# Male Betta



## blcknwitecuban (Apr 17, 2006)

Does a male betta protect the fry?


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

Yes, to a point. Once they are free swimming (out of the nest) he will eat them and needs to be removed.


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

Not necessarily. Usually fathers can live with the fry until they are quite big, he will only eat the weak or dead ones (doing your culling for you).

Often while free swimming though still very small he will keep trying to put them back into their nest, where they swim away again, it's quite cute


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

You're both partly right. Some males will eat their fry, while some wont. The established method is to remove the male once 75% of the fry are freeswimming. This not only allows the male rest, but he can now be fed. Many males dont eat for a week to 2 when breeeding. Leaving him in the tank will increse the chances he will eat the fry. He is also in a weakened state going without food and sleeping very little.


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

They can get very depressed if you take them out right away. If you have a big enough tank and can feed him after they start swimming, then father can stay with the fry until they are quite big.

http://www.dong2002.com/breed_eng.html

This fellow is quite an expert.


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