# Breeding Tank for Combtails



## fishloverzj (May 3, 2010)

I am planning on breeding a Veiltail and crowntail in my 10 gallon. Is this the proper size?

Here's somepics ofthe two:

This is Tam Kung, my veiltail









Here's Thetis, my crown








Any advice would help! It's my first time breeding bettas. I've had a few failed attempts in the past though.


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## Chard56 (Oct 10, 2010)

I breed my Bettas in 2 to 10 gallon tanks. The smaller ones are for pairs that have spawned before and get along really well. Drop the water level to 3 inches or so. and raise the temperature to 82 degrees. I add oak leaf tea at about 20 to 25 % to similate their natural envioronment. You can add blackwater treatment or IAL if you can't make the oak leaf tea. Feed your potential spawners a good diet for 10 days or so and introduce them just before you go to bed and then watch how they get along the next day. If one or the other is taking bites out of the other seperate and try again in a few days.


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## fishloverzj (May 3, 2010)

Cool, thanks!


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## fishloverzj (May 3, 2010)

Wait, what's blackwater treatment? And can I just take leaves off of a oak?


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## Chard56 (Oct 10, 2010)

Some companies sell blackwater tonic or treatment. It's basically dead leaf juice I guess would be an explaination. In the wild, leaves and other plant material decays and puts nutrients and tannins in the water. It stimulates the fish into spawning behavior when added to their breeding tank. The oak leaves must be either picked dry off of the tree or ground or can be picked and then dried. Once dry I simmer it in a pan of water on the stove or crush it up and use the automatic drip coffee maker. Don't boil it though as that will boil away the good stuff. You can strain it when cool into a bucket for later uses. I put it in my breeder tanks at one part oak leaf tea to four parts aged and conditioned water. I went from 20 fry per spawn and that's if they didn't eat the eggs and or fry to getting over a hundred and as many as 619 fry from one spawn. It seems that the tea not only stimulates their spawning urges but also inforces their parenting instincts. It may sound like a tall tale but I only riased about 14 Bettas to adults last year out of 12 spawns. At the time of this post I probably have over 1,500 from 16 to 20 spawns this year. I don't mind sharing professional "secrets" because most people either don't believe it or won't take the time to do it. As a side note , my oak tree is a post oak. I don't know if red or white oak would make a difference. It does when it comes to smoking meat but for spawning tea I don't know. All I can tell you is to try it. That's what I did.


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## fishloverzj (May 3, 2010)

Bump. yeah, i don't think i'll do the blackwater treatment... Thx for the help though.


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## fishloverzj (May 3, 2010)

bumpin it up.. ;0


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