Conditioning

[Tempestuousfury]

Just wondering what the benefits of conditioning are. I know that there are benefits, and I don't at all dispute that conditioning can help trigger breeding, along with result in healthier fry. However, I was able to get gouramis to breed without conditioning (a mistake, really, and I'm not sure what the spawn size was), and my female betta looks pretty gravid now, so she won't necessarily have to be conditioned if conditioning is to increase the amount of eggs she's got (from my experience, the males are always eager to breed, regardless of what they are fed). Added fear of female dropping eggs or either betta losing interest also adds to my impatience.

Just asking since the female is full of eggs, the male has a good nest, they both look ready, and I am getting impatient. I've been feeding frozen stuff once a day (it's a pain to do it very often, and I'm not home enough, or awake enough of the time), which I know is not enough, and I don't feed live foods since ordering food cultures online require money and most likely a credit card (both of which I could acquire, but for some reason have been too forgetful or lazy to do).

For those of you looking at this post and thinking it is too long:
My female is gravid, male has a good nest, both are ready to breed, but have not been conditioned. Should I go ahead and breed them and see how this initial spawning works?

 

[nativecollector]

First I must say that if you dont have the time to feed the adults then it is a good chance you wont hae the time to deal with the babies. Betta babies seem to be a little more demanding than other types. That is just my opinion. So to answer your question

Conditioning is good for a several reasons
1. it fattens both the male and female up, the male will need it to deal with the babies once they are free swimming. Although most will take the male out after they are free swimming he will still go about four to six days before he eats again.
2. it helps with the female being able to handle the stress that most males will be putting on them during the courting and the breeding. She may go one to three days before eating again.
3. it also helps with egg production but in your case not necessary if she is that swollen
4. it can help enduce spawning, just because the male appears to be ready does not mean he is, and if it is the first time for him dont expect prefection by no means.

Something else that may help with the spawning especially if the male starts beating the female up real bad is to use IAL(indian almond leaves) or some product that will darken the water slightly. some use oak leaves some use black tea some black water extract. The tannins is what you are after more than the softening of the water.

You will need at the least a good source of green water and then for the first couple of weeks at a minimum microworms or bbs. Once you get them past the second week then you could try to get them on the atisons betta starter. Even though it says you can start them on it by day three I have not been able to get any of mine to eat it until the end of the first week. So now I just wait until the end of week two and they normally dont take to long to change over, maybe a day or so.

the above info is just from my experience, other have different experience and opinions, so dont just listen to ones advice, get many different types of advice and then use what you feel works for you.

NC

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Seems good.

Thing with the fry is that feeding microworms should be easier than thawing and cutting bloodworms from cubes, so anyone at home at the time can feed the betta fry.

I was considering removing the male betta before the eggs hatched, since this is a trial run, and I don't think I could handle the whole spawn my first time through (provided that it's large, of coure), so a few eggs left on the bottom of the tank really isn't an issue, so neither is fattening up the dad.

Thanks for the info.

 

[_cRaCkEr_]

Nice go ahead and breed them.

 

[sukie]

Nice go ahead and breed them.

Agreed!