# Female betta laying eggs without fertilizing?



## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

Hi, (I'm very new to this, and this forum) 

I'm trying to breed my two betta, i did all the procedures: half-full 10 gallon, plants, caves, a jar to home the female within the tank for a few days while the male build his nest; but then today when I released her the male chased her around for a bit (the usual reaction im guessing) then it finally look like they were going to spawn. But I was wrong, she went ahead n just laid her eggs without the wrap of the male and just ate her eggs.. Should i just keep her in there and hope that maybe those eggs were bad and she was just getting rid of them so that the good eggs could come out? or is she just a bad betta and i need to try a diffferent pair?

Thank you


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

im sorry if i am just asking something that has already been ask before, but i would greatly appreciate an answer.. thank you

oh just wondering if this might be of any help:

pH 7.6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
nitrate 10

and i am using Artison's betta spa (not sure if that stuff is any good or not but i got sucker'ed into buying it)


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

(repeat) sorry


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

my female, Caroline, did that. :d she's in no way a breeding fish, but she often releases her eggs and eats them up. it's pretty normal, and nothing to be worried about. i'm sure she'll egg up again soon. :3 Caroline released MORE eggs just two days after releasing her last batch. >.> it's like, Eggs, no eggs, Eggs. :d


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

ireland said:


> Hi, (I'm very new to this, and this forum)
> 
> I'm trying to breed my two betta, i did all the procedures: half-full 10 gallon, plants, caves, a jar to home the female within the tank for a few days while the male build his nest; *but then today when I released her the male chased her around for a bit (the usual reaction im guessing)* then it finally look like they were going to spawn. But I was wrong, she went ahead n just laid her eggs without the wrap of the male and just ate her eggs.. Should i just keep her in there and hope that maybe those eggs were bad and she was just getting rid of them so that the good eggs could come out? or is she just a bad betta and i need to try a diffferent pair?
> 
> Thank you


If you don't know how he is supposed to react then you shouldn't be breeding. 

Did you condition them? Do you have fry food?


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## monroe0704 (Nov 17, 2010)

As long as the female isn't injured you can keep her in there up to 4 days or so. That way you can monitor them and see if the spawning window has passed or if she'll fill up again....


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Welcome to the forum......its not uncommon for the female to drop eggs prematurely and eat them in the spawning tank-sometimes this can happen when they are kept isolated too long in sight of the male.....I would leave her in the tank with the male for now.....make sure you have plenty of places for her to get away from him and get out of his line of sight....good luck with you spawn....


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

yes i have condition them with freezed dried bloodworms, live worms, and Hikari Betta pellets; feed them twice a day of two combination of the three (FD bloodworms in the morning, hikari in the afternoon; Hikari in the morning, live worms in the after noon, etc)

And yes I do have fry food, a culture of infusoria culture (eggs ready to boiled to mix the yolk with the infusoria), and BBS eggs ready to go whenever i see that they had spawned and the eggs have hatch (because i read that the nutrition in baby shrimp wont last longer than 24hours of its birth because it'll use up its own nutrition to support itself)


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

Thank you old fish lady, yes i do have some java ferns in there with them and a cave ornaments


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Sounds like you are ready....now its up to the breeders to get the job done...laffs.....how are they acting today?


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

The usual, shes hiding and hes chasing her out every now and then, but she looks thinner. I'm afraid maybe she have already released all of her eggs without being fertilized and ate them all :-( I am seriously considering just taking her out and putting in another conditioned female betta and start the whole process over (jar her for a couple of days and if everything seems to be going well and in her likings then release her).


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

If you have another conditioned female-that would be a good idea too.....

I have had females that would drop eggs regardless and could never get a spawn out of them...some female are just not any good for spawning.......


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

Thank you, i just took her out and placed in another conditioned betta.. *fingers cross* hope they will breed


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

Good luck on getting the new female and the male to breed. Keep us updated!


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

Thank you for your support Kathstew, I will


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Good luck with your spawn.


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

Thank you dramaquee, today im letting her out of her jar and see how things go. I'd also added more java fern to add more natural hiding spots for her.


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

okay I let her out of her jar, keeping fingers cross and hope for the best


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

Can't wait to hear how it goes, I hope you get lots of eggs 

Actually not too many eggs because then it will be harder on your male to care for them! lol


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

lol yeah, thank you turtle10.. nothing happen so far, im going to leave her in there for a couple of days and hope for the best. I got about 50 beanie box at the ready and a couple dozen of 1/2 gallon jars and another 10 gallon tank.. im praying all these dont go to waste:lol:


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

I hope you get to fill all the boxes . Those beanie boxes are great, my lfs uses them to house their smaller bettas.


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

Still playing "cat and mouse" today.. if anything its probably even worst, the male seems to be trying his best at building the nest even more and flaring at her but she just doesnt seem interested anymore in fact maybe even scared of him. Yesterday when i let her lose she actually followed him around a bit even flaring at him and dancing under the nest, i was sure there was going to be some chemistry, but nothing happen. Today shes not even wanting to come out of hiding to check out the nest anymore, shes just running from him...

Should i keep her in there for another day keeping my fingers and toes cross, or presume that maybe its not the females fault, the male probably dont know what hes doing besides building the nest?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

As long as they aren't fighting I'd leave her in there for another day or two.


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

5 days since i put in the new female better, and the results are torn fins and hungry fishes.. think im going to just take them out and condition them again and try it again two weeks from now and use Indian Almond leaves with it too, i ordered some and should be getting here around net week or so.. But thank you all for your support


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Hopefully things will work out the second time around. Keep us posted.


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## ireland (Mar 1, 2011)

Thank you, and will do


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