# Female Not Interested



## alunjai (Jul 29, 2012)

I've been conditioning my pair (both virgins) for the past 2 weeks with frozen blood worms and occasionally live brine shrimps. Everyday I would let them view each other for 10-15 mins. The female isn't showing any fear or breeding stripes but can clearly see the eggs inside her. The male is in a 10g tank filled a third way up and has built a large nest. 

So on Friday I put her in and for the first few minutes they seemed to be doing well with the female following him, which he responded by dancing but after a while the male would nip her and after that she would hide in one corner or behind the sponge filter. He's still dancing and trying to get her attention by chasing/nipping her but she doesn't seem interested. I left them in together for the night and still nothing so I decided to put a small clear plastic container (with holes) into the 10g and put the pair in so they can stay focused but he was too rough so I eventually took her out and back into her own tank. 

Today I put her straight into the 10g with him but the same thing happened again with her following him for the first few minutes and now hiding in one corner after he chases her. 

My question is... shall i just leave them together for a few days and see what happens or shall I recondition them again? She's already getting some torn fins but I'm worried he might attack her to death. 

My last pair spawned within an hour of introducing them but unfortunately both had died since.

Here are the current pair:

Female:
View attachment 109954




Male:
View attachment 109962


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

If the tank has enough hiding spots and plants where she can hide under or behind, she should be fine. They do not always spawn within the first day... I had pairs take up to 5 days before they spawned. 

Sometimes they get distracted. I place cardboard or construction paper all around the tank so neither can see out, and the focus remains IN the tank. Do you have another female? Introducing her scent into the tank can sometimes drive the other female to pay attention (I use a small scoop or baster to get water into the tank). Or show her a mirror, which then she will think there is another female. :lol:

The chasing and hiding is absolutely normal.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I've had virgin pairs that bred within hours, days and even a week+.. Leave them be for a while and see what happens. Keep an eye that it doesn't stop being flirtatious and normal and starts being kill mode - as long as he is tending the nest and keeps trying to lead her back there then he is interested and she should eventually come around. 

Try not to disturb them though when you check.. I tend to tape a dish towel in front of the tank so they can't see me, and I can peek ever so slightly to check in on them without disturbing them.


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## alunjai (Jul 29, 2012)

The tank is quite spacious and she sometimes hide under the IAL or behind the sponge filter. The thing is she normally swims quite a lot in her own tank but when with the male she stays still in one corner. Is this normal? Not sure if she's scared or just not interested. 

Last night I left a small light on and covered the top with tea towels so its not too bright but still nothing. The male is still tending to the nest and getting her attention but she's not moving much.

I will try to cover the tank and see if that helps.

I don't have any other female adults. Only 2 female fry at 3 months old. She does flare when I placed a mirror in front of her though.


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

Thats normal. She will stay still untill the male changes his attitude and starts trying to make her follow him under the nest. Maybe gover her somwhere to hide and wait a few days.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

You have to make sure she is breeding mode - flirt swimming. When she is, you can leave herr in with male. If male is too aggressive, I wouldn't suggest small containers. Use as big tanks as possible with lots of hide outs. 

When you take a stressed female out of the breeding, you can't give her 1 - 2 days and expect her to breed. She will need to build up her confidence in isolation for about a week or so. And she MUST be in breeding mode when she sees that male again. Otherwise she will become stressed and will get hurt.


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## alunjai (Jul 29, 2012)

I've taken her out now and reconditioning both with frozen blood worms and live brine shrimp. Also allowing them to see each other every day for around 10-15 minutes. She always seems to be flirt swimming or gets excited when she sees the male. Anyway I will try again over the weekend


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## alunjai (Jul 29, 2012)

I've reconditioned both for 4 days now and added the female with the male but she still staying still and not moving even when the male flirt swim near her. Is this common? All the pairs that I've tried to spawn in the past always swim around but this female seems to be so scared she just stays still.

She only moves when he starts to nip her. I'm a little frustrated cos she has really nice forms and would like her to breed.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Just leave them be.. she has to build confidence and be fully ready before she follows him - she knows it's risky to breed (not uncommon for females to be killed in the process), so she has to feel ready. I've had pairs take a week+ in the spawning tank before anything happens. Also have had pairs where nothing happens in a span of 2 weeks in the tank. Each breeding pair is different. Can't go off what one pair did and expect it with others. I've had them breed from anywhere from a couple hours being together to over a week. It's going to vary. Patience is hard during this time, but is needed.. just make sure they don't get interrupted during this time. Don't let them see you, don't disturb them by feeding/cleaning them, etc. 

Good luck!


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## alunjai (Jul 29, 2012)

I've put a cover around the tank and left them now. Just had a few peep and the male is still flirting. Nest is big but very thin... 

Did you feed the pair during the week+ waiting to spawn or you just left them? Would they have enough energy without being fed for such a long time? 

Anyway will keep you all updated and thanks for all the advice


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

I suggest you forget about that female and use a different one. She sounds stressed and that may take a couple of weeks to fix. Isolate her, no exercise, just feed to condition and keep up with water changes. After a few days, flare her to a different color of the male, preferably a smaller female. If she flares, exercise regularly for a few days. Then try flaring to the same color as the male. Also do this for a few days. Let her gain full confidence. She should be in breeding mode by this time - she should flirt swim when ever she sees another betta. 

Set up the breeding tank and everything. Use extra hideouts. Since she had been stressed, I suggest immediately releasing her just before dark ( she might become stressed again if floated too long). Keep an eye on her for the first half hour. Make sure she is flirting with the male. At night, without extra light, they should become inactive but can sense each other. Hopefully she will spawn the following morning.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I feed mine heavily even during spawning. Usually my females will not eat when they are ready to breed


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## alunjai (Jul 29, 2012)

I left them undisturbed over night and all day today and this evening I found her hiding under the IAL. She's pretty torn up so I've taken her out and she's gone quite pale just like when I first got her. She's more active in her own tank. 

I was wondering if the pale colour of the male would be the reason why she's not interested? Would a brightly coloured male be more attractive for her?


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Sometimes they do have preferences; some of mine prefered darker or lighter colored males. My males did not seem to care as much :lol:

Conditioner her for two weeks heavily. Isolated, IAL, variety of foods three times a day... Exercise with a mirror too. See if that drives her.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Color preference could be a reason. But this could also be caused by stressed. Many bettas won't go full out when once stressed by a certain color. . . . by confidence I mean, a betta will fight that color - not just flare. Mentality. IME light colors, royal blue and red have rather low mentality - meaning after stressed, it takes them longer to be willing to fight for territory (against that color). 

You have to make your female aggressive, willing to fight the male's color. Aggressive with high mentality is easier and faster to breed. Otherwise she will never want to breed.

Note: I'm not advising you to fight them. Flare them 30-60 minutes (or longer). If she is still flaring, she has mentality. And the long flaring sessions will eventually get her into breeding mode.


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