# Breeding Bettas - Considerations and supplies



## MrVampire181

*BREEDING BETTAS*​ 
*Considerations before breeding your fish:*
· *Are my fish breeding quality*? Unless you can get a nice halfmoon pair from your local pet shop you should never breed your pet shop fish. Although now many chain stores such as PetCo and PetsMart offer nice males that can be bred in halfmoon, doubletail, halfmoon plakat, and delta forms. If you choose to breed a pet shop fish be sure they are not of the veil tail variety. Veil tails are not sanctioned in IBC shows and therefore are not breeding material. To save yourself the trouble it’s best to buy a nice sibling pair on an aquatic auction site such as www.aquabid.com. 

· *Bettas can produce up to one thousand eggs in a single spawn.* That means you will have hundreds of little babies swimming around and eventually will grow into adults. This means you will need space for a growout (minimum of 20 gallons), and potentially hundreds of jars to keep all the males. Now another reason to avoid pet shop fish is to be able to find homes for these fish. No one will want to buy a veil tail from you for $5 plus shipping when they can get one for $3 at their local pet shop. 

· *Breeding bettas takes a lot of time and commitment*. Tanks need cleaning everyday, young ones need feeding several times a day, and you need to watch them for outbreaks of disease. If you do not have time for this do not attempt to breed your bettas.

· Breeding bettas is not cheap. The materials needed to breed a single spawn can cost up to $500. Be sure you have the funds to support your breeding. 

· *Breeding bettas requires space*. Trust me breeding them in your bedroom isn’t easy. Although it can be done you should try to dedicate a room specifically for your fish. You will need space for spawn tank/s, growout/s, jars, food, and supplies. Be sure you have enough space for this.

*The supplies for the breeding pair:*
· Two tanks (at LEAST two gallons each) with heaters, lids, etc. 
· Frozen foods
· Atison Betta Pro (will be needed for juvenile fry as well).


*Now let’s move on to the supplies needed to breed your pair:*

· *One spawning tank. *Your spawning tank should be no less than 10 gallons. Personally I have used several sizes of spawn tanks but 10 gallons seem to work the best. Now to save a little cash you can purchase a 66 quart (65L) tub from your local WalMart with a snap on lid. They’re bigger than a 10 gallon and won’t break as easily. It’s your choice. 

· *One submersible, adjustable aquarium heater.*Bettas are more likely to spawn in warmer water. You will need an adjustable and submersible heater (you’ll find out why) to keep the temperature about 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. 

· *A tight fitting lid or tank hood.*If you’re using a plastic tub the snap lid will work just fine. With a 10 gallon you’ll need a tank hood with a light. 

· *One sponge filter.*You NEED to have a filter in your tank. With hundreds of little babies emptying their stomachs every 20 minuets a lot of waste will build up and you need a filter to keep the water clean. 

· *Live plants.*Live plants create infusoria which is an important food source for the fry’s first week of life. Also they help keep your water clean. I personally recommend Amazon Sword, Java Fern, Marimo Moss, Duckweed, and Horwort. Be sure to add plenty of them to your spawning tank.

· *Snails.*Snails keep your tank clean by eating left over food and potentially dead fry. 

· *A nest anchor.*Your male will need a place to build his nest. You can use bubble wrap, Styrofoam, or various lids.

· *A glass chimney.*So for anyone who doesn’t know…gas powered lanterns use a glass chimney around the flame. Often you can get these at a second hand store for next to nothing. This will be used to separate the female and the male. 

· *A cave or hiding place.*There’s a lot of fighting, chasing, and nipping during betta courtship. Your female will need a place to retreat to during the courtship process.

· *A light source.*Whether it’s a designated tank hood or just a room light you will need a light source that can stay on for at least three days. 

· *Air pump, tubing, control valves for sponge filter.*

· *Thermometer *

· *Indian Almond Leaves. *Ever wonder how we breeders get spawns quickly and easily? It’s these leaves. They are found in Thailand and are a natural spawning inducer.

*Fry related purchases:*
· *Food**. *Microworms, vinegar eels, and baby brine shrimp are the most common. I highly recommend using all three.

· *A growout tank.*You will need a tank or container of at LEAST 20 gallons to grow your fry. Once they reach about one month old the spawn tank is no longer a sufficient size container for the fry. Be sure the tank has a heater and hiding places.

· *Powdered fry food.*When they start getting bigger the fry will need to start switching over from live food to pellet food. Powdered fry food like Atison’s Betta Starter is a great food to feed in addition to live food to slowly adjust them to pellet food.

· *Jars to separate the males.*

· *Medications for Ick and Velvet.*


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## dramaqueen

This sticky has a link to a youtube video that shows how to set up a spawn.

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/breeding-betta-fish/breeding-bettas-conditioning-spawning-82910/


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## MrVampire181

Yup. The same as a regular spawn set up. 

Several sizes can be used. I reccomend the 66 quart for first timers. Now a days I use a 4 gallon tub.


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