# Breeders- do you recommend breeding bettas?



## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Hello all!

I'm considering starting to breed bettas, as I just love these fish and I love working with them. I've had several over about a 15 year time span, but never bred them. I know very little about breeding, so I intend to do a lot of research before even attempting to breed them. It's definitely not a hobby that I'll be starting tomorrow!

I'm wondering though, to people who do breed or have bred bettas, do you recommend it? I mean, do you think that it's worth the time and effort that you put into it? I guess I'm really asking you to just talk me out of it now if it's a bad idea, before I go through all the research; or talk me into it and get me really excited and dedicated to it!

I feel that I should note also that I lead a very busy lifestyle- I am a grad student, and I am typically gone several hours every day. 

Thoughts on breeding? Thank you very much for reading and any advice you can offer!


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## Aluka (Dec 25, 2012)

Its a great learning experience in my opinion. Its great to know how these cute little fish we have been keeping came to be and how they develop from fry to fish.

That being said. Breeding bettas takes TONS of work. If you lead a busy lifestyle. I wouldn't recommend it. You pretty much can not go on vacations in the 2-3 months after they spawn, you can't go out and stay over at your friend's or bf/gf's. You must be home pretty much everyday to feel them multiple times, daily water change, clean tank. Be there in time to start and harvest bbs.

Maybe you should come back to betta breeding once you are done with school and have a more settled lifestyle =)


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

I never actually go away overnights. Just gone several hours each day, but I'm home every morning and night. Do you still think it's a bad idea? Thanks!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I don't think it's a bad idea as long as you can make the commitment to do the things necessary to take care of fry. Water needs changes, they need to be fed several times a day. If you're in school you may get overwhelmed with schoolwork and taking care of fry and the parents.Also, if you have an active social life you may want to consider breeding when you have more time to commit to it. But, yeah, it's a wonderful idea if you have the time and have done your research .


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## snowflake311 (Jun 19, 2013)

It is work but not as bad as Aluka is making it out to be. You can still have a life you just need to spend a hour or more a day on your fish no matter what for 3 months. So if you have some extra time or can make some extra time you can raise some fry. I have 3 dogs, work, and I am married with a 5 year old daughter. I have one batch of fry that are doing pretty well and are a month old tomorrow. I have have 6 other fish tanks too its a little much yes. I guess I just like to keep busy. 

I too kept betta fish for like 15 years on and off. I know how you feel I have been there too. But this betta breeding thing is an addiction worst then just keeping bettas. 

The key to raising fry and being busy is make it easy for yourself. I have a fish room with pumps and buckets so water changes are easy and don't take up too much time.

You just need to find a way to make the task easy. When I am cleaning out the poop and dirty water that takes time. When it comes to filling the tank back up I can just sit back and chill. You just need to keep an eye on it so if does not over flow. keep towels around! Working on my tanks is my relaxing time I love it. 

I say keep reading up on it learn all you can get a good pair and do it.


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## bambijarvis (Jul 15, 2012)

It's exiting, and if you love watching genetcs at play they're great.

But it's alot of work and start up can cost quite a bit.
Doing it cheaply:
$5 for a decent sized container to spawn them in($10 or so for a ten gallon *spawning tank*).
$5-$12 for a LARGE storage container as a *grow out*($20-$40 for a 20gallon long or larger tank as a grow out)
*Heaters*(2) you can find kinda cheap on ebay($5 each) but can't say how safe they are, other wise 14-21 each for adjustable ones.
*Fry foods*(May be able to find a worm culture for $4, BBS eggs are $20 give or take for a can. I can point you to a lovely starter pack with worm cultures and powder foods that I used, complete with IAL to help get your fish in the mood to breed for $24, that includes shipping cost)

_you can go filterless_ but most set up a *sponge filter*($1-$7 for sponge filter, $2-$5 for air line,$1-$2 for air stone,$5-$20 for an air pump)

You'll need *jars *or deli/betta cups to jar your males(price will vary alot depending on how many and if you go for glass jars or plastic deli cups, but I'd say buy *at least 25* of whichever, more might be recommended on the off chance you have an all male spawn larger than 25).

Then there's the actual *Fish*. if you go the pet store route, avoid VTs.
Most stores won't carry HM females, but alot carry CT girls.
Going by petsmart prices:
HM pair:$17-$20
CT pair:$5-$6
You can usually find people selling their fry here on forum from their spawn. Generally priced are $5-$20 per fish depending on quality(better than what you'll find at the pet store) and on top of that add $12-$30 for shipping(priority vs next day).

*Conditioning* your pair: I used live black worm, $2 an ounce, only need one ounce,maybe two if the first dies and you need to re condition them because the spawn failed.

On the topic of conditioning...
*basics* like water conditioner($2-$8), food($2-$6), fish net($1-$5), water test kit($17-$30)some where to house the fish before/after they spawn(either 2 smaller tanks or a divided six-ten gallon tank)........

Start up is costly,but most of that stuff you'll reuse and only need to buy once. if you've kept fish you probably already have a lot of it.

And time...you'll be doing a LOT of water changes....xD
But yeah I totes recommend it.


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## Ilikebutterflies (May 19, 2012)

No recommendations here. I feel like if you do your homework...first and foremost learning about genetics, then breeding, fry care then basic fish keeping...you will be able to answer your own question. You are going to have to ask yourself if you are up for the job. Do you have time to do a 50% water change at least every other day for two solid months?


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Thank you all very much for your help! First step is the research, of course. But once I know what I'm doing, and when I feel that I'm up to the challenge, I might just go for it.


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## Aluka (Dec 25, 2012)

snowflake311 said:


> It is work but not as bad as Aluka is making it out to be. You can still have a life you just need to spend a hour or more a day on your fish no matter what for 3 months. So if you have some extra time or can make some extra time you can raise some fry. I have 3 dogs, work, and I am married with a 5 year old daughter. I have one batch of fry that are doing pretty well and are a month old tomorrow. I have have 6 other fish tanks too its a little much yes. I guess I just like to keep busy.
> 
> I too kept betta fish for like 15 years on and off. I know how you feel I have been there too. But this betta breeding thing is an addiction worst then just keeping bettas.
> 
> ...


I'm not making it out to be worst than it is, I am considering it in the perspective of a graduate student in her early 20s.

You are a mom, you work, you go home and be with your kid. Your life is probably busier than hers, but alot more predictable.

She is in grad school, which means she has class, projects, exams, research, etc etc, she probably works also. She is likely also in her early 20s. Which includes alot of all day out with friends, trips to other cities, staying over at friends, a less predictable social life.

Maybe that's not how the op is, but i dont know the op, i am guessing according to the average early 20 female.

I'm in my mid-late 20s, my life is starting to settle and become more predictable. I started my first breeding. But 2-3 years earlier? school, work and friends? i am not sure i could have balance that if i added fish fry to the mix. Just between school and work, there were days where i was so busy i forget to feed myself, much less feeding my fry. Some days, my professors will just randomly come in and say oh why dont you write up something and show me what you have tomorrow? Instant all nighter putting graphs and pictures together. (I was in biochem, maybe op has a less work load course , I don't know. Like i said guessing here)

Like i said, if you have lots of free time. Go for it, its a great learning experience. But if you lead a busy lifestyle like you said. Focus on on finishing your master, enjoy your betas. Breed them later. You have plenty of time, no need to add extra stress during one of the more important period of your life.


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## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

Don't forget, you need to find homes for all of the babies. You could end up with 100+ without a home.


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

I bred heaps when I was at uni and away pretty much all day, they dont really take up that much time. Give them some food before you leave, give them some more when you come back. Then you can go out again if you want.
The most time consuming bit ime is making sure you havent sucked up any fry during water changes lol.
Once youve jarred them they take a bit more time since they need more wc depending on your jarring methods. If they are in drilled soda bottles placed into a big tank/tub then you can just do one big wc since the bottles will all share the same water. But if each fish is in a separate tank/jar they will need their own individual wc

Just make sure you get a decent pair so you are breeding nice fish instead of mutts


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

I'm balancing school, building a website, the rest of my life, and two spawns right now...


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Or you get into spawning wild bettas and then you can breed, grow-out and rear fry to adulthood in the same tank as the parents depending on the species and the temperament of your original breeding pair. 

But you know, just putting that out there.... haha


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## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

LittleBettaFish said:


> Or you get into spawning wild bettas and then you can breed, grow-out and rear fry to adulthood in the same tank as the parents depending on the species and the temperament of your original breeding pair.
> 
> But you know, just putting that out there.... haha


 That...is one of the MANY pros of owning wild bettas. People think that all bettas, wild or not, are extremely aggressive. Totally not the case.


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## Aluka (Dec 25, 2012)

MattsBettas said:


> I'm balancing school, building a website, the rest of my life, and two spawns right now...



I must be the only person that was rarely home in my early 20s then. Spawn away then! lol


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Lol no... It's because I am efficient with my work... It takes me probably less then 1/2 and hour a day to raise two spawns.


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Wow, once again, thanks for the advice everyone! I'll have to think about that with the wild bettas! haha 

Don't worry Aluka- I know exactly where you're coming from! I actually am in my late 20s (I got a degree in veterinary technology, practiced for a few years, got burned out, and decided to go back to school) so I'm a little older than some students. I don't quite know how to describe my busy lifestyle. I'm frequently gone for class and office hours (I'm a teaching assistant), but I'm always home at night and on the weekends. I have a cat with stress-related health problems, so I never leave her overnight, or she panics and pees all over the couch! I do spend a lot of time in my apartment, but it's also a lot of productive "working" time- writing a thesis, grading papers, etc. I guess as far as time goes, I was wondering how much anxiety will be related with the time needed for the spawn. I mean, I'll be able to take care of them, I'm sure, but then would I be up all night doing homework or something? It sounds like they're time-consuming, but not as bad as I had wondered. In any case, though, this semester is actually a particularly bad one, between my thesis and a very difficult class I'm assisting, so this semester probably isn't a good time. Maybe I'll start it over the holiday. Once I finish the thesis, things will get better! Anyways, Aluka, I do appreciate your advice and perspective.

Like I've said, I will be doing my research before jumping into things. Although I'm not particularly knowledgeable about betta breeding, I want to do it right. I won't be breeding pet store bettas or my rescue boys, obviously. I have to look more into genetics before I choose a breeding pair, though. 

One of my biggest concerns with breeding them is getting rid of the spawn, actually. It's something that I'd like to do once, and then I don't know if I would breed again. I live in a pretty decent sized city (actually the capital city of my state) but I can't seem to find anyone on Craigslist selling or interested in bettas, or shows in my area. So I don't know how big the market is here. I know I could sell some online, but I don't know how many. It's all about how many bettas I end up with, I guess. I'm just concerned about not having enough homes for all of them. So that's another good reason to use "good" bettas for breeding- make the little ones more desirable! 

I'll post a picture here of the male I just ordered. I don't know if he's one that I'll be breeding or not, but he's just pretty and I love him. I can't wait to get him!


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Here he is! Name suggestions? :-D


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## snowflake311 (Jun 19, 2013)

Lovely fish I love the color. 

Start looking for a mate. It takes time to find the perfect fish. When you feel ready do it! But be ready to ship your fish. Selling on line and shipping is your best bet for finding homes.


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Thank you! I think he's beautiful. 

How does this gal look as a mate??


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I personally don't like her topline, and her fins look a bit rough to me so I would pass. 

That colour is quite unusual though. Wonder what it would be called.


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Ok,thanks. I didn't know about her fins, but I like her color. It is unusual. I feel like they called it something with lavender. I could be wrong, though... What do you think of my boy? Be honest. It's the first time I've ever ordered a fish, and I think he's cute, but I'd like to know others' opinions. I can have him as a pet without breeding him...


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## bambijarvis (Jul 15, 2012)

If you have a budget/color in mind I can help you look or a female.

your boy is actually pretty good. xD
his anal is a bit long,butterfly isn't even and he has slight red wash but I've seen far worse males used as people's fist breeders.


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Wow, thanks for the offer of help! I don't really know what my budget would be. It's low these days... But if you happen to come across any great females, I'll see what I can do budget-wise. Hopefully I'd be able to work it out. Thank you!


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## bambijarvis (Jul 15, 2012)

Oh~ Basementbettas has some HM marbles!
she has two girls up on aquabid right now(one for$15+shipping and one for $18+shipping). She's here in the states so if you're in the US you don't need to worry bout transshipping.
I like this one


here's the other one

You can probably ask if she has any blue girls, or if she can pick a girl to best compliment you boy's flaws.


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Ooh, I might just have to get in touch with her! I'm a little low on money at the moment, but I'd like to get a betta from someone on this forum. That would be lovely. People here, so far in my experience, have been fabulous. It would be nice to get a betta from someone who I know takes good care of them, and I'd be happy to give the business to someone on here.

I still don't know much about breeding; I'm working on doing my research, and I intend to probably breed them in January, after I'm back home from holiday visits. So I'm not sure yet what would be a good match for my male. I've been looking into HM females with similar coloring, but I also don't really know what looks like a good top line, etc. As far as I know/knew, the female I posted above looked good! That's why I'm doing some research before just starting to breed them and coming up with mutts, though. It's definitely nice to have some help with this! So thank you!


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## bambijarvis (Jul 15, 2012)

They're a member here and they show bettas, so they can recommend something better than I can.

I'm going be receiving some females tomorrow or the next day from a breeder, and more next week. I can't say anything on their quality yet but if I get a girl who would look nice with him I can let you know.


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Cool- thanks! I'll have to check them out. It would be nice to have a recommendation from someone who knows what they're doing! By the time I actually breed them, I intend to be confident in what I'm doing. In the meantime, though, I'm worried about waiting too long to get a female and having her be significantly younger and smaller than the male, as I've read that that's not good. I definitely, above all else, want to make sure that both of the mates are safe during the breeding process.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'd recommend Basement Bettas. She breeds top quality fish.


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Awesome, thanks for letting me know, dramaqueen! Two recommendations for her- sounds like someone I'll be contacting! ;-)


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

I just have to figure out how! I'm still pretty new to this page...


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

LittleBettaFish- I just found the breeding info on that female. They say that she is a "Salamander/Lavender"- her father was a Big Ears Salamander Butterfly and mother a Lavender.


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## bambijarvis (Jul 15, 2012)

Here is her facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BasementBettas?fref=ts
and here is her profile here:
http://www.bettafish.com/member.php?u=38235

if you're worried about the age difference she occasionally sells pairs, the same age.


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Okay, great, thanks! I just remember hearing somewhere that the female needs to be at least 2/3 the size of the male, or the chance that she could be killed during breeding increases. I'm not sure if that's accurate or not, but I'm thinking that for their safety, they should be close to the same size. That's my only concern with buying a young female close to the time I want to breed. I don't want her to be too much smaller than the male. We'll see what happens when I have a little more money to play with! ;-) Thanks for the links to her info!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Basement Bettas can give you advice on that.


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