So, You want to breed bettas huh? Well, first things, first, you have to ask yourself these basic questions and then you can begin to breed your betta.

1. Do I have the time?

    Be Prepared to spend hours upon hours looking over your breeding pair and then when the fry comes it is like having kids that you might as well give up all social life for 2 months ( well maybe not but still be prepared).

2. Do I have the money?

Think of the potential 300 baby bettas and they need homes. Do you have the money to pay for the possible 300 jars that you would need to house the fish? Even if you keep the females in a community tank, you are still looking at a potential 150 or more jars or tanks for the males.

3. Do I have the equipments?

You will need a 5-10 gallon tank at the very least for the spawn. Keep in mind that this tank will be occupied for the next two months. You will need a sponge filter and an air pump. Live plants are not a must but will improve your spawns chances of success. The food (look at the live foods section), heater, and a light.

Ahh, where it all begins. The bubblenest.

First start with the selected fish. Feed both male and female fish high protein foods such as frozen brine shrimp, blood worms, fruit flies, and some veggie matter probably in a flake food. I use fish gum drops variety pack. They have blood worms, veggie drops, and brine shrimp all frozen in gum drop sized balls which I let thaw a little then grind them up together and freeze them together into the size of drops I want for each feeding. You can do that by dropping them on a piece of cellophane in the size you want then covering them with another sheet of cellophane and freezing them like that. Now I feed about three times a day when breeding, but twice is ok and once if you must but I wouldn't if you could help it. Do this for about 5-7 days and by that time your female should have a large ovum full of eggs.

      The tank should be set up with aged and treated water and plants ten days before any fish are introduced. The tank should be left at 80-85 degrees F. Let the male into the tank a day or two before you introduce the female, this lets the male get used to his surroundings and possibly get a bubblenest ready. 

Bubblenest what is that? Well, a bubblenest is a large amount of bubbles the male sets in a corner or above a plant that he will place the eggs in.

      Now introduce the female betta not into the tank but in a container of your choice that is clear so that the pair can meet. They should flare at one another and be very excited to see one another. (Flaring is when the fish spread there fins to max and there colors intensify) They should be in there separate for at least a day maybe more. When the female is ready she will tell you. She tells you by showing vertical stripes all along her body.

      Now you can let the female into the tank. This is the time where you sit there and make sure that they don't kill each other. The male and female will swim all over the tank and will nip at each other a bit but don't worry its natural. If it gets out of hand and one of the fish keeps running away from the other or looks hurt then separate them and try later if you want or find a new mate. You should have aquatic plants in the tank for your female to take refuge in when the male gets a little rough. When the male has a good sized bubblenest and he has convinced the female they will meet under the bubblenest, the female will display a head down tail up posture. The male will wrap his body around her until she releases her eggs. At this point he will swim from her and grab the eggs in his mouth. He will then spit the eggs into the bubblenest and add a bubble or two under them. During this time, the female will be stunned and then swim around after recovery. Some females will help the male with the eggs and others will eat the eggs if she can get any.

      When the spawn is done (the female will be at the other end of the tank and the male will chase her away) you must take her out. Male bettas become very protective of the eggs and can and will kill the female. The eggs will hatch in 24-36 hours of the spawn. They will have egg yokes that will feed them the first day or two. Then you need to begin to feed them. Infusia or tetra-min baby food "E" is good for them. Also a good food source is BBS or baby brine shrimp. As the baby bettas grow they will need bigger food and microworms or bloodworms are a good food source.

      When you notice the males flaring at one another or around two months of age you should begin to separate out the males from the females. The males should be put into there own quarters and the females can be allowed to live in a community tank. At this point they are ready to be treated as an adult betta. Enjoy your babies.


      Try Breeding those stubborn fish on days when it rains. The day before a high or loss pressure front comes over your area introduce your pair in the glass lantern top. Then when it starts to rain, introduce them. Often, you will notice the change in their behaviors and you will know when to introduce them due to the change but you could also wait until the rain falls down if you want. Also try to keep them completely isolated from other bettas for a week or so during conditioning as this seems to bring a better response in most pairs. Keep up those water changes!!!