# How to breed bettas



## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

Hi, everyone! I just decided to try and get my old unused two gal. and try keeping a male betta in it. Could I maybe breed bettas in it? I know that its possible to keep bettas in jars and bowls, so thats where I'm gonna keep the female when she's not in with the male. Is there anything wrong with my plan? also, I could use some ideas for different types (not species) of betta. Is it possible for the colors to mix, as in, blue and yellow make green, and red and blue make purple? Anything interesting would be great. I've also found "betta fights" on the internet and was wondering what you guys would think of that. I have a tropical fish book that says that betta fights are okay, but I'm not sure.


----------



## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

One more thing. I've done some research on bettas, and I'm wondering what you are supposed to feed baby bettas. Can someone please respond?


----------



## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Eek! Is it ok to fight dogs!? 

If you put two males together in a little tank, their natural instinct is going to be to fight for the territory. They don't have a choice, because there's no other territory to choose from. In the wild, they have the option of swimming to another area if another male flares at them. So in that setting, they are unlikely to fight to the death.

It's all up for debate, but personally, I can't condone exploiting them for that sort of entertainment.


----------



## Flare (Dec 17, 2010)

Cichlid Dude! said:


> Hi, everyone! I just decided to try and get my old unused two gal. and try keeping a male betta in it. Could I maybe breed bettas in it?


It is possible to breed bettas in a 2 gallon, I've done it. But 2 gallons is not nearly enough room to grow out the babies. You would need a 10 gallon tank minimum, 20+ gallons is best.



> I know that its possible to keep bettas in jars and bowls, so thats where I'm gonna keep the female when she's not in with the male. Is there anything wrong with my plan?


Just because something is possible doesn't mean it's a good idea. Bettas should ideally be kept in a minimum of 2.5 gallons, they need a heater and frequent water changes. The only time I really condone keeping bettas in small containers is when someone is a professional breeder and have over 1000 bettas or so, even then they need to do almost daily water changes and keep the water heated.



> also, I could use some ideas for different types (not species) of betta. Is it possible for the colors to mix, as in, blue and yellow make green, and red and blue make purple? Anything interesting would be great.


Betta Splendens come with quite a few different tail types. Veiltails, Halfmoons, Deltas, Super Deltas, Crowntails, Doublestails, Plakats, Halfmoon Plakats.

Colors don't really work that way, you don't mix blue and yellow and get green, ect. If you want to learn about genetics I would suggest checking out www.bettysplendens.com she has some amazing genetics information, and well as pictures and descriptions of all of the different tail types and color patterns.



> I've also found "betta fights" on the internet and was wondering what you guys would think of that. I have a tropical fish book that says that betta fights are okay, but I'm not sure.


There is absolutely nothing ok with putting 2 innocent creatures together and watching them fight and suffer for your entertainment, that is sick... :chair:



Cichlid Dude! said:


> One more thing. I've done some research on bettas, and I'm wondering what you are supposed to feed baby bettas. Can someone please respond?


Betta fry should be fed live food until they are about 12 weeks old, then you can begin introducing pellets, flakes and frozen foods. 

Live foods you can use include micoworms, walter worms, banana worms, vinegar eels and baby brine shrimp. The worms such as the micro worms and vinegar eels can be few for the first couple of weeks, then they should be fed the BBS until they are big enough for the pelleted and frozen foods.

You will need to grow and culture the live foods yourself.


----------



## Trout (Mar 16, 2011)

Dude, breeding bettas, not just spawning them is a very time consuming business. You have to be willing to make the proper commitments to grow the babies to full size, and you need an individual container for EACH of the males. Depending on the fish, you can keep females together, but you'd have to separate the more aggressive females. Don't forget culling them.  That's the part that I'd have trouble with.

Anyway, my male betta is currently in a vase, but that is a temporary setup since I needed to use his tank for a treatment tank for my corys and he doesn't like them. I have him usually living in a 2.5 gallon. I'm planning on putting him back in there as SOON as the corys are better.


----------



## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

Hmmmmm... I see. Just as an example of how hardy these fish are, I once had a red betta (I think he was a veiltail) in a pickles jar before I really knew about keeping bettas. He was very happy in that jar, even though he hardly ever had a water change, and he never got sick. I regret not taking better care of him now- I came home from a vacation one day, and found him dead, with food clouding the water (my best guess is that a neighbor thought she was doing him a favor by giving him an extra large helping of food. Sparkie lived for 2+ years in that little pickles jar and was very beautiful when I left for vacation. I havent had a betta in a couple years. Thanks for the information, and I think you're right about me not breeding bettas- 100-700 babies each! wow! I think I'll just spawn them instead. I seriously agree about the betta fights and think they're cruel.


----------



## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Yikes! Poor guy! My old roomate tried to buy bettas twice. She kept them in a half-gallon bowl next to a window in the middle of winter, and never treated the water. The first one died in two months, the second one died in less than a month. 


Really happy you are doing the research before getting another betta! They can live much longer than two years (or two months) if they are properly cared for!


----------



## Trout (Mar 16, 2011)

I can imagine them living quite well in like, gallon size pickle jars. Speaking of which, I just came up with a filtration/sump system to work with like over a hundred pickle jars. Several shelves of jars, a big tank above, and a big tank below, and tubes connecting each jar to the system. Filters and heaters in the large tanks, so they have more room to swim within their jars! It's genius, if I don't say so myself... Of course, I'd have to eat a LOT of pickles. And I don't like pickles that much


----------



## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

I'll eat the pickles! But you have to go to Costco and buy them for me. And for all those stomach aches, I'd better get a couple bettas out of the deal.


----------



## Trout (Mar 16, 2011)

Okay! Just as soon as I move to Montana! mmmmm... The drive up there will be soooo beautiful. I love Montana.


----------

