# Male staying with fry



## maeusespeck (Dec 17, 2019)

Hello everyone!

I’m still breeding betta if anyone remembers me.

Recently I breed a pair from this spawn. Nice Nemo Koi HMPK female, cello/marble male HMPK - was not sure if it will work because the male is nearly giant and double the size of the female. 
But the breeding went well, both were very sweet with each other. As usual, I removed the female after the mating, although it seemed not necessary. She was also putting eggs back in the nest, blowing bubbles and no aggression between her and the male.

Now the fry are free swimming and I usually remove the male at this time. But he seems so caring for his babies, guarding and looking after them, some are also hanging around near him.
So I’m thinking about leaving the male with the fry for now.

Does someone have experience with that?
How long could it be beneficial for the fry and the male?

Sometimes my males were a bit depressed after removing them, but they seemed also stressed by trying to put free swimming fry back in their nest or had no interest in them.

How about feeding the male and the water quality?

For now, I have not fed him, because usually I don't until he’s back in his own tank - but when he stays there he definitely will need some xD


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Good fathers can be left with fry as long as you want. They will/might become aggressive towards fry when they (fathers) want to rebreed. But most won't become aggressive if they don't see other adult bettas.

In the old days, many males will feed their fry (but this has become rather rare nowadays). If you see your male vigorously vibrating his pectorals during feeding, that is him trying to call fry to feed. Fry will enter his mouth or hang around near his gills to eat food debris.

I prefer to add live tubifex for male to snack on when he gets hungry (avoid using live tubifex for too young giants because they will try to swallow big/long foods and often may choke to death). At the same time, I feed fry food regularly (regardless father feed fry or not). Hopefully both father and fry can have their share of food.


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## maeusespeck (Dec 17, 2019)

Thanks! Adding tubifex seems like a good idea. I was a bit concerned about the males food and the water quality. I read somewhere that tubifex are also a good waste cleaner, eating poop and left over food - is this true?

First I was not sure what the male was doing, but now I think he is really feeding his fry. He seems a bit fluttery when I feed him - so might try to call his fry, but I don't think they understand 
But more interestingly he is catching a fry, than catching like into the void several times and releasing the fry after this. I think he might catch bbs and infusoria for the fry in his mouth! Would be pretty cool anyway.
Admittedly I don't think he can feed all fry, I thought it is a small spawn, but now there are so many fry.

I also have another spawn which is 3 days younger, where I don't think the male will stay with the fry. So it will be interesting to compare those in terms of survival rate, size, health, etc.


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