My eggs are hatching

[jacquelyn01]

So I tought that my eggs were not going to be fertile because the female did all the work during spawing. Anyways, I left the job to the male after spawning, which he has done horribaly from the very beginning and let a lot of the eggs drop to the bottom of the tank instead of picking them up and putting them back in the nest. Now I see a couple of eggs hatching and falling to the ground and he is not picking those up either. The old unhatched eggs are growing fuzz on them and I'm afraid that the hatching babies will get sick from the rotting eggs. Do I interfear and get those out of there risking to knock out more babies from the safety of the nest? What should I do? I put a small amount of melafix in the tank after spawing but what are my options? Thnaks!

 

[wuvmybetta]

I hope it was a very small amount of melafix
Do you have any bettamax or methylene blue? That is what you need right now,a very gentle shot. For now I'd leave them until the babies are free swimming.
If...if you can oh so carefully get in there with a turkey baster and very unclumsily suck them up (squeeze the bulb of the baster before putting it in the water as to not make a huge bubble of disturbance) and carefully remove the eggs and squirt them in a clear cup. Then make sure you didn't suck up any fry.
Make sure again....and again
You can also use the baster by inserting it in the same fashion (zero bubbles or disturbance) suck up some water and gently swish the babies around to get them to go back up.

Don't use a syphon. It's too hard to control when they're this little.

 

[jacquelyn01]

thanks wuvmybetta,

I only used a couple of drops of melafix. I used a turkey baster to get some eggs out but I don't want to make daddy nervous and him to eat the eggs. Ths is my first time so I'm very hopeful all goes well and I've been really worried. They are SO TINY I wish it was a month from now so I could see what they looked like! hehe

Everyone, tell me how your first spawn went. Any problems?

 

[wuvmybetta]

Oh I didn't realize the male was still in the tank He should (should ) clean up the unfertilized eggs. How did he react when you went in?

 

[jacquelyn01]

When I went in he just sat under the nest and watched me. But I read that if you make him nervous, he may eat the eggs, so I only got a few bad ones out. He didn't eat up the unfertilized eggs for some reason. It's weird, when the babies fall out of the nest, he has been sticking them to the wall outside of the nest w/no bubbles. I wonder how they stay up there. The babies are even on the other side of the tank. LOL. I wonder if they got all the way over there by themselves.

I saw many pics of baby bettas and I never woudl have thought that they are actually THIS TINY! OMG! They look like they are made up of all eyes and tails. should I go back in the tank today and try to get the other bad eggs out? Or should I leave nature take it's course? Thanks!

 

[wuvmybetta]

Aren't they so precious?! They stay up there with dad's sticky saliva. The same stuff he forms those awesome bubbles with.It protects the babies and really aids in their developement a bit. Maybe he carried them over to the other side of the tank. Sometimes they'll change nest location if they feel threatened. But the babies could have done it themselves the way they shimmy across the surface and stick to anything they can sometimes.

I say just let nature do what it does best. He'll keep the babes clean and fungus free You'll want to clean them up asap after you remove him though.

 

[jacquelyn01]

Thanks Wuv! I wanna go buy them treats today already. Maybe a nice jova moss plant to put in the tank instead of a silk one. I already wanna spoil them.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I'd start your bbs hatchery in a couple days too. Do you have microworms or vinegar eels?

 

[jacquelyn01]

A friend of mine said he would give me some micro worms. He said I have to just pick them up whenever I need them. I will go and get them today and start everything. They started hatching around midnight last night. So, I better hurry. hehe

 

[wuvmybetta]

Good Start your mw's right away since it takes them a couple of days to really take off.
Have a blast!

 

[yeeviabetta]

Congratulation on your first spawd. Wou! Sweat. That is the one of the freaky breeding pair I ever heard. Hope you have fun breeding the babies. LOL Don't forget to count them one by one when they get big. LOL

 

[jacquelyn01]

I'm already trying to count them now and there are lots. I can't keep count because they keep moving around under the nest and Dad keeps watching them like "can't you kids just sit still." hehe I think this was his frist spawn, and he's getting better and better as far as taking part in rasing the babies. He's a royal blue crowntail and mommy is a turquoise blue planket. So, I can't wait to see what color the babies will be if they make it w/all those dead eggs decomposing at the bottom of the tank. I hope they don't get sick. but, so far they seem to be doing great!

 

[Joby]

Awww poor dad trying to keep the kids under control

The parents sound gorgeous, can't wait to see the fry when they start colouring up

 

[jacquelyn01]

Well, I took dad out yesterday night and put a live bushy plant in there for the babies. I can't seem to see as many so I hope they are all just hiding in the plant. Most of them if not all, are swiming like this now ___ When should I take out there cup because some babies still like to be under there?

 

[Joby]

I kept the cup in for a week I think as some little ones liked to cling to it like yours are doing. I just waited till nobody used it anymore and then hoofed it out

You'll be surprised at how many there can be without you seeing them. I didn't think I had many till I had to clean out their tank completely so transferred them to another container. I had twice as many as I thought!

Are you feeding them now? I started feeding mine once they were horizontal as most of their yolk sac was gone

Can't wait to see pics!