# Butterfly HM and Galaxy Koi



## HopeInHeart (Oct 11, 2009)

Introduced them to the spawning tank tonight. Will check on them in the morning and release her if a bubble nest is made.


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## HopeInHeart (Oct 11, 2009)

No bubble nest made, I released her anyways and now he is busily working on a nest under the Indian almond leaf. She goes between interested and running away.


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## HopeInHeart (Oct 11, 2009)

So, the female did not seem to enthused. I took her out and tried my other female, had to go to work, and came home to her dead! Put everyone back in their own tanks for a few days and will try again


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Sorry to hear,
did you condition them for the two weeks? lots of live or frozen foods to build up strength and fat/energy?


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## HopeInHeart (Oct 11, 2009)

Yes I did, but there were a few feedings I missed so I am going to make sure its done right this time


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

can you explain to me how you did it? Just want to make sure everything is good so that you don't have to lose another female 
Sometimes they're just finicky though and don't want to breed and maybe never will.


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## HopeInHeart (Oct 11, 2009)

Sure! I fed them meals twice a day (except when work caught up to me there were some missed feedings) of frozen brine shrimp, frozen blood worms, soaked betta pellets or tetra min flakes for about a month. I introduced her into the tank (82 degrees, 4 inches of water, indian almond leaf) in a hurricane glass overnight . once I released her he built a huge bubble nest and actually a few of them, she would swim.over then dart away and hide. Looking back they were probably on the right track but she seemed scared (horizontal stripes) and hiding so I removed her. I was in a hurry and should have introd the other female in the hurricane glass but I just put her in and left, and came home from work to find her dead. Removed him back to his own tank for reconditioning


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Ah okay, almost there but not quite.


They should be conditioned for about 2 weeks, a little longer is okay. But, good on the meals twice a day, one problem is your food quality. Tetra foods are very bad and have lots of fillers in them, some other fishes that are herbivore and omnivore may take better to them but they are not good for carnivores. I recommend investing in New Life Spectrum Small Fish if you want a good food that is going to last and can be fed to all your Betta's.


Part of the conditioning process is to have the male and female in sight of each other for a few minutes a day to start off. So, having the male in the breeding tank with the female in a smaller tank on the side with a notecard between them is usually the easiest way to do this. Or, you can scoop out the female in her tank and float her in the male's tank for the flare time. You start off with 5-10 minutes at first and build up to 30-45 minutes by the end of the two weeks period. This gets them used to each other and in the mood much quicker. In this time, he'll also have made his nest as well and built it up properly.


Then, from the conditioning process, you place the female in the storm vase to allow them full emersion. You only release when the two are wiggling at each other, not just flaring. You want the male to be wiggling at her and then going back to his nest to wiggle there, go back and wiggle at her and lead her back to the nest. He should not be attacking the glass or trying to eat her; he isn't ready. Likewise, the female shouldn't be stressing out so badly or on the flip side, trying to eat him lol. Take her out and condition a few more days to a week.


If they are both wiggling properly and dancing, female is showing vertical bars if she is of the right color (light colors it's hard to see or impossible to see the breeding stripes), then you can release her and watch for a little bit. There will be chasing and nipping but he shouldn't be bashing into her or lip locking or chomping off scales. If that happens, separate them again. It may take them only a few hours or up to a week to breed


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## HopeInHeart (Oct 11, 2009)

Thanks for the advice! I may try putting him back in the spawning tank tonight or tomorrow and see how it goes


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