HELP! What to do with baby Betta fish?

[Colin_T]

I know a petshop that will buy 1000 bettas every month. You just need to call a few. If you can find a shop that does wholesale and retail, talk to them. Alternatively google aquarium fish wholesalers/ importers in your area and contact them. They usually buy in bulk so they can on sell the fish to other shops. You don't get paid as much but you can sell lots.

 

[NickAu]

Ok before I say anything, can we see a photo of your male and females.

This is a low quality Bettas future most will die in those containers,

You will be lucky if they buy your fish at $1 each.

This is one of my Males, a Betta like this is worth around $50 retail

Bettas are one of the most mistreated fish in the hobby ( right along side Guppies Mollies and Platies )

 

[Colin_T]

Bettas are one of the most mistreated fish in the hobby ( right along side Guppies Mollies and Platies )

I reckon marine fish that are caught in nets and crushed under the weight of their siblings is mistreatment too. But you are correct about the fish in the little containers. They should be cleaned daily or put on a recirculating system with a filter.

 

[NickAu]

Im not against the Op breeding fish in fact I am all for it, but I would like to see BetteFishLover do it properly, and to know what's involved and whats needed to house the bettas before they can be sold, after you separate 100 fry into individual mason jars, How do you keep them warm in an area where it snows for example without running some sort of heating?

 

[Colin_T]

How do you keep them warm in an area where it snows for example without running some sort of heating?

a fishroom with 200 tanks and rows and rows of fish

 

[seangee]

Im not against the Op breeding fish in fact I am all for it, but I would like to see BetteFishLover do it properly, and to know what's involved and whats needed to house the bettas before they can be sold, after you separate 100 fry into individual mason jars, How do you keep them warm in an area where it snows for example without running some sort of heating?

I agree. I have only known 2 types of breeders (same applies to cats and dogs too). Those who do it for the love of the breed and strive to breed the perfect specimen and those who do it for money. If you are doing it for the money you need a plan just like any other business and would expect to lose money for the first year or two. You would also be advised to go for the perfect specimens because if you are simply aiming at volumes you cannot compete with the large scale farms in Asia.

In either scenario you need to know exactly what you are in for and what is going to cost in time as well as money. And you need to identify your target market.

Personally I let nature take its course and make no effort to actively raise fry. Very few survive and I'm ok with that. In all honesty a lot more ok than I would be culling perfectly healthy fish because the colour or shape wasn't quite right.

 

[NickAu]

if you are simply aiming at volumes you cannot compete with the large scale farms in Asia.

Heres how they do it in Asia, the video is not in English but you get the idea.

 

[BetteFishLover]

Not trying to sound mean, but if you purposely bred them then you should of known there might be well over a hundred fry. When breeding fish like bettas you must be aware of how many they produce and have a plan for all the fry. Getting fry to the free swimming stage is often the hardest part, but good job on getting so many to survive. I had a heck of a time getting my males to not eat the eggs/wigglers.

Culling some of the less than pretty and runty fry will help get to a manageable number that you should be able to sell off.

Yes I knew there'd be over 100 but over 700??? I thought she'd lay maximum 500!!

 

[BetteFishLover]

I agree, Before breeding any fish you should know what you are doing, how many fry to expect and what you are going to do with the fry.

How are you going to house all these fry when it comes time to separate then?

Yes, I knew what I was going to do with the fry and how many there'd be, but I never would've guessed she'd have 700 of them and I only have room for about 600 so there are like, 100 left.

 

[Colin_T]

you wont have 700 male fighters. You will have about half male and half female. The females can all go in together and the young males can go together until they start fighting, then you separate the males out into their own containers. You monitor the males and keep the ones with nice fins and colours and destroy the rest. You might end up with 200 females and 100 nice longfin males.

If you don't want to destroy the short fin males or the ugly ones, sell or give them to the petshop to use as feeder fish.

 

[NickAu]

I agree Colin not all the males will be worth keeping.

BetteFishLover can you do the hobby a favor? Please dont line breed while it often produces spectacular tail types it genetically weakens the fish.

Bettas were once hardy fish but now days they are not and its all because of inbreeding.

Heres some of what I mean
Rosetail betta – the downside of beauty

 

[BetteFishLover]

you wont have 700 male fighters. You will have about half male and half female. The females can all go in together and the young males can go together until they start fighting, then you separate the males out into their own containers. You monitor the males and keep the ones with nice fins and colours and destroy the rest. You might end up with 200 females and 100 nice longfin males.

If you don't want to destroy the short fin males or the ugly ones, sell or give them to the petshop to use as feeder fish.

Ok. Thankyou.

 

[BetteFishLover]

I agree Colin not all the males will be worth keeping.

BetteFishLover can you do the hobby a favor? Please dont line breed while it often produces spectacular tail types it genetically weakens the fish.

Bettas were once hardy fish but now days they are not and its all because of inbreeding.

Heres some of what I mean
Rosetail betta – the downside of beauty

Yes, I know all of this. I've never inbred any species of animal before because I know of the health problems.

 

[BetteFishLover]

Im not against the Op breeding fish in fact I am all for it, but I would like to see BetteFishLover do it properly, and to know what's involved and whats needed to house the bettas before they can be sold, after you separate 100 fry into individual mason jars, How do you keep them warm in an area where it snows for example without running some sort of heating?

Ok, I don't know why people are assuming I'm some sort of begginer inexperienced betta fish lover. I know what I'm doing but sometimes even professionals make mistakes. I never would've guessed my betta fish would have 700 fry and I was only ready for 600. So I'm asking what to do with the rest because I don't really want to to kill them and there aren't many pet stores around to take them in,

 

[BetteFishLover]

Im not against the Op breeding fish in fact I am all for it, but I would like to see BetteFishLover do it properly, and to know what's involved and whats needed to house the bettas before they can be sold, after you separate 100 fry into individual mason jars, How do you keep them warm in an area where it snows for example without running some sort of heating?

My house is always at around 75 -78 degrees year round and my fish room is always about 75-80 degrees year round so the water temp stays the same. I have a thermometer in each jar and the water temp is always the same. It doesn't snow inside my house.