# A breeding oppinion?



## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

Hiya, i want to breed my betta fish, and ive tried for a while with no success so im thinking of trying with a few new males that i have.
There's Comet, he's a red crowntail with a green/blue body. and i have Cherry Bomb, a purely red Halfmoon i got from a local breeder. 

So im not sure which to choose, i mean, i like both of them. But the thing is that i heard halfmoons are hard to breed. Is this true or a myth?

Please help! :-(


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Your fish have never bred right? 

If so, I'd recommend you use your CT or VT. HMs are just a little more difficult because of their full finnage. They are a little more sensitive to water quality because of their big fins. But, if your up to the challenge, Go for it!!!!


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

Thanks for the feedback, and yea this is my 5th try with no luck, so i hope this time it all works out ^^. Ill go with Comet


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

don't worry!!! Keep trying, you'll get a spawn!


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Can you tell us more about your spawning method and set up you are attempting, it could be technique and not the breeders


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

Oh, well its a 5 gallon tank, silk plants with a small filter, mainly silk plants, a few plastic, no gravel, and the water temperature is at 82-84*...i dont have a glass chimney so i just keep the female's tank close to the breeding tank, he see's her and flares and all. thats what ive bin doing. there is a photo of the tank in my photogallery


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Lower the water level to 5-6 inches. That way the dad won't get too tired swimming up and down to collect eggs.


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

Ill try that, and last try, with my now retired female, he destroyed the nest while trying to 'court' her, maybe because i let her in too early?


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## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

You can do it!


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

I use two different methods with great success, one in bare bottom standard 10g and the other is 10g heavy planted, on both methods I use full tanks of water because I condition my breeder so I don't worry about the male getting tired and when well conditioned I found that I get healthier stronger eggs so the male doesn't have to chase the eggs as they fall because they don't fall in the first place after spawning...lol.....
I also like the full tank so it is easier to keep the air above the water humid and warm and this helps keep the nest intact better and infusoria development for first fry foods.
I don't use filters or air stones in my spawning tanks, I want nice still water and once I start adding the live foods for the fry I make daily water changes anyway so I don't worry about the oxygen level for the fry since their labyrinth organ has not developed yet.
I don't use the hurricane glass either, I put the breeding pair together at the same time and as long as I have plenty of plants I don't worry and I don't get injured breeders either with these methods. I usually have spawning within 2 hours and as long as 6 hours, once the female leaves the spawning area I remove her. The male usually gets removed by 72-80 hours from spawn, first added live foods usually fed by day 7-8 as long as the fry have nice round bellies telling me that I have plenty of infusoria, seed shrimp and other mirco-critters in my mature spawning tanks.
I keep my water temp at 80-81F, I don't want my eggs to hatch too soon as I found that they will be weaker if hatched too fast from too warm of water.
Spawning this species is lots of fun and I think everyone that enjoys this species should spawn at least once, it is a great learning experience....I do recommend that a person should do lots of research first so that they are successful and to be ready to feed and house lots of youngsters......and not to plan on making any money...you are lucky to break even....lol....unless you go big scale of course.......


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

Wow, thanks for the help big time, but i do have a question, you use live plants correct? Because before, i tried using live plants and my bettas would just nom them right up before i had the chance to do anything lol


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Great info OFL.

Bettas don't eat live plants.. they are insectivores.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Sorry. I don't understand your question...what is "nom them right up"

For plants to be effective for cover...you need lots of them, the tank crammed so full that it is hard for the male to get through them except in the spot that you want the nest built, this area need to be clear of plants unless he uses them for his nest, mine like to use water lettuce to build his nest under or the sword plant leaf that I either break off to float or that is growing and laying over the top.
And yes, all my plants are live that I use in either method floating and/or rooted in soil substrate.


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

sorry about that ^^ i meant my fish used to eat them (i used to breed guppies and swordtails) . But i guess it wouldnt hurt to try live plants for a change, ill try that, thanks


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Betta don't eat plants as Jackie posted, they may pick on them eating the micro critters but should not even do any damage.....
So give them a try again.....lol......


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

What plants would be best for this? im thinking about getting the Water lettuce as you said earlier, but what else?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

I use all kinds, naja grass, swords, crypts, lugwigia, rotala, hygrophila, cabomba, anachris, myriophyllum, water wisteria, sags, vals, java moss and ferns and the list can go on...I like stem type plants so I can use them rooted in the soil or floating, the naja grass or guppy grass, water wisteria, anachris, myriophllum are all really good to use if you plant on using a bare bottom tank.
I like water lettuce and duck weed for floaters and nest building, I like keeping lots of java moss, it seems that lots of the micro critters love this stuff and the fry are all over it grazing...lol.....but any type of plant that you can get will work......


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

Okay, good to know =D im sure this will help a lot, and im getting a new 10 gallon tank for the breeding, and the plants, so i hope all goes well this time


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Don't give up...spawning bettas is a fun thing to do and learn from...lol....I have my 4th spawn going right now, I am only planning 20 this year and finding the right breeders is important as well as conditioning them before you breed, it make a difference in fry growth and development.
I have an awesome blue CT butterfly that I want to spawn and he keeps eating the eggs but his half brother the DT cambodian is one of the best fathers I have had in a while, just like his father and both of these guys came from a spawning experiment of multi spawns and kept with their father and mother for the first 12 weeks of their life...the difference in personalities can floor you...lol.....


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

I had that problem with my first time breeding, the male ate all the eggs sadly =( 
But this breeding, im planning to breed my red and green crowntail (his body and rays in his tail are green) because he makes a strong nest that's quit thick. And a young pale red female, im guessing ill get combtails, since its a vt x ct. ^-^ im still excited though


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Ok lemme just say what I do to see if it will help.

My setup is a 5 or 10 gallon tank filled halfway, my heater is on the floor in the corner and my corner filter is just above the heater. My live plants are mixed in with plastic ones and my styro cup is on the opposite end from the heater. I use Stress Coat, Stress Zyme, and Nutrafin Betta Max for water conditioners. I don't use salt. I put my bettas in and within 3 days I have a spawn  .


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

is a Styrofoam cup necessary? because my currant set up, my betta has a huge nest (which im very proud of) im just nervous to let the female in, she doesnt seem very big at the moment. And i do have lots of live plants in my tank, so lots of places to hide. Should i just let her in now?


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Styro cups aren't so if your male already has anest don't add one. I'd release her. She dosent have to be big to breed.


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

i released the female around 6 hours ago, still no progress, he's just chasing and nipping her =(


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

That's completely normal.


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

i guess all i can do is wait now heh


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

Update- he tried to embrace her but she wasnt having it, she swam away DX whyyyy berry- whyy?


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

Second update- i took berry out because a) he made a big gash in her tail and b) he messed up his nest =< but im not giving up! try #8 underway


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

As long as you have plenty of hiding places for the female to get away from the male to rest I would leave them together until they spawn, you can expect some nipped fins in the process with some breeders.

If she appears stressed or she is hiding and panting you will need to remove her, otherwise leave them together.
When spawning in a 10g with lots of hiding places and mass areas of either fake or real plants so that it is hard for the male to get through...all should be fine.

I would remove him now too and make a 50% water change, feed both really good and start again tomorrow, also destroy his nest so he has to make it over again and put them back in at the same time, sometimes raising the temp up to 82-84F until they spawn can help too and then lower it back to 78-80F once he has the eggs so not to hatch to fast and get weak fry.

It can take several attempts and as long as neither are too stressed from one being too aggressive you will get some missing fin pieces but nothing so severe that it can't be healed in a day or so with some clean fresh water.

Give them some time as long as she has a place to get away from him nature will take care of her......


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## Foxers (Mar 14, 2010)

Okay =D i put him into a separate jar with some betta revive and and water conditioner. and i let my mom feed them some bloodworms, since im allergic. And i turned up the heater, and broke up his nest, or what was left of it. Thank you all so much for the help, ill let you know what happens next.


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