# How do YOU condition your bettas for spawning? & more q's!



## Timberland (Jan 30, 2012)

Im just curious how you condition your pair for spawning... what you feed & how often?

How long do you leave your pair in the spawning tank before you pull them out if they arent spawning? 

Do you leave her jarred while the male can see her and build a nest or do you release her right away?

Do you use any spawning aid in your water? Like Spawn-Aid or Betta Spa?

I know everyone does something different so I thought it would be interesting to ask what yall do. 

Thanks for replying!


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## faragello (Jul 4, 2012)

This is a very important question How often can a male betta breed? Females are known by the fat belly and the white spot what about males??


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## Timberland (Jan 30, 2012)

faragello said:


> This is a very important question How often can a male betta breed? Females are known by the fat belly and the white spot what about males??


Great question!


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## Nymmers (May 2, 2011)

I use Attison's Betta Pro.
As well as FROZEN (not freeze dried!!) blood worms, and live mosquito larva.
Keep their water really clean, but colder than what I will have their spawning tank at.
As for releasing, it depends on how they react to each other. 
My last spawn the male didn't build a bubble nest until after they started wrapping.
Just gotta watch for the signs.
I do use IAL and live plants in my spawning tanks, and I prefer to do them outside.​


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

I always feed frozen blood worms, mosquito larva, daphnia, ant eggs, minced shrimp. I never condition them for breeding. They are almost always ready to breed. My "conditioning" is more to getting them in the mood because sometimes pairs taken from sororities are not readily willing to breed.

I sometimes breed weekly - depending on my goal and the condition of both male and females. The safest period is about 4 weeks - safest in the sense that they should have regained their health/strength.

All of my fish are out side, some under direct sunlight, others under a roof. I don't look for bubble nests nor do I look for breeding bars on females. As long as both are flirting - I release. But it also depends on the male. If he is a known killer, I jar the female until late at night before I release. I jar first time females for a day or two. But if the male isn't too vicious, I immediately release the female (both veterans and first timers).

I don't use any IAL nor chemicals. I age my water for about 4 weeks - clean tub/tank, dump daphnia and tubifex and let them die out and decay. A week later the water should begin to clear. The following week, insects begin to nest in them. After 3 weeks, my male goes in to avoid mosquito larva. 4 - 5 weeks the female goes in. Sometimes a tub or two are left fishless for 2 months if I can rotate/schedule spawns and mix them in the growouts. I use water from these tubs to refill 1g tanks/tubs used for spawning (I spawn in 1 - 50g depending on the pair).


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## jeffegg2 (Apr 5, 2012)

Mostly frozen Bloodworms for conditioning. It is high in fat and protein! I also make them run on the treadmill and use the weight room! haha!

I bred the same female on the 15th and then on the 24th. The second batch was only about 80 eggs, so perhaps a longer wait is indicated.

Jeff.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

I mass feed mosquito larva while I have them in separate containers so they can't see each other-neither in the spawning tank. I allow them to see each other 1-2 times a day and I keep the light on them for 12h. Water temp is kept cooler than the spawning tank temp.

Depending if I have spawned them before or not...I may or may not keep the female in the cup floating in the spawning tank for a few hours before I release her....
Usually I do the shock method and drop both in the spawning tank as the same time and usually I will have spawning within the hour-no later than first light the next day.

I don't wait on a bubble nest or bars....

Some I have had to leave together for a week before I got spawn-as long as they are not killing each other I don't worry about it-Since I use a natural method to spawn in the house-the female has plenty of place to go rest if needed.

I will spawn the male daily if needed and females I will spawn every 3 days. Depending on my goal/plans/needs at the time.....

Outside spawn-I generally will see a new nest with eggs every 3-4 days-if I collect the eggs to artificial hatch and I will have 100's of eggs in the nest each time. 
If I leave the nest/eggs for the male to tend to-I generally will see a new nest weekly...about every 5-7 days and I will collect the fry to move to larger grow outs on a daily basis....

I like to use heavy tannins outside-my buckets will start out half full of dried oak leaves and I add stem plants to float and floating plants.
Inside spawns I only lightly tan the water
I feed mass amount of mosquito larva before, during and after spawning...mine always will eat.....
I turn off the lights like I normally do at night even with nest/eggs.....never seemed to make a difference...plus outside the only light will be moon light....
Fish have what is called a lateral line and it is used somewhat like echo location to function in the dark....


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## Enkil (Jan 15, 2012)

I condition for at least 2 weeks. I condition them in their normal tanks (none of my males can see my female(s)). Mine get fed frozen bloodworms, frozen mosquito larvae, and any other such foods I have or find.

How long I leave the pair depends on how they are behaving. I recently did my first spawn. The first male I tried got left in for only about an hour because my female is rather vicious and went after his body. I tried another male with her and she acted like a shy little school girl. I left her in there with him for 48 hours. The first 24, they were "courting". The second 24 they were spawning. He then chased her off and I removed her.

I did the chock method - putting them both in the spawning tank at the same time.

I aged my water in the spawning tank with live plants. I also added a single IAL.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Frozen blood worms, daphnia, and daily water changes.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Im just curious how you condition your pair for spawning... what you feed & how often?

I feed them both live, frozen, freeze dried and pellet. I tend to feed them more throughout the day rather than all at once, along with changing the temperature of the tank.

If the intended male is very vicious during breeding I may use TEAK LEAVES on the female to harden those scales.


How long do you leave your pair in the spawning tank before you pull them out if they arent spawning? 
Depending if they are being injured, still working on the nest, if the male lost interest, or if they are swimming with each other. If they shown signs of severe stress, no interest, heavy beatings, I remove them.

Do you leave her jarred while the male can see her and build a nest or do you release her right away?

I use the lovely shock method. The tank is set up prior, with live plants, a hidey spot, and a styrofoam hut/cave. Sometimes no styrofoam! I plop them both in, different sides, and the water is usually 3 degrees difference at least. Once they adjust, and realize there is another betta it seems to goa lo faster than any other method I have used.

Do you use any spawning aid in your water? Like Spawn-Aid or Betta Spa?
Sometimes IAL, black water extract, or nothing at all. Most of mine do better with a little something in the water. If a male is losing interest I jar another male and introduce him visually. This usually kick starts the breeding male, for me


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## CandiceMM (Jul 15, 2012)

This is a great thread!! I find it very helpful!!!


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