# Breeding Essentials



## Fish 4 sale ¢50 a fish. (Sep 30, 2019)

This is what I know I need and I have, what else do I need?

I have:

1: Three tanks, the male lives in the 3.5, the female will live in a 13, and the breeding tank is 10 gallons. (Have it)
2: Aquarium vacuum. (Mini size) (Arriving soon)
3: Tiny fry net, and a bigger net. (Have it)
4: Artificial plants, decor, and styrofoam cups. (Have it)
5: BBS and air pump. (Ordering soon)
6: Bettafix, water conditioner, and aquarium salt. (GOT IT!)  
7: Adult betta food, pellets, freeze dried bloodworms, and plenty of live aphids from outside! (Have it)
8: Mason jars to separate the fry when they grow up. (Have it)
9: Male betta. (Have it)
10: Female betta. (Can't seem to get my hands on one yet, no doubt essential.)

What else do you guys think I need?


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## Fish 4 sale ¢50 a fish. (Sep 30, 2019)

I forgot to mention I will move the fry to the 13 gallon long when they are a bit older, and the female will start living in the 10.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Depending on how many survived, you might need another 10 - 20g for grow out plus pump and filter (a 10 - 13g will quickly be over crowded. Pumps and filter may help keep water in better condition). . . . But this can wait until you know how many fry survived. OR if you can't get another tank, put the female in a the mason jar while fry in both the 10 and 13g.

If this is your first attempt, I suggest not to use styrofoam cup. You will have difficulty seeing eggs. Simply cover the top of the tank where you want them to spawn - something solid while the rest of the tank can be covered by clear plastic.

Unless you are certain you can hatch bbs, Having more than 1 fry food supply would be a good idea - also in case one crashes. 

I guess you have the basics covered. 
Good luck. Stay safe


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## CosmicSyringe (Jul 20, 2013)

Indian almond leaves would be reeeeally good for the fry!
You may want a sponge filter for the grow out tank, my fry sometimes pick food off of it and it gives them a little current to swim in if they choose when they get older.
May I suggest contacting your LFS or pet store and checking with them about in case you have more adult bettas than you can handle, if they will help rehome them (this is what I did cuz I was very worried I'd be overwhelmed with the possibility of over 100 fry).
✌❤


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## Fish 4 sale ¢50 a fish. (Sep 30, 2019)

Thank you for the replies, I'm not sure I'll get more than around 40 fry that make it to adulthood. Just because this is my first breeding attempt. I plan to give or sell some of the fry to neighbors and friends!


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## WellBetta (Apr 24, 2020)

The planning part is so exciting! It sounds like you're doing pretty well! 

I would add a turkey baster or pipettes- maybe this is just because I'm a newbie but I didn't realize how much I would use them- they're good for cleaning, feeding, and many other things. Also live plants if you don't already have them- my fry seemed to live off microorganisms supplied by the plants for the first few days until they figured out how to eat microworms & brine shrimp. 

I also second the Indian almond leaves- my fry love to hang out by/on/under the leaves.


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## Fish 4 sale ¢50 a fish. (Sep 30, 2019)

I have an eye dropper, thank you for the suggestions!


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## CosmicSyringe (Jul 20, 2013)

I second the turkey baster, I use it sooooo much!
And during the first couple weeks, a good portion of my fry basically lived on top of floating IA leaves.


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## Mr Grumpy (Feb 28, 2020)

Hi

Betta fry tend to ignore dry and frozen food, they need live food to stimulate their urge to feed.

They need things like Infusoria and tiny free-living nematodes such as Vinegar Eels, Microworms, Banana Worms, and Walter Worms, baby Brine Shrimp, Daphnia, Fairy Shrimp, and Grindal Worms.


Credit to clarice for this.


> For the first three days after becoming free-swimming the fry will need very miniscule foods. Infusoria and tiny free-living nematodes like Vinegar Eels, Microworms, Banana Worms, and Walter Worms make great first foods.
> After 3 days they will be large enough to also start feeding on baby brine shrimp.
> After a week continue to feed baby brine shrimp, but feeding the tiny nematodes will no longer offer any nutritional value.
> At 3-4 weeks continue to feed baby brine shrimp, but you can also introduce finely grated frozen foods. Frozen Bloodworms and frozen Daphnia work great. The Hikari brand is a good choice because their frozen foods have vitamins added before packaging and the food goes through a strict parasite decontamination process.
> ...


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## Fish 4 sale ¢50 a fish. (Sep 30, 2019)

"For the first three days after becoming free-swimming the fry will need very miniscule foods. Infusoria and tiny free-living nematodes like Vinegar Eels, Microworms, Banana Worms, and Walter Worms make great first foods."

How would I culture these foods?


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Nematodes : you need to buy a "starter" - usually seller will give instructions on how to culture.

Infusoria : basically tiny aquatic creatures. Take some veggie clippings - lettuce or cabage will do. Soak in water in clear jar or tank. Add some bacteria infested water, like spinge filter. Give it sunlight. Wait for 5 days or so.


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## Fish 4 sale ¢50 a fish. (Sep 30, 2019)

indjo said:


> Infusoria : basically tiny aquatic creatures. Take some veggie clippings - lettuce or cabage will do. Soak in water in clear jar or tank. Add some bacteria infested water, like spinge filter. Give it sunlight. Wait for 5 days or so.


Infusoria sounds easier, I am on a budget.

So infusoria and then BBS?


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

For the first couple of weeks. But you'll probably need other bigger foods afterwards. Or get fry used to crushed pellets since young - get them accustomed to pellets by feeding together with bbs. At first fry usually won't touch it, especially if there's lots of bbs so you will have to siphon it out every time. But once you reduce bbs or they've out grown bbs, they should begin tasting pellets and eventually eat it.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Personally, I'd recommend purchasing microworm and/or vinegar eel cultures over using infusoria. It can be difficult to produce a consistent supply of infusoria to feed fry, until they are large enough to transition completely onto BBS. 

Microworm and vinegar eel starter cultures are very cheap to purchase, and provided that you continue to re-culture as needed, this one culture can last you many years. I've got a microworm culture in my fish room that I've kept going from an initial starter culture for at least four or five years, probably longer. 

Grindal worms are also another useful food source for older fry, once they're in that stage between transitioning from BBS to frozen or dried foods. Provided you look after your culture correctly, a grindal worm culture can also last many years. 

You definitely want to practice your BS hatching technique before breeding your bettas. There's so many variables that can affect hatch rate, and it can take some trial and error to find what works best for you. 

I will also add, microworms have been linked to absent or deformed ventral fins. There's some debate about what the cause is, but if you do feed microworms, I'd recommend regularly and thoroughly cleaning the bottom of the grow-out tank so the microworms are not left to rot. 

Overfeeding BBS can also cause permanent swim bladder problems, so if fry look like they are struggling to maintain buoyancy following meals, cut back on the amount fed. 

I think feeding betta fry is where most new breeders struggle. This is why the growth rates on their fish tend to be slower, and their survival rates tend to be lower. I've found a lot of new betta breeders keep their fry on microworms or vinegar eels for much too long, because they either can't or won't use BBS. Or they try to use powdered foods from the start in the mistaken belief that this is easier, only to lose large numbers of fry through starvation. 

Consistent and appropriate feeding, coupled with frequent water changes, is really the key to raising healthy bettas.


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## Fish 4 sale ¢50 a fish. (Sep 30, 2019)

Where should I buy the cultures?


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## Brian Immekus (Feb 26, 2020)

I have used just about everything mentioned above at one time or another. I still randomly decide to grab vinegar eels and micro worms from guys I have known on aquabid.com for years. I always have Brine Shrimp in the house at one stage of life or another I just haven't had that much luck with for the first 2-3 days. The best things I have found to date are, IAL's (pretty much a no brainer since they are infusoria without the fuss) they serve a triple purpose, quadruple if you include the female using the leaf to hide on top of it. Along with the leaves, which is your tannins and the infusoria you need to have. In conjunction with those two items "green water" or "algae bloom" whichever you want to call it. However, I only draw off a yogurt size cup of the green water, and from that I will add boiled egg YOLK, or golden pearls. Once I pull the papa from the tank I do a water change using airline tubing and a 3-way valve, I replace the water (depending on its TDS, PH, and GH/KH) if the water is good for it with a fairly heavy bit of green water. We are all aware of the microorganisms in algae bloom, the baby Bettas can live the first week easily on a Green tank. My bettas love golden pearls... and once you get them to a comfortable size to eat BBS I give them that and Stage 1 fry food, Fry Crack, Grow Out Meal, and my own mix of flake food. I don't create these foods, I merely use the flakes from various companies and/or small businesses I trade with and I grind them down to a powder that is the same consistency as GoldenPearls 00. I breed and raise the Bettas in a 2, 2.5, or 5 gal tank. As far as growing them out goes. I don't know that I use the same tanks or patterns or anything else on it. I use anything from Rubbermaid tubs to Stock Tanks if I have multiple spawns going at the same time. Young fish grow fastest in smaller tanks but you do have to monitor them for when it's time to move them up in tank size.


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