The Spawn Log
This page is dedicated to how I spawn my pairs. I will tell you my mistakes and
what I did to fix them I will tell you my successes as well so we can all learn
from another. When I have some fry that can be sold, I will add a link to the
page for another page where I will show you pictures of the actual fry, and the
parents so you can get a good idea of what is for sale. Let me share my first spawn and
all the mistakes with you.
Attempt #1
I set up a 10 gallon, which was good. I read that I should put alot of plants in there, and no gravel,
but being the newbie I was, I added gravel. Also, I had read that there should be only a few inches
of water, I filled the tank, because it didn't look like there would be enough for him to be happy in.
I also had a small outside filter and an airstone. I used a small styrofoam cup, cut in half and
I put both halfs in the tank so that he would have a choice. I have several males, all blowing nice
nests at the top of the bowls that they are in, so I chose one, and let him in there for a few hours
by himself. He became quickly comfortable with the set up. But I was getting no bubbles. So over a few
days time, I cahnged out all the males, trying everyone of them with the same outcome, NO bubbles!
I came the conclusion that I made some immediate mistakes. Here are the immediate ones!
Mistake #1.
No bubbles is because of the wonderful filter system, and air stone in the tank.
He went from a bowl with none to a tank with some and even though he was happy,
there was too much water movement for him to blow a nest.
Mistake #2..
I changed out my males too soon. I didn't give them more than a couple hours for some,
to a day with the other. Give him a couple of days and see what he does. It might take
him a little longer to get comfortable and happy in his new home than a few hours. Give
the boy at least over night to stake it out and blow a nest.
Finally, after those 2 out of several mistakes were made right, I had a nest blowing party
going on in the tank. I read that you can use a glass chimney for your female to be in while
they get acquainted, or set her in a jar where they can see each other. I chose the chimney.
First I had to make sure that the water level was low enough that the chimney wouldn't float to
the top of the tank, or up enough that she could jump to get out. So I weighted it down with
a insert that is used for the plants for a "betta bowl" and a couple of rocks on it. After a
couple of days I let her go. After all these preparations, I still made mistakes.
Mistake #4. I let her go. I didn't
finish my reading. You don't let her go until there are stripes going down (vertical) on her body,
if she is a dark fish, however, if she is a white fish, she will look darker on her belly, and with
all of them, there will be a white breeding tube protruding in between the bottom 2 fins
(Pectoral Fins) and she will be noticeably fat. Then she will swim under the nest, tilt herself
downwards toward him and wait. He will usually run her off and run her off until he finally
gets the hint and the spawn begins.
Mistake #5. Females don't get full
of eggs overnight, normally. I have had 2 females that have shown there breeding tubes and have
been noticeably fat for a few weeks. I have recently bred one, and she wasn't in there but over night
and they just spawned. More about her later, though. Normally, it will take a week or two until
boom! She is ready. And if he has the nest ready, the games will begin.
Mistake #6. THE NEST!
Oh yes, the nest will be deep with air bubbles, and thick. I mean layers of them. Don't think that he has built the nest
up to satisfaction until you start thinking he might just be the Bubble King! I made that mistake,
and my female looked at that nest and turned and swam away. I am sure she was laughing the whole
time! It was weak, but now I know that was because he wasn't fully ready. The styrofoam cup will
be extremely full.
When the spawn began, I thought it was wonderful. I could watch them wrap, and the eggs drop to
the bottom of the GRAVEL LINED TANK!!!!
Mistake #7.
HUGE MISTAKE!!!! The eggs were falling to the bottom of the tank, into the gravel
where they were lost to the male!!! Quickly, I grabbed the net and moved the gravel from beneath
the nest, and I knew this spawn was lost then. But I still had hope.
The male picks up the eggs as they fall, and if they have fallen to the bottom of the tank he will get
those eggs too. With all of them he rolls them around in his mouth and spits them into the nest
for incubation. I didn't fully think. Yep, in a bare tank it looks so.......bleak, but for the
safety of the fry, it has to be. I know of a lady that uses sand in her tank with no problems, however,
there is a couple of draw backs to the sand, in my limited experienced opinion.
1. My males don't care for it. They wouldn't spawn with sand (Attempt #2). A sad nest was built, but
it just didn't work for them.
2. If a bacteria or fungus gets in the sand, how do you treat it? How will you clean it? You can't. You
have to pull out the sand completely and disinfect the tank (treat it) and start over.
Anyway, so we left the male, removed the female after the 2 hours of spawning (she hid in the plants
so I guessed that she was done). Dad went to work and took care of the kids. In 48 hours I had a bunch
of young irritateing Dad. He was taken out. He pouted like every other man in history for the first
day or so, then he began to eat. So we knew that he was fine. None the less, we carried on because
we did see fry falling and then swimming back up to the nest. Dad did good.
I am not sure if I let the tank get too cool for them (below 80 degrees) or what happened, but I lost
my fry. I believe that the gravel played a part in it (got in between the rocks and died) among that
we didn't take Dad out soon enough I think. But for a couple of days I did have young.
Bettas have 50-500 young. When they are born they are the size of a pin head. You really can't see them
until they are at least a month or so old. So with them being so young, how do you do a water change
and not get up any of the fry? You can't. At least, I haven't figured out how yet. If you do, please
email me and let me know. I can't see doing a water change
or adding a filter system for a couple of weeks. That is why I keep my water low, and I can just add
a little every week until it is full, and by then I can see the fry. Then I can catch the lovies and
move them to a grow out tank.
Since my fist spawn was lost to all the mistakes I made, I have not had the chance of trying a
large plastic tub for a grow out tank as of yet, however, my plans are to use one, and set a couple of the
new Whisper 20+ gallon internal filters in there. The 10 gallon one I have is gentle, and works
great so that is what I am going to try, with a weighted down airstone. The water will be set up
ahead of time, and I will start the filters a couple of days before hand. I will probably use some
of the water that has already been established in my 55 gallon female tank, so I can introduce some
good bacteria in the water before I add them. For heating I will use a underwater heater and
just make sure it doesn't touch the sides of the tub. At least those are my plans as of now. However
that changes almost daily around here.
Well that is what happened with my fist attempt with spawning. I hoped you learned as much as I had
as I go thru this second attempt I will be posting onto the site. Of course I still ask for email of
comment for the page and the information that I have shared. You can click the link on the bottom
and I will be happy to answer you as soon as I can. Thank you for sharing your time with me.
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