# Betta Breeding Videos



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

I am going to keep updating this post so you guys can help me. I am gonna try to explain it teh best I can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWrF1reidU


----------



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Your female needs a heater. Cold fish won't be in spawning condition no matter how much you feed them. That's why she's not moving around.


----------



## Martinismommy (Dec 2, 2010)

This is not how you condition fish for spawning....


----------



## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Why is she in that little thing? She should be in her own tank, with a heater, being fed good food. The smaller cylinder is for when they are actually in the spawning tank together. I'm assuming the male has a heater? What are your water changes like with the female's cylinder and the male's 2.5 gallon? Also, what are you feeding them for conditioning?


----------



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Here's what you need.

1-2 gallon tanks (TWO of them) with heaters that can reach 78* at least. Daily 100% water changes (no exceptions). Feed at least 2x daily with high quality foods. Generally this will get your fish in spawning condition in 2-3 weeks.

I also exercise my males with a mirror for 5-10 minutes a day to keep them in shape.


----------



## tracyalexa (Mar 29, 2011)

I don't want to be rude, honestly. But this is how you are conditioning them? I've read the multiple pages of information and advice these people have given you and they are pretty clear on the instructions. Why in the world is she in that tiny thing with no heater?? I am just confused on why you are trying to do this without the proper set up and ignoring the info provided. It's like trying to build a car with bicycle parts.


----------



## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

Just saying, these fish look in worse health than MY fish, and they are just getting ordinary, average care. A conditioned fish should be brimming with health... those aren't breeders. Nope, I don't care what you say, they're fish that are in the same condition as a petco betta in a cup.


----------



## Abby (Jan 13, 2011)

A) Three months old? they dont mature till they are 6 months old thats like trying to get a pair of under ten yr olds to breed.
B) Please tell me you not going to FORCE her to live in that thing, she looks like shes headed to her grave.
C) theres no substrate no plants nothing for them to rest on or hide behind.
D) those need daily water changes 
E) dont tap the tanks that stresses them out, especially with the water movement you caused the sick looking female
F) her fins are clamped shes lethargic and looks terrible. shes never going to breed in these conditions.
PLUS we can BARELY see the fish due to lights. DO you supply your tanks with lighting at all?
Are they heated, how often/much/what type of food do u feed?


----------



## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

No wonder your fish arent breeding. I dont understand how you can even think this is okay... "shes probably stressed from her 3-day shipping" yeah right. Your treating her AND him terribly. I've seen healthier, happier fish in wal-mart. Sheesh. Seriously, and you wonder why your fish wont breed? I'm disgusted.


----------



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Actually Abby, most Bettas are breeding size at 3-3.5 months old. With fish it's not how old they are but if they're big enough to spawn and responsive. Every pair I've ever spawned has been around the 3-6 month mark, and most of those were much closer to the 3 month mark. Heck, I've got a female in spawn right now that is just barely 12 weeks old and she's ready to go.

Most breeding set ups are pretty minimal, some java moss or other floater or some IAL. Its easier to do water changes if you don't have to take take a bunch of stuff out. My male breeders are kept in 1 or 2 gallon bare bottom tanks with only a piece or two of IAL. I'm able to do a 100% water change in under 1 minute that way and the fish hardly notices it was ever out of the water. Room lighting is sufficient since the fish don't need light to see, you just need light to see the fish. The fish are probably more comfortable in a darker environment.


----------



## Panthera (Nov 2, 2010)

They look like they're dying. That's all I have to say. I'm not going to mention how creepy this video is, like it looks like a Serial Killer shot it, or how bad it is that they're kept in those for conditioning. Although we both know its probably they're permanent homes dont we? 

And I'm not even GOING to touch on the subject that when the female is all clamped up and looking like she's dead, you tap the glass and shake it. That's what 5 year olds do when they go to petco. Not a so called person attempting to breed their fish.


----------



## Abby (Jan 13, 2011)

1fish2fish said:


> Actually Abby, most Bettas are breeding size at 3-3.5 months old. With fish it's not how old they are but if they're big enough to spawn and responsive. Every pair I've ever spawned has been around the 3-6 month mark, and most of those were much closer to the 3 month mark. Heck, I've got a female in spawn right now that is just barely 12 weeks old and she's ready to go.
> 
> Most breeding set ups are pretty minimal, some java moss or other floater or some IAL. Its easier to do water changes if you don't have to take take a bunch of stuff out. My male breeders are kept in 1 or 2 gallon bare bottom tanks with only a piece or two of IAL. I'm able to do a 100% water change in under 1 minute that way and the fish hardly notices it was ever out of the water. Room lighting is sufficient since the fish don't need light to see, you just need light to see the fish. The fish are probably more comfortable in a darker environment.



well here in OZ we prefer to let our fish mature a little before breeding.
these are the "Conditioning tanks" not the spawning tank. so in all respect there should be something in there for the fish to rest on or hide in. i asked about lighting because if hes got no heaters lights will at least warm the water a little.

your comments to me are just encouraging the ill keeping of these poor fish 
I am trying to get the op to give the fish a better environment. the room seems to get little light so the water temp is going to be and stay low. a light will help this and i dont mean a roof light i mean a lamp


----------



## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

how is 1F2F encouraging the ill treatment of fish? She is telling the OP what she does, and maybe he will follow. 100% water changes every day, a heated 1-2 gallon tank, indian almond leaves, etc... does that sound like a _bad_ enviornment to you? And by saying he needs a lamp, you are almost suggesting he doesn't need a heater at all. Rather than say "you need more light", try saying something like "you need a heater".


----------



## Abby (Jan 13, 2011)

I try not to mention things already mentioned repeating the same thing over and over gets repetitive and ignored


----------



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

If the fish are willing to breed they are mature enough, regardless of age. The only reason for growing a fish out to 6 months is to allow it to get it's full finnage which is not necessary for breeding anyways.

He does have a heater in one tank. Not necessarily an acceptable heater but he does have one. There are some breeders of the opinion that conditioning is best done around 76-77*F in which case that heater may be keeping the temperature at a decent range. Another option would be to heat the room and not the tanks. Just because the room is dark doesn't mean its necessarily cold.

I've already address the problems with the OP's set up. So obviously I'm not saying he is doing things correctly. I am, however, providing useful information instead of having yet another bash the OP thread. But no, those 6 or so threads in the past that turned into 6 pages of how much everyone hates the OP turned out so well :roll: How does that look to new members or guests? They don't know the history of this member.. they just see someone asking a question and getting bashed.


Just because something is not being done how you would do it doesn't necessarily make it wrong. There's no evidence proving a hide makes bettas more comfortable or healthier. In my experience my fish NEVER use their hides so I got rid of them.. it's a waste of my time to provide hides and have to remove them and prolong water changes.

But since my replies obviously were saying great job OP I'll rephrase.

@OP

First, You need to provide BOTH fish with at least 1 gallon containers that are full of clean, dechlorinated water. These containers need to be heated to AT LEAST 76*F, IMO 78* is best. NO EXCEPTIONS on the temperature rule.

Second, You need to change 100% of the water daily, replacing it with clean, dechlorinated water. It's up to you whether you age your water or not. I do not age my water but there are benefits to doing so. NO EXCEPTIONS on the water change rule.

Third, You need to feed your fish at least 2 times a day. I try to feed mine 3 times a day. You need to feed a mixture of high quality foods. The foods I use to condition are: Atison's Betta Pro pellets, Frozen Bloodworms, Frozen Daphnia, Frozen Brine Shrimp, Frozen Glass worms, Live White worms, and NLS Growth Formula pellets. Not feeding enough foods and only feeding 1 or 2 foods will not get your fish into condition.

Fourth, You need to continue this regime for AT LEAST 2 weeks. NO EXCEPTIONS. Each part is equally as important as the next, you can't skip one part and hope that they'll still be conditioned.

If you feel your female is stressed from shipping give her an extra week of conditioning to get her into shape.

Conditioning is by far the easiest part of spawning. Honestly if you can't even handle that I really don't think your cut out for breeding.


----------



## Emmalea (Jan 23, 2011)

What 1fish2fish said.
Also you're pronouncing Betta wrong, just saying.


----------



## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

How about some chocolate fudge, everybody?


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I've got some chocolate chip cookies.


----------



## Emmalea (Jan 23, 2011)

You guys bring the chocolate, I will bring the candy.


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Anyone have any Easter candy?


----------



## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

I have those little chocolate easter eggs! Oh, and peeps!


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I like peeps. I have some jelly beans.


----------



## lilchiwolf (Jan 10, 2011)

I have chocolate popcorn.....


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

alright guys so i thought she is conditioned enough because they are both very active and her belly is plump white. so i put them together/seperate in the breeding tank. she had good vertical bars and the male has a good sized bubble nest which is has been working on all day so far, only occasionally like every 40 minutes checking what the female is doing. she is just chilling out with her vertical stripes and big belly yet. i really hope they will spawn sometime, when i least expect it. they just flared at each other and rubbed bellies. so i have to think that is a good sign.


----------



## rubyfire (Dec 10, 2009)

Could you get a video or pictures of your spawning set up and your food for the babies if you do get any babies?

Every one is trying to help...I've read your other posts and you seem to try to do the right things at least a little bit at a time...I'm glad your still comming back here though...some people get frusturated, leave the site, and who knows what happens to their fish.
I had great difficulty with my first attempts at spawning too. It took me a year to get a spawn. At first I thought it was gong to be realy easy. Boy I was wrong. I learned that you need tons of patients and the right equipment for them to spawn too. As soon as I aquired the right stuff and the fish were ready and I was very patient, I had my first spawn.

Any ways sorry for the long read. I hope you understand what you are getting into. Spawning betta fish is a hard job at first.

One question- Are your fish still seperated right now? Because it sounds to me that you have released the female?


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

they are together in the tank, the male has a nice bubble nest and the female is still showing stripes and a good sized belly. i will take some photos then. but what do you mean by patience? i tried spawning like 10 times now with like 6 different fish and i still havent gotten one spawn. i just dont know what to do.


----------



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Let me ask you a question. You posted the video on your conditioning set up, got advice on your set up but never updated us on if you had changed anything. Now all the sudden your fish are conditioned and in the spawn tank? Did you change your set up at all because believe me... with that set up your fish are not conditioned. Sure they may spawn if your lucky, but that doesn't mean the eggs will be healthy.


----------



## rubyfire (Dec 10, 2009)

I mean patients- waiting for the right signs- taking the time to make sure you have the right equipment- taking the time to make sure you have food for the babies if you get any- etc
I don't even know how many times I tried and failed one way or the other- my tank was too small- my pair wasnt ready - male or female wasn't ready- female beat the heck out of my male and killed it....
It seemed if I read a problem that could happen to your betta fish it would happen to my fish....I guess it was God's way of telling me that any thing can and will happen...

I'd love to help...I had a lot of problems and frustrations too...


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

yes yes and maybe. i just want to see them spawn. the fish look fine. is conditioning 100 percent required or they will not spawn? i fed them like 3 times a day pellets and bloodworms for like a week or so and they look very active and healthy. i dont think that is my problem for why they wont spawn. they are doing everything, just not embracing. some people said it might take 5 days before they actually embrace, they were in there like 2 days now.


----------



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Like I said they might spawn (IME however a fish that is not in condition will not spawn)... but the eggs will probably be very unhealthy and may not hatch at all. Like we've all been saying all along conditioning is necessary for a spawn.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

yeah maybe it just isn't meant to be. i don't know. the male is still building a large nest and the female is just chillin with her stripes.

if anyone could help that would be awesome. i dont know what else to do. i think im doing everything right its just i cant get them to embrace each other. the water temperature, almond leaves, hiding places, 10 gallon tanks, tropical sun light, 6-7 inch water level. all the conditions are right. it's just a waiting game right now i guess i dont know how long should i wait. i could leave them in there 2 weeks and still no spawn. is it true that it will happen when i least expect it? like all good things in life, they happen when you least expect it i heard. i dont know but please help all i want are eggs and babies. i have banana worm culture ready to feed the babies as well as live plants and flake food. the baby situation is fine, i can find them homes etc. all i want to do now is embrace them. it seems like i've been on this forum forever trying to breed a simple pair of bettas, but they just never do. the male right now is building a huge nest. he checks on the female every now and then after a while and they like rub into each other. thats a way better sign of him just chasing her all around right?


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

i am pretty sure conditioning is right for a successful spawn but how big should i let her belly get. it was already about to burst so i thought she was fine.


----------



## rubyfire (Dec 10, 2009)

Sounds good to me...As long as the male is still interested in building a bubblenest then it is a good sign.(At least by me it is)
Sounds to me like you may have spawnage tonight or tomorrow. Just don't give up. It is worth it in the end.
And yes sometimes the best things do happen unexpectedly...but then again so do bad things :s

Oh and I'd like to see some pics or video of your set up too.


----------



## rubyfire (Dec 10, 2009)

jschristian44 said:


> i am pretty sure conditioning is right for a successful spawn but how big should i let her belly get. it was already about to burst so i thought she was fine.


Sometimes you dont need to condition the whole time suggested. Every fish is different and if she looked to be about to burst I think you made the right decision.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

ah yes thanks for reminding me that bad things happen as well. i would take pictures and video but i sold my camera. all i got is my cell phone which is crappy but it will give you an idea.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

here is some video and pics-

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO




in the video, the last little container is my banana worms. they are thriving. i just replace them every week or so once it starts smelling vinegary and transfer them into my other container. it works very well. i can have them going for quite a while at this rate and always have live fry food. now i just need fry. i hate to say it, but i am going to give up on breeding i think. i get them so close to breeding and either the female gets beat up to much or they just do not breed. i don't know what else to try, it seems like it is the same thing over and over and over, like a never ending thing. it's really getting old.


----------



## rubyfire (Dec 10, 2009)

The video is of right now right?
If so it looks like everything is going good! Now you just have wait.....
Like I said it seems to me that you'll have a spawn by late tonight or tomorrow.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

yeah that is wishful thinking. at this point that is what i thought before as well. but it just never happened. the male will probably have 1/4 of the tank covered with bubbles but the female will just never go under and embrace. maybe it's my negetive thinking after all my unsuccessful spawnings. ive tried all different ages as well. they said younger is the best so we will have to see. first i tried an old pair and all they did was fight. then i tried 6 month old pair and they fought and are doing the same thing this pair is almost. now this pair is 3 months old and they are related to each other. i even read somewhere that this is even better because it stays in the gene pool or something. but i just really hope they would spawn. i dont even care if i see them spawn i want eggs. seeing them embrace will make me even more happier though. i don't think i could hold my excitement in any longer if they actually did embrace. it seems like ive been waiting a lifetime to get some eggs. the closest thing i ever got is with my first time. i took the female out because it looked like the male was beating her up bad. i woke up to find spent eggs in her medicine bowl so i was quite dissapointed. if i had left her in she probably would have spawned. her belly looked like the females i have in there right now. but yes the photos and video were of right now. thanks for your support. you can pray for me too if you want i wouldn't care.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

does anyone know what these 1 inch white worms are doing right above the water level. where the heck did they come from.

ps im taking another video. im combining them as well as they have my voice.


----------



## rubyfire (Dec 10, 2009)

I'm not sure what the worms are or were they come from but they mean you may have other little critters that your fry can snack on if/when you get fry.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

i got the worms off aquabid.com they were a starter set.


----------



## rubyfire (Dec 10, 2009)

jschristian44 said:


> does anyone know what these 1 inch white worms are doing right above the water level. where the heck did they come from.


oh I was answering this question.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

oh haha i get it now. yeah but they are like right above the water level so the fry cant snack on them. they are like an inch long. i read somewhere they are from the bad water, but i keep my water clean almost all the time.


----------



## rubyfire (Dec 10, 2009)

Well if there is some above the water then there will be some in the water too


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

i dont see any in the water. research them on google. type in there "white worms above water line tank" or something like that. anyways here is another video.

Betta Spawning Setup.wmv videos from aquatic videos on webshots


----------



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Sounds like detritus worms IMO. Shouldn't be harmful


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

yeah they arent harmful just wondering what they're doing and where they came from.


----------



## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

The bottom of the tank looks really dirty, you should definitely get that cleaned as soon as you can or else it will harm the fry as they swim along the bottom. Also, I think you need more plants for the breeding tank.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

i cleaned the bottom and seperated the male and female. i dont htink they were gonna spawn just like the last fish i have. i must be doing something terribly wrong. why is it i just cant get these fish to embrace each other. they do everything else right, but they never embrace each other. i just do not get it.


----------



## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

I really don't know. All I can advise you to do is PLEASE do not get rid of these fish if they don't spawn. Please.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

well i want them to spawn. i know they are able to spawn, why cant i do it. all the pros on here, what is going wrong, its really annoying me.


----------



## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

It might just be something you are doing. I know it is annoying, but it is not the fish's fault, so don't take it out on them by giving them away or selling them or something.

Being able to breed any animal is a huge privilege, we are basically playing god and creating life using THEIR bodies for OUR pleasure. I truly think that your head and heart need to be in the right place, and it doesn't seem like yours is if all you want to do is just breed them. What is your reasoning for breeding? 

I am sure you have answered this before, but where will all the fry go?

For example, my reason for breeding my fish is to be able to raise a Betta from fry-hood to adulthood and KEEP it. I didn't breed because it would be something cool to see. I don't think it is right to make two creatures reproduce just for pleasure.

I am sure you have answered this before, but what homes will the fry go to?


----------



## beat2020 (Dec 31, 2009)

Ok try this....

1), Actually and *PROPERLY * condition the pair with heated tanks,100% water changes *EVERYDAY, *and feed them high quality foods 2-3 times a day for *2 weeks.* That's it and no exceptions really...If you don't have the patience to properly condition your pair the you won't have the patience to spawn and raise the fry.

2) Get a smaller tank as a spawning tank...5 gallons will be fine. Add plenty of IAL ,java moss, and a nest site. When you introduce the pair leave the female in her jar for *AT LEAST *24 hours. 

If you don't get the fish to spawn by doing that then I can't really tell you what you're doing wrong. And like I said before, if you don't have the patience to condition, properly set up your spawning tank etc, then you really shouldn't be spawning...


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

i have homes and everything ready for the fry. i just want to see babies and raise them. i am doing everything right, but there has to be one thing terribly wrong that they will not embrace. i followed the instructions note by note, and have the 10 gallon tank, almond leaves, 6 inch water level, hiding places, lid for bubble nest, jar for protection, etc etc. there just has to be one thing wrong and i cannot for the life of me figure this out!~


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

can i condition the male in teh spawning tank or will that tell him its alright to eat the eggs.


----------



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

You need to condition them. For 2 weeks... no matter how "ready" they look obviously they are not ready or they would be spawning. They need to be conditioned in warm water around 76-78*F and they need daily water changes and live and or frozen foods.

After that introduce them into the tank and cover it, don't keep checking on them and keep the lights down low. They should spawn. 

Like I have said before though, there have been pairs that have lived in the spawn tank for up to 7 days before ever spawning. You need to be patient.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

man o day, why do all my fish hate this frozen brine shrimp. i thought they would have liked it but they eat and spit it right back out. thats 30 dollars down the drown for 2 lbs of frozen brine shrimp i threw it away. i wish i had gotten the bloodworms instead, they like the freeze dried ones. can i condition them on pellets and freeze dried bloodworms and flaked food 2-3 times a day?


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

maybe my light is too bright? it's a really really bright light. does that turn them off? maybe that was my problem all along.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

i think my whole problem was the light thing. i just found out they dont like bright lights when spawning. i mean who wants to mate with bright lights on. the classic way is dim lights and privacy. i put a towel over the tank and put a desk lamp on. i am going to see if this helps.


----------



## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

If you actually read info, it's probably not the lights. Live and frozen is what you feed with. Freezedried are like potato chips for fish.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

on the sites i just read it says the lights shouldnt be so bright. and my light is like blinding. i doubt they would want to spawn with that much light it says it stresses them. hence why all they did was chase each other. i dimmed the lights and watched them under the towel and it looked like they were flirting more and getting closer to each other. i am still gonna condition them and let them rest from this yet again unsuccessful try. this time im gonna use the dim lights and the towel around the tank. i have a good feeling about this. on websites as well said that freeze dried is fine. i dont have any live or i would feed them that, and they hate frozen for some reason. i wanted to grow my own bloodworms outside by leaving rainwater out, but it just fills with more rain, etc.


----------



## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

After you condition them properly in heated water for 2 weeks  and change their water everyday you can try taping darkly colored paper to the sides of the tank for privacy. Also, IMO your water is too deep. It should be less than 5 inches. Most Thai breeders breed in extremely shallow water (3"-4"). Also, the bottom is really dirty which is the cause of the white worm infestation. You need to keep the spawning tank absolutely spotless or the fry's fins will not develop correctly or they will just die. 

Do not feed the bettas freeze dried foods. That is not proper conditioning and you will get the same exact result yet again. Go buy the frozen bloodworms if they don't like the frozen brine shrimp. You need to condition them the right way if you want fry.


----------



## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Ahh so thats what those little things in my tanks are >.> Well the juvies like picking at them  I really don't worry about the bottom of the tank until they begin developing their ventral fins...don't want those getting burned off. For the first three weeks or so the tank bottom gets pretty dirty but the water itself is cleaned....but that's just me.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

thank you!


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

the bottom is just leftover almond leaves that were shredded off. i will clean it before i add the male/female again though. but thanks for teh tips again...


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

i want to get mosqutio larvae to condition them with but for some reason my bucket always empties out before i see algae grow.


----------



## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

I just hope you condition them properly before you try again. They need no fewer than 2 weeks of good frozen foods before you try again. They also need to be in heated (78-80*F) water that is changed daily. If you don't do it for a full 2 weeks, they most likely will not spawn and you will be frustrated again. 

If you think about it, women do the same thing during pregnancy. They have to take prenatal vitamins and eat well to support the growing baby. If they don't, the baby won't develop or will be underdeveloped. For healthy sperm, men also need to eat good diets. It is the same with betta fish.

What is your mosquito larva catching set up?


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

ah that is very true i guess. i will condition them. my mosquito larve is basically any bucket outside that has rain water. they just wiggle like worms in there right? just scoop em up with my fish net.


----------



## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

You don't have enough hiding spots. Squidward's house and one plant isn't going to cut it.


----------



## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

turtle10 said:


> You don't have enough hiding spots. Squidward's house and one plant isn't going to cut it.


Seconded, you need to make it shallower and add more hiding places and plants (silk or live plants, preferably live). The female won't breed if she doesn't feel secure. 

Make sure the mosquito bucket is in a shady area so the water doesn't evaporate. It is a little early for misquotes in some places... There aren't any here in Missouri yet.


----------



## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

I am on my first ever spawn at all right now. My fry just started free swimming today.

To get to this point, this is what I did, which is pretty much repeating everything everyone already said, but I will write it anyway for your benefit.

I picked out my pair, and put them in seperate 2.5 gallon tanks. I put no filter in, but a heater in each one that kept the water to about 78-80F. I added a whole IAL to both tanks. BTW, the tanks where a whole room apart.

For 2 weeks, I fed them 3x a day with pellets as the first meal, then for the next 2 meals they were rotated frozen blood worms, frozen glass worms, and frozen brine shrimp.

I changed 50% of the water daily.

When the 2 weeks was up, they were nice and fat, and my mw and ve cultures were thriving.

I set up a 10 gallon tank with 4 inches of water, lots of java moss and some duck weed. I added half a styrofoam cup for the nest, and an IAL. Heater & thermometer were also added. The heater was set to 82. I also put in a sponge filter, bubbling only once every few seconds. I put dad and mom in at the same time, with dad free in the tank, and mom in a glass. After 24 hours my female was not barred, but looked ripe and was in a submissive position every time the male came near. I released her. 

I put up cling wrap on the top, to lock in heat and humidity. Kept the lamp on 24 hours.

It took them a full day to start embracing, and the first few batches were eaten. They were infertile b/c they had some trouble wrapping initially. After a few hours though, they got it down. When the female started to hide, I took her out.

Dad has been doing all the work since  I just gave the fry their first MW meal today since about 2/3 are now free swimming.


----------



## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

cajunamy said:


> I am on my first ever spawn at all right now. My fry just started free swimming today.
> 
> To get to this point, this is what I did, which is pretty much repeating everything everyone already said, but I will write it anyway for your benefit.
> 
> ...


Congrats on the spawn!

OP: THIS is what you need to do. None of that freeze dried nonsense. More shallow water, more hiding places, less disturbance, HEATED (No, a towel wrapped around the tank wont work, its not like they produce their own body heat as their cold blooded so they wont warm up) tanks for conditioning. Also, in response to one question, no don't condition the male in the spawning tank or he may become too territorial...


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

i have a heater and it is set at 82 or so in that tank. everything else is perfectly right. im just so confused.


----------



## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

jschristian44 said:


> i have a heater and it is set at 82 or so in that tank. everything else is perfectly right. im just so confused.


NO it is not. We have said many times before that you need more plants.


----------



## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

Fine I'll explain it more carefully.

you. Need. A. Heater. In. Every. Tank. A. Heater. In. The. Spawning. Tank. And. A. Heater. In. The. Tank. The. Male. Will. Be. Conditioned. In. And. A. Heater. In. The. Tank. The. Female. Is. Going. To. Be. Conditioned. In. So. That. Makes. 3. Total. Heaters.

In case that was confusing: You need 3 heaters. One goes into the spawning tank, one goes into the males conditioning tank, and one goes into the females conditioning tank. 

There (= Hopefully you aren't confused now about that...


----------



## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

1. Everything others said about conditioning and heating - general fish care.

2. 3 months IMO is too young. Yes they may spawn but need a much looonger time. Actually all first time spawners take a longer time playing "chase and tag". Further with young/too small females, IMO you will get few fry survive to adult.

3. You obviously don't understand their body language. I don't understand why you took them out the last time - your video showed both were willing to spawn. SO I suggest you use more hiding places. THEN YOU WONT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR FEMALE GETTING HURT. *Most important DON'T put the hiding places under or anywhere near the nest area*. The female won't go anywhere near it. Your current set up can be fatal if the male were too aggressive.... the female has nowhere to hide/run to where the male can't follow.

4. Anchor the plants and place it in front of your squidward. Better yet get more plants and place them *opposite to the nest area*.... with or without the squid. If you jam plants 1/3 of the tank, you can release them and forget about them until they spawn - the female can easily hide.

5. Your light is NOT the problem But it would be better if you dimmed the light. And your checking up on them every now and then doesn't disturb them .... your video shows that your pair is comfortable with your presence (body language-behavior). So I conclude that your only problem is patience..... let nature take it's course no matter HOW LONG it takes - as long as your male doesn't beat the life out of the female (according to the video). The bigger the tank will sometimes postpone spawning. The more hiding places may also do the same. *BUT it's safer*...... again patience is DEMANDED.

Sorry about the long post.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

thanks for the help. i think they might be a little young yet and i didnt have enough patience. but i really feel the light thing played a big part. i read it stresses them and that just causes them to fight more which they did. all the other basic things were more than enough right to have an embrace. i dont think i gave them enough time/privacy. but im gonna wait til mid summer now until i try and spawn them again just so they are rested and i can get everything else correct and they grow more. anyways, thanks again.


----------



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

No freeze dried foods, do not feed them any freeze dried foods, I repeat DO NOT FEED FREEZE DRIED FOODS. They have basically no nutritional value at all so they do nothing to condition your fish. I don't feed FD foods at all because IMO they're basically worthless. Same for flakes.

Here is a list of acceptable foods for conditioning:
frozen blood worms, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, glass worms
NLS betta + NLS growth formula (I would mix these together because you'll need the extra protien in the NLS growth)
Atisons Betta PRO
Live foods such as bloodworms, mosquito larvae, white worms, black worms, fruit flies, etc
OFL's homemade fish food recipe (I used to use this for conditioning a lot and it works well if fed with some of the other foods listed)

About the water level... that is all a matter of OPINION. Please don't get confused by multiple posters telling you what water level you need. Just because someone breeds in shallow containers doesn't mean that it's wrong to breed in full containers. I have breed in 5in of water 8 in of water, and 12 in of water and have had spawns in all 3 (with halfmoon fish BTW). HOWEVER, the more water you have the more food you need to feed so you get optimum coverage of the tank so all the fry get a chance at food. I do not recommend breeding in anything over 4-5" of water unless you have LOTS of live plants in the tank (at least 1/2 the tank) so the fry will be able to eat infusorians while learning to find food for themselves.

In the words of OFL "A well conditioned fish won't care how deep the water is".

For a new breeder I recommend keeping your water level at around 5 inches, just do your best guess.

Same with hiding spots. Some pairs are too happy to live together in the tank as long as they can get away from each other. Since you've already seen that your pair can live in the tank without killing each other I actually think more hiding places are a BAD idea in this case.


----------



## jschristian44 (Jan 6, 2011)

thanks 1fish2fish i think that was right as well. i just think this pair was too young and i needed to dim the lights. i will let them grow and by this summer im gonna make the changes, hopefully it will work!


----------



## Emmalea (Jan 23, 2011)

baylee767 said:


> Fine I'll explain it more carefully.
> 
> you. Need. A. Heater. In. Every. Tank. A. Heater. In. The. Spawning. Tank. And. A. Heater. In. The. Tank. The. Male. Will. Be. Conditioned. In. And. A. Heater. In. The. Tank. The. Female. Is. Going. To. Be. Conditioned. In. So. That. Makes. 3. Total. Heaters.
> 
> ...


I. Adore. You.


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

L. O. L. !!


----------

