Betta Breeding Problem

Bluesand1313

Fish Crazy
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Aug 4, 2012
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Alright, so I followed all the instructions. I've got a 10 gallon tank, about 6 inches with water. Bare bottom. Two live plants, and an area for the female to hide in. Heater at 26-28c and a filter (that is currently off). Male has built a bubble nest from the bubble wrap I put down to help him with building it. Floated the female for about 8 hours total. Both were showing good signs so I let her into the tank. 
 
The problem is NOT her. She's lightly coloured so I can't see any stripes but she has gone to check out the nest at least 20 times now, she has waited for the male, she has followed him to the nest to begin spawning... and he just keeps flaring and chasing her away. I've had her in there from about 9pm and it's now morning at around 12pm. He's still chasing her away.
 
He will sit under his nest, occasionally go to find her to flare and show off, then go back to his nest. Occasionally she will follow him there, and then he chases her away. WHAT IS UP WITH THIS?!
 
She is about 12 months old and he is about 8 months old.
 
Not to worry, he may just be inexperienced, I take it you have conditioned the pair well with live foods or similar beforehand? you can leave her in there a bit longer providing he is not tearing her up although some nipping and chasing is normal sometimes it takes a bit longer for the male to realise what to do.
 
There are many techniques to breed bettas, one of them from a master breeder I used to watch. his youtube channel is ThaiTy betta farm. He uses the "set it and forget it" method. Get a bucket or a tank, throw some live plants, food, snails, algae, rocks, plants, lots of leaf litter, and literally just trash into the tank and close it up. Put an air stone in there and cover the top. Come back in a week and you should see fry that have survived from the parents and are hiding in the litter. It's not a full batch, but you do manage to get about 3/4 of it or half.
 
Was gone all day at work and came back home at 10pm to find that he's made an even bigger bubble nest but still chases her away, yet she still seems interested in him. He's not hurting her, just chasing her away. I took her out (hopefully that was okay) and will maybe start floating her again in the morning. See if a break from her gets him on the right track.
 
If nothing works, I can have possible backup, but not sure if I should put in another female (maybe he doesn't like her?) or another male (since she's ready to breed and it's just the male who keeps chasing her off).
 
EDIT: How long CAN I leave them in there together for before it's known that they will not breed? When do I give up and try another betta, of either gender?
 

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