Before we put the male and the female toegther we need to get them conditioned, i.e. the female's belly needs to be almost bursting with eggs and the male needs to be fully grown and both need to be healthy and fee of deformities.
For two weeks prior to the breeding process we shall begin feeding them 3 times daily on a combination of flake and frozen foods..the menu looking something like,
MORNING- Staple flake food
NOON- Frozen blood worms
NIGHT- Frozen brine shrimp
THE BREEDING TANK
The breeding tank can vary in size from 2 gallons up to 20 gallons. Most widely used is the 10 gallon. The aquarium is then filled to a depth of 4 to 5 inches and the water (via a submersible heater) is brought to around 82 degrees Farenheit. This temperature varies depending on the breeder. A temperature ranging anywhere between 75-82 degrees F is accepted but the higher temperatures seem to get better and more results.
A densely planted tank with no gravel is best for breeding Betta's but sometimes they won't breed with no gravel. I found that none of mine will breed unless there is gravel covering the whole bottom.
Plants not only encourage the male to build his nest but also provides the female with a refuge when the male get's too aggressive.
The gravel (if you use any) make's it hard for the male to find and collect the dropped eggs which is why most breeders recommend that if possible, don't use any gravel on the bottom.
In addition to the plants and the decision about the gravel, the tank will also need one teaspoon of non-iodized salt added to it and either a drop of methylene-blue or Aquaria-sol. This is to prevent disease in developing fry and the breeding pair.
Clean water is absolutely necessary for the breeding tank. A sponge filter is also added to reduce fowling of the water and extend the time the tank remains untouched. Betta's prefer soft water to breed in. Once the tank is ready, let it sit for 3 days and then you can add the male.
The male is added 3 days later to allow him to settle in his new surroundings. Sometime's the male will begin his nest right away and other times he might need some coaxing by placing the female somewhere where they can see each other.
In general, when the male begins building his nest and getting ready for the female he won't eat very much if at all.
To seperate the female somewhere where they can see each other is quite simple. Here are a few suggestions,
Livebearer's breeding tank
Hurricane lamp glass
Glass
Bag
Mason Jar
I use the Livebearer's tank but any of these are perfectly fine to use to seperate them. I find that using the Livebearer's tank, the females seem to know when they're ready and will jump out of their own accord into the males section and they will breed just fine.
The male should now begin building his nest in earnest (if he hasn't already) and the female should become swollen with eggs. This may take a day or 2.
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS AT THIS POINT
Q. My male won't build a nest! What can I do?
A. First check to see if your aeration and filters are turned off. If they are..
Then you could try placing a Styrofoam cup cut in half lengthwise in the water so the male can build his nest under it. Did this work?? If not then...
Try changing the water. Did this help?? No?! Then try this..
Try introducing the female to the male in the tank, then move her back into her glass after a little while.
If this doesn't work then the only other thing you can do is change either the male or female for a different male or female. Sometimes the males just don't the like some female's. I had a problem with that so I changed out my female's until he found one he liked *grin* He was very picky!
