tips on breeding

tenpaull

i really don't know the right time to put the female in for breeding. I've read and heard that i should look out for signs before putting them together. So far the male has made a bubblenest already and her tummy is getting big. She's white and not very translucent so i can't see if those are eggs filling up her tummy. But certainly her belly looks quite big even before eating. I have tried to put her in after several days of introducing them through a see through glass. But he kept on nipping at her and she's having a hard time navigating the hiding spots i set-up in the tank. She just keeps on trying to jump outside the water. Now she has her caudal fin nipped at and a few nippings on her anal fin as well. I am really worried so i separated them again, right now i am trying to make her fins heal before i put them back together again. I would just like to ask up to how much should i be willing to tolerate their "courtship". I am afraid my fish will get killed during the spawning "process". My male betta is a blue crowntail and he has made a very elegant nest right under a styrofoam cup i placed in the tank. i put them in a 3gal tank( still saving up for more space) and i placed plastic and real plants for hiding. I live near the equator so i really don't have much of a problem when it comes to heating ;) . PLEASE HELP ME! I want to breed them and i have made arrangements already if and only if the spawning pushes through. Thanks and will be expecting to hear from you guys soon!

Desperately,
-Paul

KikiNBatta

It sounds as if you've done your reasearch, and aren't just going 'on a whim,' which is definitely a good thing; but I'd suggest you get a bigger tank first (I was surprised to learn that bettas actually are better with 5g or larger tanks!) Bettas can have hundreds of fry, so they need enough room. Also, all of the males have to be in separate tanks once they get older. I've also heard that it's best to have multiple females in with the male at once, so that one female is not the target for all of the nipping.

I've never bred fish before, but I've heard a few people talking about it on here, and the above is what I've learned. Good luck with any future breeding, if you still want to do it and get the right supplies :)

tenpaull

Thanks for the reply.i have another crowntail female(blue) but i'm not sure if she's ready for breeding yet. I could put her in the tank with the other one if she is. Any ideas on the size of the female when she's ready to mate?

Any/More insights about my problem are very much appreciated :)

Thanks,
Paul