# The spawn log



## Betta man

I have two bettas together. They aren't breeding yet and I don't know why but the male is still chasing her. He hasn't made a bubble nest. Does anyone know how to get him to build a bubble nest?


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## Betta man

spawn log and not sawn log.


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## humdedum

If you don't want to put a whole lot of effort into it, you could try putting in lots of plants and wait until they figure it out.


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## Betta man

how would putting plants in help???


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## humdedum

The female will like it better (she'll feel and be safer). Plus if he's constantly chasing, she will get stressed and not fill up with eggs to breed.


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## Betta man

she's already filled with eggs.


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## humdedum

Hmm. Well, fishkeeping is defined by one virtue: patience.


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## Chard56

If there is no nest and you have them together while he's chasing her around, then you ask why you should have plants for her to hide in you evidently have not read up on breeding them. There is a lot more to breeding Bettas than just having a male and female and putting them together. There are plenty of articles on the subject and you need to read them before your male ends up killing the female. You are getting way ahead of yourself thinking you are going to start selling Bettas when you can't even get the male to make a bubblenest. Like Humdedum says about patience, you need to find some and get your Bettas setup right and don't rush things.


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## Bettawhisperer

I totally agree with Chard. There is way more to breeding Bettas then just throwing two together. When I started I did hours of research on line and I was lucky enough to have Karen MacAuley one of the top breeders has been my mentor for about three years now. She has been a huge help with the breeding and showing process. After three years I now have my own line of breeders and showers.


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## TheOldSalt

Separate them with a piece of glass or something. She'll get some peace, and he'll quit chasing and start building.


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## Bettawhisperer

To ease you mind a little I have a few males that don't build there nest until the female is in with him. Put her in a glass hurricane lamp cover right in his take so he can see her but not get to her for about 4 days before releasing her. Also the courtship of Bettas is very violent. He will chase her and seem like he's going to kill her and just when you think you should take her out they will start to spawn. I have had pairs that go through the violent part of the spawning for as much as four days them they will spawn. Here are a few tutorals I posted on another forum. It may help you.

http://usafishbox.forumotion.com/t3684-bettas-getting-two-pair-ready-for-breeding

http://usafishbox.forumotion.com/t3252-how-to-tell-if-your-female-betta-is-ready

http://usafishbox.forumotion.com/t3498p12-todays-spawn

http://usafishbox.forumotion.com/t3269-betta-breeding-tutoral


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## Betta man

Chard56 said:


> If there is no nest and you have them together while he's chasing her around, then you ask why you should have plants for her to hide in you evidently have not read up on breeding them. There is a lot more to breeding Bettas than just having a male and female and putting them together. There are plenty of articles on the subject and you need to read them before your male ends up killing the female. You are getting way ahead of yourself thinking you are going to start selling Bettas when you can't even get the male to make a bubblenest. Like Humdedum says about patience, you need to find some and get your Bettas setup right and don't rush things.


I haven't read a huge amount about bettas but HE'S MAKING A BUBBLE NEST NOW!!!!!!!! Yes!!! He's trying to get to the female and she's flaring at him. hopefully, IT will happen LOL. (lots of love)


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## Betta man

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He stopped building a bubble nest!!! WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Bettawhisperer

Do you have a glass or plastic cover over the tank so the air doesn't brake the bubbles. Where is she and what is she doing?


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## Betta man

I put in half a cup and that's where he was blowing the bubbles no I don't have a lid on top she's in a glass bowl inside the tank (I don't have a divider so that's what I used) and she's flaring at him and trying to get to him. What does that mean?


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## Bettawhisperer

You need to get a top of some kind on there or his bubbles will never last. Does she have her vertical breeding stripes? Is he flaring at her? Did you read any of the links I posted on her for you? You need to.


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## Betta man

I don't know what the stripes are supposed to look like but she's mostly white and I heard that white females don't have stripes. Yes, I read all of your links. The male "flare" is flaring at her vigorously but not making a bubble nest.


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## humdedum

Bettawhisperer said:


> You need to get a top of some kind on there or his bubbles will never last.


Also, if you plan to remove the parents after hatching and raise the fry in there, the air above the water could be chillier than the water itself. This can damage the developing labyrinth organ of the fry.

You can make a top yourself pretty cheaply. Do you have a hardware store nearby? Get some rain gutter vinyl and make your own little DIY hood.


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## Bettawhisperer

You don't take the parents out after they hatch. The father stays in and cares for the fry for about 4 days until the fry become free swimming. Also are you sure you looked at the tutorials that I posted. One of them has a picture of a female with her stripes. Go to the hardware store and have them cut you a piece of Plexiglas the size of the top of your tank.


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## humdedum

Right-o, forgot about that stage,  he keeps an eye on the fry until free-swimming.


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## Betta man

I don't have a tank. I looked at the tai way which is put them in 3 inches of water and leave them be but the male never built a bubble nest...


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## Bettawhisperer

I use a 2.5g and have about only 5" in it. works fine. I think you need to perfect the American way before you try anything the Thias do. They are experts and know what they are doing.


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## Betta man

Is your 2.5 shallow or tall? Is it bad for bettas to have a temp change of 5 degrees C?


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## Cichlid Dude!

How big is your container? I have heard that the traditional Thai way is to simply put a male and a female in a bowl that's about a foot in diameter and filled about three inches tall. No dividers or anything, and from what I gathered, the fish usually spawn within two hours of being introduced to the container. I would think that if you are unexperienced it may take longer, also, you should keep the temp. at 80 degrees or slightly higher. Since I don't have time, room, or money for a really elaborate tank setup or anything, it sounds really attractive to me. If you dissagree with this, check out bettysplendens.com and give them some feedback. I am simply telling what I read. 

Even though I do not own a betta, I have done my research before submitting this, I hope you find it helpful.


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## humdedum

You and me both, CD! I can't afford to have hundreds of jars lining my room for all the male fry. Now, a tank full of danios or platy fry I can handle.


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## Bettawhisperer

Some Asians do us smaller containers for there breeding this is after the fish have been well conditioned on live foods and also they use Indian Almond leaves in there tanks,jars, and containers. And the most important thing is they are very experienced. I breed my Bettas at a temp of 75 degrees. It doesn't have to be any hotter then that for a good spawn and good hatch rate. I'm not saying you can't go to 80 but I wouldn't go any higher then that.


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## Betta man

do white female bettas get vertical stripes?


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## Bettawhisperer

No thay don't. That's a tough call with them. you'll just have to go by her actions.


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## Betta man

does the female flaring back at him mean that she is ready?


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## Bettawhisperer

Yes it can mean that. With a white one you will just have to try it and see what happens.


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## Betta man

Hopefully, they'll mate. What's the minumum temp a betta can survive at? during the day here, it's 80 degrees and I don't know about the nights.


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## Betta man

He's started building a bubble nest again, but he's actually acting motivated.


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## humdedum

That's great! Keep us updated. It's always so nerve-wracking when you have to wait for your fish....


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## Betta man

He stopped again!!! He was motivated!!! I went camping for one day and he stopped! What's up with that?!!!


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## Betta man

he's made a record for himself of being motivated for the longest time while in with the female!


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## Betta man

I'm going to check on them..... wait... wait... wait... she just checked out his bubble nest (or little bubbles) and didn't seem content with what he was providing their young... or their eggs. They look happy about maybe having fishy babies!


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## humdedum

Hehehe. "No, I absolutely refuse to let you raise our young in this little flat! No! No! I want a three-inch-tall bubble mansion, and you better start building RIGHT NOW!"


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## Betta man

And it BETTER have a good view of the water!!! If you don't i'll i'll well you don't want to know!


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## Betta man

The female built a bubble nest. I also seperated them.


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## Betta man

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! they're together cause the male has a bubble nest!


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## Bettawhisperer

Does the female have her vertical breeding stripes?


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## Betta man

it's a white female... she's full of eggs though.


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## Bettawhisperer

Can you post a good picture of her? Not the one in your album.


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## Betta man

i'll try on my album...


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## Betta man

Today, my mom told me I had to move the breeding tank and it scattered the bubbles. I moved all the bubbles together for the PERFECT nest.


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## Betta man




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## Bettawhisperer

Don't worry he'll rebuild. Better to just leave it alone and let him take care of it.


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## Betta man

I'll take a pic of the nest asap...


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## Betta man

here's the new pic! it's also in my album.


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## humdedum

Is that a 10-gallon tank, or a bowl?!

Very pretty fish.


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## egoreise

Would it help if the cup was positioned like this? 










I thought that's how you were supposed to do it...


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## Cichlid Dude!

I think that looks right egoreise.


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## Betta man

well, the male rebuilt the nest to be perfect size for a first spawn. Egoreise, I don't know how it's supposed to be but my my worked out fine... Except that they won't mate... yet...


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## funlad3

It just needs an area that has no water flow to keep the nest still. Either way will work.


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## Betta man

The 2 gal bowl I'm trying to breed them in is working fine. has anyone ever heard of bettasfriends.com? I saw a poster of it in a pet store in Ca. and checked it out. Also, is there anything else that I have to do to get my bettas to breed? The male is still chasing the female...


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## funlad3

You need to condition the two separately! Chard and Betta Whisperer have both been telling you this over and over, but I still haven't heard anything about you doing that!


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## humdedum

A two-gallon bowl will not provide the proper space for the male to court the female, the female to hide if the male is too enthusiastic, and both genders to take a break from each other if there's a scuffle.

I always thought the minimum was a ten-gallon tank, with the water level lowered quite a bit. Bowls are suitable for individual specimens when not breeding.


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## Betta man

bettawhisperer uses a 2.5! I did condition them! for some time until the males bubble nest was ready. It's huge now!!!!!


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## Betta man

It doesn't make sense to me!!


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## TheOldSalt

*sigh*

Males are always horny, no matter what species. Females? Not so much. ( _to the eternal chagrin of all males everywhere_ )
A male will build a bubblenest no matter what, but if the female isn't ready, nothing is gonna happen. 

The female in your pictures is not ripe. She's still way too skinny. Once you ever see a fully eggladen female you'll know what I mean and how to spot them. Yours is not ready. They will not breed. You HAVE to keep them apart, but able to see each other, and feed HER very very well for a few weeks. Eggs don't just appear out of nowhere; they need food to ripen.


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## Bettawhisperer

Right on OldSalt. Seperate them and condition both with Bloodworms for about two weeks.


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## iheartfish:)

Good luck!


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## humdedum

TheOldSalt said:


> *sigh*
> 
> Males are always horny, no matter what species. Females? Not so much. ( _to the eternal chagrin of all males everywhere_ )


Heeh, my female convict once started beating my male up. All of his fins were nipped to shredded nubbins, and he was still all colored up and eager to start spawning. XD

In any case, best of luck, Betta man! I know how frustrating this hobby can sometimes be. :console:


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## Betta man

I don't have blood worms. wil tubifex worms do? The male won't eat them.


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## Betta man

I bought blood worms. The male eats them. It says on the container "feed as much as fish can eat in a few minutes 3-4 times a day". That seems like a HUGE AMOUNT OF FOOD to me.


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## Bettawhisperer

It is to much. Don't know why those dang companies put that on all the foods. I usually give them whatever I can pick up with a pair of tweezers. 6 or 7 is good twice a days.


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## egoreise

A betta's stomach is the size of their eyeball. Feed accordingly. They will stuff themselves if you give them the opportunity!

(correct me if I'm wrong at all...)


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## TheOldSalt

Nope, not wrong at all. As for the labels on the food cans, it's just like the famous "rinse & repeat" you see on shampoo bottles; they just want you to use more so they can sell more.

Concentrate your conditioning feeding on the female. The male isn't trying to fatten up any eggs.


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## Betta man

I am so dumb!!! I bought the blood worms and used them today. Now I can't find them!!!!!! :chair: :chair: :chair:


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## Betta man

I found them! I left them outside!!!


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## Betta man

So far so good!


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## Betta man

I know it takes a few days for the male to complete the nest so I'll put him in the breeding bowl so he can build until Monday!


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## Betta man

It's Monday and he hasn't remade his bubble nest yet. Last time, I just put em together and took them apart a bunch of times and he built a nice one! Maybe it'll work again?...


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## Betta man

What the heck happened???!!!!!!!!! This morning I get up and see the female attacking the male so I think it's just a little nip. So I get up and feed them. I put the food in and the female eats all of it! I look at the male and I see that his fins are all torn. He doesn't eat at all and I look at him more. His fins are badly ripped and he's floating at the top. I get worried and I put the female in her container and the male in his hospital tank. He just layed at the bottom of the container. Later, I fed him and he ate, but he's still hurt bad. I put melifix in his container so that should keep the bacteria from infecting his wounds. His side has a small open wound. If there is any other way I can keep him healthy please tell me!!!!!!! I'm sure the female beat him up!


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## TheOldSalt

Well, we told you that trying to breed them in a bowl was not a good move.

Anyway, it sounds like you've already done most of what you could practically do.


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## Guest

what you can do is try my way...

get another male(male B), let the male A n Male B fight. 
Whoever win, Rest both Male the winner get to mate. This will give him fame, he sure will mate after a good fight, Like 2 DEER fighting to see who get to mate with the female.

3 Blackworm 2x time a day should be fine, BTW you can feed the pair when their in their lilo Breeding tank. Doesnt Harm anyone. 

USE IAL or some kinda BlackWater bottle. SOLD ALL OVER THE WORLD.

BTW White Worm r better Worm to cond. your Pair into mating. Throw ur blackworm away.


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## Guest

After going back and reading some post....

1. dont u have a bigger space then that lilo bowl?
go to walmart and buy a rubber bin or something. it should be bigger then the SHOE SIZE BIN. 

2. Re-Start... Start Over ... you can always let the male beat up the female a couple of time. this will show her he the man(BOSS).


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## Betta man

I have a 5 gal, but it has a cory in it. Would that be okay?


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## Betta man

Well, I'm conditioning her again cause she got ripped up... She happy and alive and I plan on giving her water changes every day to evry other day... The male has a nice bubble nest going!!! How long does it take for the fins to repair???


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## Betta man

I just got a new halfmoon male!!!!! He's a butterfly! He's a beauty... I'll post pics in New member of my betta family!


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## Betta man

My 5 gal is set up! I hope to sell the babys! I'm so going to be carefull.


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## Betta man

I have a hurricane lamp and the female is in it in the 5 gal and the male is in the 5 gal and he has a bubble nest going!!! I sure hope this works!


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## Betta man

My female beat the male up. DARN IT! ANGRY :chair: :chair: :chair: :chair: :chair: X999999999999999999999999999 :chair: :chair: :fish: :fish: :chair: :chair: :chair: :?: :?: :?:


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## Betta man

I think I know why they didn't breed. The female was bloated... I thought it was eggs.


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## Betta man

we have spawnage!


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## Cichlid Dude!

Congrats Betta Man!


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## Betta man

Thanks! The male is a good parent! It's interesting how he cleans the eggs in his mouth!


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## Betta man

Stupid egg eater! Got himself bloated so bad, he died. RIP. I'm getting good at writing that.


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## Betta man

I'm trying with the halfmoon and female now! I hope it works! I just let the male at her!


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## Betta man

Ok so, sassy beat him up and it sadly failed even though they embraced. No eggs came out. I am trying yet again except with Draco. I've conditioned him for a week and he's building a bubble nest. The female prissy is ready to spawn with her vertical breeding stripes. My set up is still my 5 gal, I have sand at the bottom this time, I have a flower pot with java moss and java fern in front of it (chard's idea. Thanks alot!) I sure hope they make it! I have my 20 gallon available to the fry if I get any. (the big if...) I so hope it works out! I was also just thinking that this is such an educational thread. Not how to do stuff, but how NOT to do stuff.


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## funlad3

Good luck BM!


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## Betta man

Thanks! his nest keeps getting bigger!


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## Betta man

So the male has built his nest bigger and I set free the female. She hasn't been beat up at all! I sure hope this works. I'm going to leave em together overnight and take the risk of one killing the other. there is plenty of hiding places.


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## Betta man

So he built a big nest and picky prissy destroyed it and beat him up. He's so gentle with her, he hasn't torn her fins at all and she beats him up.


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## funlad3

Don't you have a different female? Prissy's a bit evil... :evil:


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## Betta man

I have sassy who beat up pulcher (it's not funny) and pretty who didn't get bars after a week of conditioning in sight of the male. I was thinking that prissy isn't as aggressive as sassy.


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## Betta man

Well, I put in IAL and he is building a nest under it. I thought it would sink so I tied a string to it, then to the top of the tank so it can't sink. that seems to be doing well.


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## Betta man

I haven't updated in a while, but draco and prissy and draco and pretty didn't spawn, so I put in sassy. I left her in for a week, but they didn't spawn, so I separated them and put her in a jar in the tank. Draco has built a decent sized nest, so I'm wondering if I should set her free yet? She's ripe and is trying to get to him.


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## Guest

Pretty Betta!!!!!!!!!! I hope that you are successful in breeding your bettas. I would like a baby betta from you. I have an empty 1 gallon tank that I can put him/her in.


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## Betta man

lol I sure hope they spawn. His nest has shrunk. I put her in a smaller container like one of my betta books says to so she can jump out when she's ready.


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## Betta man

They were together a little more then a week. I'm going to spawn prissy and pulcher. They've spawned before so hopefully it'll work this time.


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## Betta man

He's making a nest and they are swimming S shapes by each other. It's pretty cool to watch. I also decided to try the spawning bettas through a screen thing. The screen must be making a difference because they are swimming S shapes and desperately trying to get to each other. I guess it must be that they are smelling each other's hormones.


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## Chard56

*Screen thing?*

I've told you before that I think the person that told you about the screen thing was joking or pulling your leg but maybe they meant over the screen instead of through it. That way the eggs would fall through the screen and neither the male nor the female could get to them incase one or the other were egg eaters. Otherwise there is no way the eggs would be fertilized.


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## iheartfish:)

That way would definitely make sense.


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## Betta man

I know. I believe you about that, but I don't think he was joking. It's worth a try. I set free the female this morning after the male was disparately trying to get to the female. The male is building a nest and courting the female right now. I think this time it will be successful.


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## Guest

Cool! I hope that it is successful!


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## Betta man

He flares at the female, swims S shapes, then swims over towards her. She flares back at him and goes towards him but turns away. All he has to do is get her to the nest and he should be good!


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## Betta man

my bettas posiden and amphritite spawned! I have little eggs in the nest! After thirteen tries it worked!


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## iheartfish:)

Congratulations!!!


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## Betta man

I have free swimmers!!! It so cool to see the male catching the babies in his mouth and blowing them back into the nest.


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## bmlbytes

Aren't you supposed to remove the male when they begin free swimming? He will keep trying to put them back even after they are good swimmers.


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## Betta man

I'll do that tomorrow as not all the fry are free swimmers.


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## Kimberly

that is so cool! you should definitely post some pictures!!


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## Betta man

Will do! I took some and will probably post pics sometime later today.


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## Betta man

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5139

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5138

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5137


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## lohachata

excellent pics kid.....nice job..


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## Betta man

Thanks! Btw, I'm prepared this time. I have an empty 20 gallon and a 5 gallon open for fry.


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## Betta man

they're growing! So far, they're eating baby brine shrimp, hikari first bites, and whatever infusoria are in the tank.


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## Flare

Be careful with the hikari first bites, they can fowl water really fast! I would love to see pictures of the parents!


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## lohachata

HMMMM2 weeks later and no new pics...better get crackin kid...


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## Guest

Nice pics of the babies. Congrats on the spawn! Glad it worked for you!


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## funlad3

Finally, success! Congrats, and I'm with Loha, we need new pictures!


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## Amelia26

congrats!!


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## Betta man

Lol probably after the water change. Btw flare, I'll post pics on bff when I get new ones.


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## iheartfish:)

A little late, but congrats!!  The pictures are great and the babies are beautiful! And cute, that's always a plus


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## Betta man

It's kind of hard doing water changes because the fry like to get sucked up.


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## iheartfish:)

lol, not sure if they LIKE it, but we know what you mean 
Do you use a siphon or a cup? Whichever you're using, try the other. Or, put a piece of panty-hose around the siphon intake. Unless you're going after poo, in which case that wouldn't help.


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## Betta man

I tried both. I did a 75% water change. Lol It's so tricky trying to take pics of fry.


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## Betta man

the fry are still maturing. I haven't got around to pics yet.


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## Guest

Next month, I would like two male babies. I have two empty one gallon tanks that I can put them in. I would also like baby betta food please.


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## lohachata

betta food is all over the place...should be several kinds at your local shop..


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## Betta man

Betta food is at most petstores. Hopefully, I'll have enough fry to sell as I plan on keeping some of the fruits of my VERY hard labor.


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## Guest

Betta man said:


> Betta food is at most petstores. Hopefully, I'll have enough fry to sell as I plan on keeping some of the fruits of my VERY hard labor.


I know that betta food is sold in pet stores. I hope you do have enough fry to sell because I would like one or two babies from you Betta man. I have two 1 gallon tanks sitting empty, without fish right now. I would like male bettas. What kind of baby bettas do you have?


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## Betta man

Fighter plakats. Most of them should look like this if they're males. http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5111
The parents were siblings so they won't look to different from the parents.


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## Guest

Ok I will keep in touch with you about the bettas. Right now I don't have any money but I may have some next month.


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## Betta man

The fry are one month and one week old now. They are still alive and are eating a lot! I fed them 3 times with bbs by noon today and they continued to eat. I only have about 14 fry left, but I'm hoping to get about 7 adults.


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## Guest

Cool! Save a baby male for me, I would love pictures of the babies so that I can pick mine out and you can hold onto him for me until I can get the money for the baby betta.


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## Betta man

lol I can't tell the difference between the fry yet. Maybe in a month or two I'll be able to.


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## Betta man

The fry sure eat a lot! I fed them 6 times yesterday and 2 so far today. The problem with feeding them so often is the salt in their water. I swap out the water before I feed them, but it doesn't take all the salt out. I'm wondering how you strain the baby brine shrimp out before you feed them to the fry?


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## lohachata

get a baby brine shrimp net.....or ...you could use one of those permanent type coffee filters...just pour the brine through it and then feed....you can save the salt water to put back in the hatching container.
do not feed them solely with bbs...they need other foods as well...what other kinds of foods do you have available ? i thought you were prepared.....better head on down to petco....


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## iheartfish:)

I think I sense sarcasm...


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## Betta man

Lol I have hikari first bites also. I had infusoria, but it was dirty water.


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## Betta man

My bbs are coming back because I dried out the eggs. I bid on some microworms and my bid is the highest so far. I was looking back at this thread and seeing how unpreped and how little I knew. It's kind of funny! I only have 7 fry left, but they are very strong and bigger then all the other fry were. I decided to spawn my bettas again as I'm running low on fry.


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## Guest

Betta man said:


> lol I can't tell the difference between the fry yet. Maybe in a month or two I'll be able to.


I should have the money by May or June of this year to get a male baby betta from you. How much are you going to sell them at?


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## Chard56

Glad to see you're having spawns and getting some fry to grow. Be carefull now you don't become overwhelmed with fry!


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## Betta man

Okay! Angelclown, I don't know if I'll get adults. I probably will, but I'm just warning you so you don't plan too much. There's two really big fry (compared to the others) who are very healthy. I have a feeling they'll be the best out of my batch. I've been feeding my bettas several times a day and I've been wondering if it's possible to overfeed them?


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## Betta man

Only 2 fry left


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## lohachata

are you doing water changes yet ? you may well be overfeeding them..a very small amount of food 3-4 times a day should be enough..have you kept the tank pretty much sealed ?how full is the tank ?


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## Betta man

I moved them to a jar. the 2 that are left. It's one of the betta ones and I'm doing daily water changes. I have been giving the fry all they can eat.


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## Guest

I will be praying that the two survive.


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## Betta man

Same here!


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## Betta man

they didn't survive, but I spawned the male with a different female. I am feeding them several times a day. I sure hope this works out!


----------



## Guest

That is too bad that they didn't survive. I hope you get a successful spawn out of these two.


----------



## Betta man

I'll be spawning amphritite and poseidon again so if fry from both spawns survive, you should be able to choose which type.


----------



## Betta man

After learning from my mistakes, I believe that I have finally finally FINALLY grasped how to spawn bettas. I think my problem all along was that I wasn't conditioning them properly and was showing the female off to the male several days in a row (which makes him less aggressive). I'm going for another spawn right now and still have 14 fry. Maybe soon I'll grasp the concept of raising fry!


----------



## funlad3

I do beleive either Loha or Chard pointed out the conditioning issue months ago. Could be wrong though!


----------



## Betta man

Your right. I did condition them, just not well enough and correctly. I wouldn't feed them quite enough.


----------



## funlad3

Glad you've got it all sorted now!


----------



## Betta man

I sure hope I do at least!


----------



## iheartfish:)

Making mistakes is not the problem in life; we all do it. It's learning from them that's important. I'm glad you learned from your mistakes.

Good luck!


----------



## Chard56

I expect some competition in the IBC shows next season from you then!


----------



## Betta man

That is if I can raise the fry. Hopefully I'll give you some competition if the fry survive.


----------



## lohachata

IBC ?????? ain't that root beer..


----------



## Obsidian

Just play some Gloria Gainer everyday and they will be fine.


----------



## lohachata

if you are trying to artificially hatch the eggs and raise the fry i would suggest that you not put an air diffuser in the provide more oxygen...it will kill the fry....


----------



## Betta man

Okay. They're still alive and well. I got another pair of bettas. (if these breed chard, then you really will have competition. At least in my opinion) They're copper and black dragon hmpks. The male is 2 and a quarter inches. He makes all my others look really little.


----------



## Betta man

Spawning em again. I don't have a female plakat so I'm spawning a ct with poseidon. He has a nest already, so it should be a matter of time before they spawn.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Awesome. I'll be setting up my pair soon...hes blowing lots of bubbles... DO you have any other fry left?


----------



## Betta man

I have 9 alive right now. All but one are strong looking. Btw, if you are planning on spawning you bettas, get a culture of microworms, baby brine shrimp, and vinegar eels. With this spawn, I will be leaving the male in for a week or two after the hatch. I have heard that the father culls the weak ones and they grow faster and are prettier. He has a huge nest going, so I think they'll spawn soon.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Thats great! Thanks for the tips. I don't think I'll be going into business or anything...Just thought my bettas would be a nice pair.


----------



## Betta man

I was right. they spawned. The father didn't eat the eggs this time (yet) so I'll leave him in for a couple weeks. Betta breeding is awesome, so defiantly try it when you can.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Cool!  And I am going to set up the tank this weekend. The only I'm confused on is how to get the female full of eggs?


----------



## Betta man

Show her to the male and feed her a small amount of bloodworms three times a day.


----------



## lohachata

and most importantly do not forget to be defiant.......


----------



## ZebraDanio12

OKay thanks.


----------



## Guest

Betta man: spelling check, it isn't defiantly it's definitely


----------



## Betta man

I know. Google spell check is annoying sometimes. My grammar makes up for it right? I think some have hatched, but I don't see any fry.


----------



## Betta man

They hatched and I got a lot of fry. Sadly, they all caught velvet, and I'm going to let them die off.


----------



## Guest

Sorry to hear Bettaman. Just keep trying. Maybe take a look at the adult bettas and make sure they don't have any diseases, like velvet. You can shine a flashlight on the body fo the bettas to see if they have velvet, it will be a gold color on them. Matter of fact I have to see if Doubletail has velvet.

Good luck and keep trying.


----------



## Betta man

I still have 7 fry that are over a month old and maturing quickly. I will be spawning my copper dragon hmdtpks soon.


----------



## Betta man

I haven't updated in a while. My female copper dragon died on me a while ago!!! Than, I got back from summer camp and my female crowntail was dead, then Poseidon who was looking bad died. 2 fish in 3 weeks really sucks. At least I got a new male who I named thunder. I'll post pics soon. I'm spawning him with my female memoria. I love the male as he has good form and beautiful colors!


----------



## Betta man

Okay here's some pics! 
This may look like a bad pic, but I used it to show his fin ray branches and how his dorsal overlaps the tail. 








This shows his spine and head.








Here's a pic of his whole body. 








I love the micro photography button. It's AWESOME!








Here's his mate. I think there'll be some pretty nice fry when they spawn.








The male is quite a bubblenester. He built a 4 by 2 inch nest overnight and in 5 hours, he tripled the size. I love my new male!!! Hopefully, I'll have success raising the fry this time.
If your screen is too small to see the pics, second click on the image and click open image in new tab. That should fix it.


----------



## Betta man

The male has a nest going. I'm still conditioning them, but I'll probably put them together in a couple days.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

They will make some very nice fry!


----------



## Betta man

Thanks. I really like the male.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Cannot wait to hear what happens! I'll give bettas another try later when I have more room. First time was a fail to my error.


----------



## Betta man

I'm hoping they'll spawn tommorow.


----------



## Betta man

Well, I think they might have spawned as the female looks quite empty, but if they did, the male ate the eggs. Either way, it didn't work out well. I've been conditioning her and have her in some banana leaf tea to help her fins heal. She unfortunately has a small amount of fungus close to her gills. I am treating with ick away and the banana leaf tea should help. I don't think it's anything to worry about as it is so small and is a small ways away from her gills, but I'll definitely be watching her! She has vertical bars, and the male has been building a nest. It's not as big as the first one he built. (9 in. by 4 in.) I am hoping to get show quality plakats out of this spawn. I am hoping the fry that I get will go for a high price as show quality plakats aren't things you see a lot. I noticed on aquabid that a guy diamond aquatics was selling "show quality plakats" which were NOT show quality. Here's a link to one of his fish!
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwbettaswt&1344191418


----------



## Betta man

They spawned this morning. Not too large of a spawn. I think I only got about 100-120 eggs... At least I have them. The male isn't looking good right now. He looks stressed. I'm debating weather or not to remove him early, but if I remove him, he'll get stressed from losing his eggs... I guess I'll just leave him in unless he starts eating eggs or looks sick. I currently have 5 fry foods for my bettas. The foods are: Infusoria (their first food), egg yolk, hikari first bites, baby brine shrimp, and another frozen food that I'm not sure of. I should be prepared this time. I definitely think that conditioning is the biggest thing if you want to spawn bettas as the female wouldn't spawn unless she was conditioned for a long time!


----------



## Betta man

The father still hasn't eaten the eggs. I'm thinking he'll do a good job. The spawn may be larger than I thought. The Thunder, the father, is looking much better and caring for his eggs well. I can't wait till I get some that are old enough to spawn. I need to breed a longer anal fin into his descendants so they will be closer to show quality which is my goal. I am currently debating how long I want to leave the father in. Last time I left the male in, he got velvet from his fry and got so stressed out trying to keep 120+ fry in a 3 by 3 inch area. I'm thinking I'll leave him for a couple days after they're free swimming, but any input would be appreciated.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Thats so awesome! Can we see some pics? Hope you can raise lots of fry to adults!


----------



## Redhead305

really nice


----------



## emc7

Did he actually sell any at that price? Like ebay to see what people actually pay you need to look at completed auctions.


----------



## Betta man

No, I've never even raised a fry to adult hood, I'm just planning on seeing how much I can get for the fry. I talked to a fish store and they said they could pay me a couple bucks for fry. I honestly would NEVER sell nice fry for 2 bucks. I bought the female for 5 bucks, but the original price was 10 bucks, and the male was 5 bucks. The female was expensive because her genes are Thai, Malaysian, and Vietnamese.


----------



## Betta man

Oh, and the eggs are doing well. They should hatch later today or tomorrow. Last night, I talked to a guy who said that eggs usually hatched for him after 3-4 days. I wonder why mine hatch in 24-48 hours when my temp was the same as his...


----------



## Betta man

Thought I'd update. The eggs hatched last night at about 9-10 o'clock. They aren't free swimming yet, but should be tomorrow or the day after that. The male is doing very well in caring for the fry.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Yay! Babies. I wanna see pictures.


----------



## Betta man

I took some, but I'll be lucky if I can post them today. They are free swimming and are actually eating infusoria. I was going to put methlyn blue in with them, but the only place that has it is walmart and it's prescription only. I don't want to use anything with malachite green in it cause it causes birth defects...


----------



## lohachata

hmmmmmm...... i ain't lookin for work either...so what does that tell you....


----------



## Betta man

What do you mean?


----------



## Betta man

Btw, the fry are devouring infusoria. I plan to start them off on infusoria for the first 2 days and then switch to hikari first bites and egg yolk for the rest of the week, then do cyclops for a week and after that, switch them to bbs for the rest of another week. After that, I think I'll try some ground flake foods and baby brine shrimp for a week and once they grow big enough, hikari micro pellets.


----------



## lohachata

i would really advise against using the egg yolk unless you plan on doing 100% water changes within 30 minutes of every feeding......


----------



## Betta man

Thanks for the advice! I think I'll do very small amounts when I feed it and do water changes after I feed.


----------



## Betta man

Here's some pics. Sorry they're in links, but I'm too dern lazy to upload them to my website. This one's not too clear, but I have some others that are clearer. 
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5644
Here's one that's clear for a close up. 
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5643
Here's another with more fry in it. 
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5642
This is a pic of less than a quarter of the fry.
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5641
Here's a side view of some of the fry. They are eating a lot now. They don't school as much today as they did yesterday. 
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5640
Here's a pic of some fry from a several batches ago. 
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5140
Hope you guys like the pics! Hopefully in two months, I'll have some adult fry!


----------



## Betta man

So far, the fry have eaten the cyclops shrimp. I'm excited at the idea that I have several foods that my fry will actually eat. I'm thinking that unless my fry get some disease like velvet, some will make it to adulthood.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Looking good. So tiny. I love having baby fish. Can't wait for next batch of rams.

I'd love to see the adult fish.


----------



## Guest

Hopefully these guys will make it to adulthood. Keep the temp up where it is for these fry. Don't change it at all. Keep them on the feeding schedule that you have them on. You should be able to get these fry to adulthood.


----------



## Betta man

I have them at 82 degrees. I are eating hikari first bites, infusoria, cyclops shrimp, and tomorrow, they should start out on bbs.


----------



## Betta man

My bbs didn't hatch as plentifully as before. The fry are growing and still doing well. I separated my best 15-20 fry and put them in my 1.5. They are doing well.


----------



## Betta man

The fry are doing pretty well, but I only have 30-60 fry left. Most of them are strong looking fry. Unfortunately for me, my bbs didn't hatch!!! They don't like my cyclops shrimp, and they're too big for egg yolk and infusoria. At least they really like hikari first bites. They are growing rapidly and the biggest fry is the size of a grain of rice. (they're only 10 days old...) I sure hope I get some decent fry out of this.


----------



## lohachata

see....that's why you need to have Plecocaine for them....


----------



## Betta man

How big is plecocaine?


----------



## lohachata

actually i now carry 5 sizes of Plecocaine....

#01 is a powder..a bit too big for really small fry like bettas and such ; but great when they hit a week or 2 old..excellent for livebearer fry as well..

#02 is a granule about like ground coffee..

#03 is a small pellet about 1/16" diameter

#04 is a little larger about 1/8" diameter

#05 is about 3/16" in diameter...with #05 some pellets sink and some pellets float ; which is good for fish that feed at different levels or helping to make sure that top feeders don't eat up the food befor any gets to the bottom...

Plecocaine costs $5.00 per lb plus shipping...shipping for 1 lb is $5.00...larger quantities will cost a little more depending on where you live..


----------



## Betta man

A few of my betta fry are large enough to eat coffee granules. They're large because their parents are large though. Mow much would 4 OZ be for 01?


----------



## lohachata

1 pound is the minimum order..if you keep it in the freezer it will last about 2 years...


----------



## Betta man

What about 4 OZ of 1,2,3,4 so that there is 1IB. I'm talking it over with my mom cause I don't have a paypal. Also, what's the price of shipping. If I get some, I'll probably do a joint order with my brother. That or buy a bunch and sell some of it to pay for shippping.


----------



## Betta man

Almost forgot to update. Okay, so the fry are large enough to eat ground flakes!!! YAY! It's nice that they're large enough at only 11 days old. I'm going to feed em first bites for 3 more days and switch to spirulina earthworm flakes. I'm hoping these fry will mature quickly... I'm going to start adding water to the tank and make the water more acidic so they can tolerate more ammonia.


----------



## Guest

Ammonia is bad for any fish. Yes they would need to be able to handle some, but I wouldn't start getting them used to it right now. If you do, do it very very slowly.


----------



## Cory1990

I brought betta fry from Petco and fed them johns #1 plecocaine, sofar they are growing real well and eat it up.

Also I tried egg yoke as well, it made me want to throw up.


----------



## Betta man

I don't want them to be in water with much ammonia, but I'm using it as a backup just in case.


----------



## Betta man

The fry are still growing well. I added some water today.


----------



## Obsidian

Hey how many fry do you have????


----------



## Betta man

30-60. Probably more towards 30...


----------



## Obsidian

Sweet. I checked out their pictures- very cute  They are always cute when they are just floating eyeballs LOL.


----------



## Betta man

They've gotten much bigger lately. Tomorrow is the last day they're on hikari first bites. At least that's what I've planned. I removed the male yesterday cause he was starting to eat fry. I counted my fry, and I think I have 34.


----------



## Betta man

Here's some more pics. 
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5678

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=5679


----------



## ZebraDanio12

starting to look more like fish...


----------



## Betta man

Yeah, they are. I can actually tell when they are pooping which means they are eating...


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Betta man said:


> Yeah, they are. I can actually tell when they are pooping which means they are eating...


Awesome My little ram fry are so darn tiny..Can barely see them. But still a wiggler. 

So when do betta's start to show color? I'm really interested in the outcome.


----------



## Betta man

They should start to show color in 2-3 weeks. That's what I think at least. The fry at petco are probably month olds, so that's where my guess comes from.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

That's cool. What are you going to do with them all if you raise a bunch to adulthood?


----------



## lohachata

hmmmmmm..if i remember correctly he said he was only going to keep the best 20 or so...
which may well mean that he will kill the rest...


----------



## Betta man

No, I said the best 70 if I remember correctly. Also, I said I would "sell" some. I'm not going to kill betta fry if I only have 30. I have the means both financially and in free space to keep them. I believe I also said 30 males, but I'm not sure.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Well I'd love a betta so if you are running out of places to put them I'll take a couple off your hands. Sister's got a betta but I lost mine a year ago. 3 years old.


----------



## Guest

I can take two off your hands Betta man, if they make it.


----------



## Betta man

I'm hoping to keep the best pair for myself as I'm going for show quality. I am really hoping to have enough to sell. I can't wait to see what the adult fry look like. I have a feeling that they will be hardy as they are half viet, thai, malay bloodline fighter plakats.


----------



## Betta man

I just fed them. They're eating right now. I think I'm going to feed them first bites for a few more days as some of the "runts" won't be big enough to eat flakes yet.


----------



## Guest

Sounds like you are doing a good job


----------



## lohachata

just giving you a hard time b m ....i would suggest that you keep all of them until they are about 4-5 months old.that way their actual look will be stabilized and you can sort for desired qualities....not to mention those you sell will command a higher price..


----------



## Betta man

I think that's a good idea. Thanks for the advice! I'm thinking more like 3 months though as I'm going to be feeding them some pretty nice food. That or when they look their best.


----------



## Guest

I agree with loha on what he said.


----------



## Betta man

I think I'll wait till they're fully matured.


----------



## Betta man

They are still doing okay. I counted them again, and I have over 25 left.


----------



## Betta man

The fry are still growing. I'm really hoping this works out!


----------



## Betta man

The fry are still alive. There's 20 left.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Pictures??


----------



## Betta man

I'm feeling too lazy right now. They've grown a little more. I bought some decap brine shrimp off aquabid for 5 bucks. I get 2 oz free shipping so it's a really good deal. The sellers been pretty good so far. Great communication. Idk how the stuff will get here, but so far, he's done great. His aquabid name is mvp.


----------



## Jhynnifer

Betta man said:


> I'm feeling too lazy right now. They've grown a little more. I bought some decap brine shrimp off aquabid for 5 bucks. I get 2 oz free shipping so it's a really good deal. The sellers been pretty good so far. Great communication. Idk how the stuff will get here, but so far, he's done great. His aquabid name is mvp.


Every time I see this thread pop up I click expecting pictures! =p


----------



## lohachata

awful lot of excuses...


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Mmhmmm....


----------



## Betta man

I'll post pics when they grow a little bigger. Right now, with school started up I don't really feel like it. I loved summer. Got to get up at 9 or 10, now, I have to get up at 8. It would be worth it if I was going salmon fishing or something like that.... The fry are doing well. Just got an email from mvp on AB saying my order was shipped yesterday. Should be getting the decap bbs withing 48 hours. My fry have finally started eating cyclops shrimp. I still have around 20 left. Just noticed that this thread has 250 posts. This is a pretty large thread.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

I get up at 5:50 for school. What time to do you start?? Hah.
Have they got any color yet?


----------



## Betta man

I start at 9:00. No color yet, but they're really growing. I have been feeding them decap brine shrimp, and they really like it.


----------



## Guest

My mom has all you beat with the time of getting up. She gets up at 4:30am to be at work by 6am.

I get up around 7:30am, but when college starts I will have to get up earlier, like at 5am just so that I can get to class.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Our school says once we move to our new campus school starts at 7...I would have to wake up at like...5. Pretty sure there's going to be some protest.

How big are the now BettaMan?


----------



## funlad3

We start at 7:30, so I wake up at 6:30.


----------



## lohachata

only time i have to get up early is for doctor's appointments...other then that i can sleep in all day...but then again i worked full time and then some since 1956 until last october....i earned it....lol


----------



## Betta man

I'm homeschooled. I get up 4:30 if I'm going salmon fishing. They're still doing well!


----------



## Harliquin

Im homeschooled as well, i usually get up at 8:30-9:00 and finish school by 2:00 so i have a lot of free time, theres also a lake in my neighborhood so i go fishing a lot 


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


----------



## Betta man

Homeschool is awesome. The fry are still growing fast.


----------



## Betta man

The fry are still growing. The small ones are getting eaten by the large ones, so there's a large size difference. They should be coloring up within the next month.


----------



## ZebraDanio12

They eat each other D:? Well...then. How big are they now? How do you tell when a light bodied female betta is ready to spawn? I've heard the whole pointing downward thing but are there any other ways?


----------



## Betta man

When she's fat. I fast mine a day before they spawn to make sure they aren't bloated. Hopefully I'll be posting pics of my imbellis soon. What is the pointing downward thing?


----------



## ZebraDanio12

Thanks. I heard when they are ready they will point downwards or something...? But I've got a pair, just not sure when the female is ready. She looks fat.


----------



## lohachata

i don't understand the issue with bloating......if your fish becomes bloated more than once in it's life you are not caring for it properly....which means wrong diet....


----------



## Betta man

That's not true. I keep my females in sorority tanks which means that they all share a supply of food. I'll feed enough so that they all have a good amount, but one female eats half of it and gets bloated. This keeps happening with my imbellis. Also, I condition my females for spawning with freeze dried bloodworms. It's easy to bloat your fish with them.


----------



## lohachata

then don't feed the FD bloodworms...if you know that they will become bloated and still feed it to them it is the same as doing it intentionally...change their diet..less bloodworms and more vegetable matter...


----------



## Betta man

I feed them spirulina. Bloodworms are nutritious, so I think I'll use it to condition them. I only feed my bettas bloodworms once a week IF they're lucky. I'm considering breeding one of my hybrid imbellis with a pure splenden. What do you guys think?


----------



## lohachata

hmmmmmmm...not to fond of the idea of interspecies breeding..


----------



## Betta man

That would mean you dislike all dragon bettas lol. A splendens was bred to a sp. mahachai and then they bred the fish some more. Also, armadillo bettas are half imbellis. (they're also called neon bettas) I don't much like the idea of interbreeding plakat splendens with any other species, but I don't mind longfins with other species simply because you can tell the difference easier. The reason I want to breed the half imbellis with the pure splendens is because I will get some wild genes in the young along with the iridescent coloring of an imbellis along with the toughness of a viet, thai, malay fighter plakat with the size of a decently large betta. Not to seem rude, but they're facts!


----------



## lohachata

you are right...i hate the dragon bettas...


----------



## Betta man

I personally think they're gorgeous.


----------



## Betta man

I haven't updated in a while, so here's my update. The largest fry is about half an inch long, I can see red and black with metallic green on the fins, they are eating like crazy, there are seven left, and I'm hoping to spawn my imbellis next. One of these days Ima gonna upload pics..... One of these days.....


----------



## Guest

Cool! Thank you for updating Betta man. Glad they are doing well.


----------



## Betta man

They're eating like crazy and growing fast too.


----------



## Guest

That is a good thing.


----------



## Betta man

I feed them about 3 to 4 times a day. They're large enough that I can see that they're pooping.


----------



## Betta man

The fry are still doing well. I'm planning on doing a large water change today. I am feeding the fry decap bbs and premium green fish food. (ground up) They're getting large enough that soon, decaps will be too small for them. I can't wait till they're old enough to move out of the tank. Then I can spawn my imbellis. Hopefully, I will be able to sell imbellis fry which will give me the $$$$$ boost that I need to get smaragdina, mahachai, and maybe even stiktos.


----------



## Betta man

The fry are growing rapidly. I couldn't feed them yesterday because I got food poisoning, but they're still doing well. The largest one is over an inch long.


----------



## Betta man

The fry are still maturing quickly. I think that the biggest one is a male because of the length of his anal fin. The fry should turn out really pretty. There's a lot of metallic green on the fins. My guess is that they'll have red fins with a bunch of metallic colors on parts. The fry should be giants because the father is almost three inches long and the female is two and a quarter.


----------



## Betta man

Still growing. They are liking flake foods now. Can't wait till they're sexually mature.


----------



## Betta man

Dern fry decided to catch some disease without my permission. They've been flashing and have clamped fins. I was hoping these would get to be sexually mature so I could at least have some adults before I spawn imbellis


----------



## Betta man

They're definitely stunted. Idk what happened, but I don't think they'll make it. My plakat pair has dropsy so I'm gonna be down to 5 imbellis and 1 imbellis hybrid. I am thinking that I will try breeding a dragonscale halfmoon with my imbellis hybrid and get quarter imbellis hmpks.


----------



## Guest

Have you considered that it might be genetics that are interacting with each other as to why they are stunted?


----------



## Betta man

No. There's nothing with the genetics. The parents are large. Almost giants. The parents both have dropsy now, so these are my probably gonna be my last plakat splendens.


----------



## lohachata

i really don't believe that stunting is a genetic issue...moreso i believe that it is a maintenance issue...the 3 major factors in fish growth is heat...diet and water.....
if you have 30 fish in a 5 or 10 gallon tank , you need to be doing 50% water changes at least 4 times a week..for the bettas i would suggest...temp 82-84 temp...feed high quality food formulated for fry and 50% water changes every other day or even more often...

i can't remember how many times i have recommended that you keep Aquari Sol and Lifebearer on hand to treat diseases...
i cannot think of a disease that bleach will not kill..


----------



## emc7

There are reports of fish TB surviving bleach, and crap like parasites hiding in snails and snails surviving a trip through a fish. But most diseases can be beat with bleach and QT (you may have to write off infected fish). 

I agree stunting is usually water. Massive continual water changes can make fish grow big in very, very small containers. There could also be a nutrition effect. Even discus keepers will bring up the Calcium & carbonate levels in fry tanks so that bones can grow faster. Parasites can stunt fish, too, by starving them. 

Only occasionally will you see a genetic "runt", but it certainly could be more likely in hybrids.


----------



## Betta man

They're purebloods, so it's probably my fault. This disease survived being bleached, dried out, left in the sun, and scrubbed. It's probably some superbug.


----------



## Guest

I doubt that any disease survives that. The fish may have been harboring the diseases and when stress hit, bam they got sick. Fish can harbor disease until something stresses them, then their immune system goes down and they get sick.

I would make sure that your water is pristine clean.


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## Betta man

The last fish in that tank had dropsy. These fish were both healthy before they got into that tank.


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## Betta man

The fry aren't really growing. I'm going to do water changes, so maybe they'll grow after the water changes. Also, my imbellis are starting to get aggressive and the females are barring up. I'm guessing they'll be sexually mature next month.


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## Guest

Keep the water pristine clean. Do your water changes every day or so, or however often the fry can tolerate water changes. But most importantly KEEP THE WATER PRISTINE CLEAN, otherwise you will risk disease and losing those fry.


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## Betta man

For 5 fry in a 10 gallon, I don't think that every other day is needed for water changes, but will do more water changes.


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## Betta man

Haven't updated in a while. The fry died because I didn't care for them properly. I am going to try to spawn my imbellis in February. I have decided that I will try to do daily water changes and feed them vinegar eels, bbs, decap bbs, and infusoria. I am also wanting to try breeding a fertile super black female betta. I have an idea for it which might work. I don't think it's been tried before.


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## Guest

Sorry you lost your fry. Better luck next time.


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## Betta man

I am going to be keeping the adults in buckets outside when they need to be separated. It is going to be about 80 at coldest and I'll cover the buckets up so that the ***** don't eat the bettas.


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## cossie

Sorry to hear bettaman, do you sell your bettas?


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## lohachata

yes....if you want to buy dead bettas..
if you are going to neglect your fish ; then you shouldn't be keeping them...


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## Betta man

Loha, I respectfully request that you keep your sarcastic remarks to yourself. Thank you. I will be trying to sell imbellis fry as they are valuable fish and decently rare. Here's some pics of my pair that I'll be spawning. The female isn't fully colored up in the pic. These fish are still juveniles and are about 5 months old.


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## Betta man

Here is a picture of their father. I do not have any pictures of their mother. Their parents were wild caught and sold to the person who bred mine by pibk.


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## bullseyejoey

I wake up at 6:30 and start at 8:00


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


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## Betta man

I am getting my imbellis ready to spawn. The male is looking very pretty and starting on a nest.


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## C. King

good luck, betta man! the ones in the pics are lovely fish.


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## Betta man

Thanks. The male is prettier than the father and has better form. I hope to show the fry.


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## Guest

Good luck Betta man. Hope you can raise the fry to adulthood. If not, read all information about bettas and their care and ask questions, make sure that you understand about bettas and their care and needs.


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## Betta man

The male is being a dummy and so is the female lol. She isn't barring up and he's not very interested.


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## lohachata

come on man..you are the king of the bettas and a successful breeder...this should be a piece of cake for you...
they aren't breeding because you haven't been feeding them Plecocaine.....
separate them and start feeding her high protein/high fat foods 4-5 times a day...kick the heat up to 84.....after about 5 days do a water change and put them close..
but don't take my advice because i don't know much about bettas...


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## Betta man

They are jueveniles. I'm wondering if the female isn't old enough yet... Thanks. I will feed them high protein foods.


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## Betta man

I got rid of three of the 6 and am planning on getting betta stiktos pure bloods. I'm going to let them mature more before I try to spawn them.


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## lohachata

i really think that you should get the easy ones down pat before you try those that are more difficult..


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## Betta man

"All Splendens complex members are the same" (speaking about care and spawning according to a local wild type betta breeder) . Betta stiktos is a member of the splendens complex. It is rare and is native to Cambodia. The IBC doesn't even have any pictures of it and has almost no info on it. The person who I'm buying from knows care and has educated me on it. But yeah, you're right. I do need to get the easier ones down.


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## Guest

Betta man: try guppies, they are so easy to breed, you don't have to do anything at all, just put a male in with a female or two and they will breed.


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## Betta man

I've bred guppies. I have 5 endlers which are relatives. Actually, three of them are babies. I'm getting an adult pair that is pre conditioned. What can go wrong? (I jinxed myself so something will go wrong). I can get them to breed without much problem. It's the fry I'm worried about. Anyways, I'm going to get lots of fry foods and am going to do daily 50 percent water changes........ hopefully.


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## Guest

I would read up on baby fish and their care and raising them. Then, just then, you may be successful at raising your fry to adulthood. Never raise and take care of fry without knowledge of how to care and raise them.


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## Betta man

Yeah. I have read up a lot about raising baby bettas. My plan is gutstuffing them and lots of water changes.


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## Guest

Then why do you lose them after a few weeks and can't get them to get their color? I have yet to see you get your baby bettas to get their color and raise them to adulthood without them dying.


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## Trout

Because it isn't easy. That's why. Every time he's done this, he's gotten closer and closer to his goal. Some stuff you can't learn by reading. You have to learn by experience. You can be prepared somewhat, and fewer things will go wrong when you've taken the time to educate yourself, but it all comes down to experience. Eventually, he will be able to breed quite easily, but until that time, Trial-and-error takes the cake, in my opinion.


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## Guest

I know that it isn't easy, but his fry are dying around 2 to 3 weeks with each spawn. He is not getting closer and closer with each one.


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## Trout

If his fry have been dying at 2-3 weeks every time, then I must have been misreading, because I was quite certain that I read at least a few of his fry survived to just over a month.


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## lohachata

actually i disagree....bettas are easy...my first 2 spawns did not go well...after that all of my spawns had 75-90% survival rates...the major reasons for losing them is improper care and improper feeding...
while i am not any kind of expert on bettas ; i have bred , raised and sold well over 5000 of them...
success comes from being properly prepared and following through with the proper care and feeding of the fish...and this goes for any species...


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## Guest

lohachata said:


> actually i disagree....bettas are easy...my first 2 spawns did not go well...after that all of my spawns had 75-90% survival rates...the major reasons for losing them is improper care and improper feeding...
> while i am not any kind of expert on bettas ; i have bred , raised and sold well over 5000 of them...
> success comes from being properly prepared and following through with the proper care and feeding of the fish...and this goes for any species...


Bettas are difficult to spawn, and the fry can be hard to raise. I do agree that once you get the hang of it, it can be easy. Properly caring for bettas is definitely a must. Being prepared for anything that could happen is also a must. I have read about caring and raising betta fry, and while I won't do that, I am going to be getting a baby betta from Petco and try my hand at raising it to adulthood. I hope that I am successful with it, because if I am successful with it, I can help others raise them to adulthood.


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## Betta man

Actually, I said breeding is pretty easy. Not raising the fry. I have spoken with people who have said that betta fry are some of the hardest fw fry to raise. They aren't easy to raise, but inducing spawning isn't impossible. I've done it several times. I got the fry to live for 2 months, but they were what I'd call, dwarf bettas..... Should've called em rare and sold em for a million bucks.


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## Betta man

Just picked up my betta stiktos from a guys house that I met on a betta forum. They're very nice fish. I'll post pics when the male colors up and lets me take pics.


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## Betta man

Female stiktos is fat and the male has a nest. Gonna release her tonight. Hoping for babies.


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## ZebraDanio12

Good luck! I've been thinking about trying bettas. I've got the prettiest pair...


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## Betta man

Just spawned this morning. Female is barely beaten up. Should have about 100 eggs. At least.


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## Betta man

The male ate a few, the tank leaked a few (gallons), and I only got a few (2). One of them is quite large while the other is small. My female jumped in with the male last night and he had a nest. I wonder if they'll spawn this morning.


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## Betta man

They did spawn. I got 1 baby from that batch and one from the next. A few days ago, i bred those siblings so now ima great grandpa.


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