves (2).
I then let both fish relax for about 1 to 2 days. On the second or third day I reintroduce them to each other. When placing the female in, I place a clear cylinder inside of the tank first. (You can make one with a 2 liter soda bottle by cutting the top and bottom off.) Then I scoop out the female from her jar and place her inside of the cylinder.
Once inside the cylinder the female will feel confident and start to dance and flare at her mate. At this point I remove the cylinder and let the female loose. I let them dance and flare for about 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the male starts to attack the female aggressivly, then I remove her. I continue this process for 1 to 2 more days. On the second or third day I place the female back into the breeding tank and this time I leave her. The pair should breed within 1 to 3 hours. I have had pairs that breed in 30 minutes.
Breeding will take any where from 1 to 4 hours maybe even longer. After the female has retreated to her side of the tank, I remove her.
If you have a HEAVILY PLANTED tank you can leave the female in there and the pair should spawn again within 3 to 4 days if fed properly. I do not advise that you keep the female in the tank if you are unfamiliar with these fish.