# can i breed my male to more than one female?



## Username13 (Apr 4, 2019)

hello, I've recently picked up betta keeping as a hobby, I've bred them before with great success but I couldn't find any articles about breeding the male to more than one female. I wanted to Breed my male to two females, one right after the other, so the eggs are all in the same nest. I know its important not to overwork the bettas though since you cant feed the male while hes caring for the nest (at least that's what all the videos i watched said). Is is okay to breed the male twice in a row or is that a bad idea? I


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## Old Dog 59 (Nov 11, 2018)

You can breed a male betta to more than one female that is so true. However if the first spawn has not hatched the male will not breed again until after the fry hatch and start to feed on their own. I would wait at least a month in between spans to breed him again. (otherwise you will wear the poor guy out.) :surprise::rofl: He needs a break to gain the strength he lost taking care of the first spawn. In resting him between spans you will have a bigger and better spawn.

Oh yeah another thing WELCOME TO THE FORUM.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

You can but there's always a risk. Second female may eat the first batch which may induce male to eat eggs too. Both females must be in breeding mode, and ready to breed at the same time. If the second female needs more time for courtship, it may fail. Male may attack instead, not tend to the first batch . . . Etc.

Safest way is to separate second female with a glass/see through divider or float both females. Both must "think" male wants to breed with them and must respond. When female 1 is done, remove her and the divider. Second female should be ready to spawn.

Best use a PK - traditional or fighting PKs are the best fathers. Veteran females will spawn sooner compared to virgins that usually need at least 3 days of courtship. Use shallow set up to make it easier for male 

Keep in mind that one fully grown female may release 1500 eggs. So male may have to care for 3000 eggs. Many males have a hard time keeping up with one batch. Male must be young and energetic. Otherwise you might lose him to fatigue. . . . Many YouTube videos show sluggish males (I would not breed such males). They also show females were initially not willing to breed (bigger risk). Make sure you know their body language before you attempt this.


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## Username13 (Apr 4, 2019)

Alright thanks! This is very helpful!


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