# Spawning The Thai Way



## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

So I have finally decided on a pair of my bettas that I want to breed. I am doing this for colour and a chance at raising life this way. 
My male is a pineapple delta.









My female is a blue and red veil tail.
(I don't have a picture of her at the moment.)

I have them in a small container with about 3.5 cm of water. There is also a small cut of hornwort that the male can build his bubble nest on. So far they both seem to be doing fine but I'm hoping that if I just let nature take its course then I will get some eggs within the next few days.
I have also decided that if there are no eggs in the nest by the fifth or sixth day of them being together them I am going to cancel this spawn and try another in a little while.
From this spawn I am hoping to get some red/blue washes, maybe some butterflies, and hopefully a couple marbles/kois.
I'll keep you all updated on their progress each day.


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## Euphie101 (Aug 28, 2010)

Good Luck!!


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Good luck!! It's too cold here in Denver to spawn this way. I can't wait to see the results.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

I'm spawning them inside since I'm in ON, Canada. I have a tiny heater that I put in the container to keep the temperature up for them. I have also substituted one of my other male's bubble nests so that this pair can use it. My male seems to have trouble building a nest so hopefully he can figure it out and expand on what I've put in there.


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## luv2run21 (Aug 17, 2010)

the way i do it is partially thai but i do it inside too because i live in Newhampshire and its too cold here to do it from fall to spring the only time i can do it is in the summer


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## zelilaa (Jul 31, 2010)

what exactly is the thai way?!


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

In Thailand people just throw bettas into little bowls to breed them. I'm a fan of the shallow spawn method but that's a different topic.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

I find it quite amazing how people from Thailand can breed bettas that way. Thats exactly why I am trying that method. I figure that if they can produce the outstanding fish that they do with that method then why can't I?


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

They can because conditions are perfect. Bettas come from Thailand bettas breed best in Thailand. But breeders have their own secret way, its a family tradition. They've been breeeding like this for hundreds of years.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

I wish I could go to Thailand to visit a betta breeder there and see their set up. It must be so hectic when feeding time comes for all those fish, lol. Plus, how do they sell all of their fry if basically everybody is breeding their own.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Well each breeder has thousands of bettas coming to the US every week. Not to mention aquabid and swapping fish.

Here's Aquastar71's set up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSF1SFtucKk


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## CjRager89 (Aug 12, 2010)

lol anyone speak thai?


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Ya, I've watched that video too many times, lol. They have one of the nicest and best kept set ups I've ever seen. They are so lucky to have such amazing bettas.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

I'm going to order from him next year. I can't wait


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Sounds like fun. I might order from him some day but for now I have a local breeder that sells her stock to a really good fish store near me so I just get my bettas from there.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Lucky...Lol


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Just a quick little update. My male has built a bubble nest over half the surface of the container and the female's tail is a little bit beaten up but other than that, no progress.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

It worked! My pair spawned and there is a decent clump of eggs in the nest now.  I'm going to leave them together for a little while longer just to see if they spawn a couple more times.


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## Euphie101 (Aug 28, 2010)

Wow congrats! Looks like the Thai way works well.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Ya! I was actually really surprised myself. I had high hopes but I didn't think that they would breed within two days of being together. I'm so excited now to watch these cuties grow up.  I'll try to get some photo time in today so that I can show all of you whats going on with the little love birds, lol.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Here are a few picture of the male and female, their container, and the eggs that are in the nest so far.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

I'm gonna try that. How'd you keep them from killing each other?


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Well I set up squares of black construction paper around the container so that the female and male weren't freaking out and trying to get out. I just put my small black heater(in picture) in the container to keep the water at a perfect temperature and I kept it off of the wall of the container so that the female could hide behind it if needed. I also covered the top of the container with a square of black construction paper so that there were no bugs flying around, distracting them. From there I just let nature take it's course. I kept a very close eye on them the first day to make sure that they both got along and today I was out basically all day and they spawned without me there. I've removed the female now and she is in her own tank, recovering. I'm not really sure why the male didn't kill her, he just didn't. I think it has something to do with the tank size. If you give the pair a bigger tank and let the male establish a territory he may become more violent. He may also think, once they are done, that he can chase the female away and she will stay away since there is so much space. With my pair, I put them in at the same time so that the male didn't establish a territory.

I hope this helped a little.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Hmmm. I really wanna try this. I'll set it up in November for my next spawn.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Also, when and whre are your fry gonna go when they outgrow this container (my guess, 2 weeks).


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Do you have a thermometer on that heater? It is supposed to be fully submersed to keep it from overheating and breaking.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

There is no thermometer on this type of heater. 
In terms of my fry, I am leaving them in with their dad until they are free swimming, then I will take him out and feed the fry bbs or my special brand of fry food until they get a bit bigger, probably around 2 weeks. Once they reach that mark I will be moving them to either my 10 gallon with a ton of plants in it or my 20 gallon indoor pond/grow-out tank. Then, once they start fighting I will remove them and have them in their own seperate containers(still haven't decided how I will do this since I don't want to put a heater in every single container).


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I know it doesn't have a heater but do you have a thermometer in the tank? That is a very small container and that heater will probably over heat that tank.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

every so often I put a thermometer in the container to check the temperature so that I can keep an eye on it.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Yeah and getting dad out would be hard, those atre two problems with such set ups. Try a heating pad for reptiles next time 

Anyway I'll try this with one spawn in November but keep doing the shallow spawn method.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Actually its pretty easy taking the fish out by hand. I already did that with the female and the male comes out from under the nest every once and a while so I can catch him then.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

I checked this morning and almost all of the eggs have hatched.  Now the dad is swimming around the container trying to catch all of them. XD I'll show you all some pictures later today.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I can't wait for pics! lol


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Pictures of the babies. Some of them are bobbing up and down under the bubble nest, others and lying on the bottom of the tank and then swimming up once and a while for air, and most are swimming around the tank trying to get away from daddy, lol.
I'm beginning to see how tricky it may be to take the male out of the tank. I will wait until all the babies are free swimming and then I'll try using a small net and fish him out, letting the babies fall through the holes in the net. 
I was also wondering if I could use small powdered food that I use on my guppy fry for these babies since that food works really well and it is very small?:-?


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Nope, powdered food is way to dangerous in that container. It'll polute very quickly.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Ok well I might not have to worry about that anymore. I think the temperature may have gotten too high or maybe the dad flung them around too much but it looks like all of the babies are dead this morning. I'll check again later and let you guys know for sure.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Well, the spawn failed. All of the babies died overnight so I will wait until November until i try spawning that pair again.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

I'm so sorry.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

Its ok, at least I still have the parents. Its too bad all those little lives were lost though. R.I.P little ones


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## BettaBoy84 (Jul 25, 2010)

whats the temp??? its not really the tai way if the temperature isnt humid and very warm...that and the quality foods (any many other factors) they use are mainly why tai breeders have succes..

that looked like a large spawn too, unfortunate...


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

the temp was about 80% almost all the time. I fed the parents cull fry, frozen bloodworms, and freeze dried bloodworms. I had the container covered the whole time, except when I did quick checks on the pair. Nothing was disturbing the water. I'm not entirely sure what went wrong. I will be getting a space heater for my fish room soon though so that'll help keep a steady temperature in the room. I am definetely not giving up on breeding the thai way though and I will be trying it again soon.


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## BettaBoy84 (Jul 25, 2010)

*Planted Tai ?*

Very strange..well IMO a planted tank is a successful tank. never failed me..My first few spawns were glass tanks, traditional hobbiest script...but both times failed..and they were to the book..

Then I decided to create some planted tanks..they took off...not only did the fish love it and love spawning in them, the bubble nests were huge, the colors got brighter, but I loved plating themm..its fun and truley rewarding watching the plants get larger and the tank fill in...

Cant wait to see your prrogress and look forward to the new pics of your next attempt...


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## BettaGirl290 (Jul 29, 2010)

my spawning tank is a 20 gal. w/ 50 watt heater, it keeps the temp at 80* F


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

If you plan to breed this way during the cold seasons, I suggest you use a glass container with covers because it would make the temp more stable compared to plastic. Drastic temp changes whether up or down will affect the fry.

I must warn you though this method is usually used only to spawn the breeders and once the fry are free swimming they would be released to a larger pool/pond. Further, the Thai's have suitable climate and spring water which adds to their success. 

You must also consider what you're going to feed them. This set up doesn't supply adequate infusoria unless you use aged/conditioned water. What ever you feed them, you must also do pwc because ammonia will quickly build up in that small container. 

The longest I've succeeded keeping fry in such small containers is 2 weeks (their growth will be affected). But then again I use very old aged water which I know is full of micro organisms. My pwc is also of the same water source which ensures the supply of infusoria. I feed and do daily pwc - sometimes twice a day. ... In short it's much more work and I wouldn't recommend it (specially in the cold season), not even to an experienced breeder who doesn't have that much spare time.


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## BettaLover101 (Aug 20, 2010)

I am aware of all of these factors. I had planned on leaving the fry in for about a week and a half then moving them into two very well planted infusoria filled tank which I would let them grow up in. I also have tons of bbs on hand that i can hatch whenever i want for the fry once they got bigger. Also, I use a heater in the container for the moment and this weekend I am getting a space heater to keep all of my tanks at the same temperature since all I have in that room are guppies and bettas(both love the warm temperatures). For my new spawn I may try either a slightly larger plastic container or one of my 2.5 gallon tanks and see if they work better than the smaller plastic containers. I was also thinking about having another tank set up, probably another 2.5g, and just switching the nest and eggs over to it before the fry hatch. I'm stilling thinking it all over in my head though so I might start the spawn this coming weekend or the weekend after depending on how my bettas are doing and how much free time I have to watch them.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

I respect your attempt to gain knowledge and experience. But moving eggs before they hatch for no reason? .... is that wise? IMO if you have a good breeder and father, don't stress him by removing his eggs. Let nature take its course. 

Since you plan to move them anyway, why not spawn the breeders in that tank? Unless you plan to mass produce using a number of pairs but only have one grow out, I don't see the point of this method. 

I'm not trying to discourage you. I just don't see the logic to what you are trying to do. Anyway, the key to successful breeding is suitable water. If the fry can survive in your water, they have a chance. So try to keep its perimeter stable at least the first week. By moving eggs/fry means they have to adjust to their new water.

I've often experienced unexplainable losses. Believe me it's frustrating! During this period, I'm reluctant to do pwc. To me, stunt fry is better than dead fry. I truly hope you figure out what went wrong. 

Keep us posted. Good luck.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

I agree with BettaBoy84, my now favorite set up is a 16 quart (4 gallons) with a small preset heater and some live plants. I prefer shallow and hobbyist method for spawning. Anyway Indjo has some good points. Stunting is my main concern, that's why I change 12-15 gallons on my 16.5 gallon daily (I upped it from 6-9 gallons).


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