need advice

[willywonka099]

Okay i have done hours upon hours of research but there are somethings i can't get specifics on. I am currently conditioning my betta for breeding on friday so i can keep an eye on them. For conditioning i took my female out and put her in a bowl that only holds about 1/4 a gollaon of water will tthis be okay. She seems very happy and content so i don't see and problems. Also will my male fry be okay in bowls this small (or smaller) once i can sex them. After keeping my breeder male in a 2.5 gallon it seems like it is just too much space. He is alot more comfy since i moved the water level to about 6 inch. ....... how long will it be before my fry are a good selling size??? I hear most people say dont keep in anything less than a i gal. but some bettas seem to enjoy pudles compared to ponds where they can easily see all around them

 

[cutecotton]

okay to clarify something, conditioning should be done 2 weeks before breeding. most importnatly the bettas are usually kept in thier own regular homes, you dont' have to move them, and i doubt your female is really happy in a .25G, no matter how much you feed her. I would move her back to her orignal home (dont' lower the water level or anythign), and just feed her well and keep thew ater clean for 2 weeks. Same goes witht eh male.

Once you can sex the male fry, yes you can put them in containers/bowls until you can get them off ur hands.

there is never too much space for a betta (unles sur otalking liek 40G of water), they live in rice paddies in teh wild, which is ilke 2000000000000G of water, it's not in any way small or tiny. A too big tank will exhuast the beta but like i said, that's like a 40g. A 2.5G should be just right for them.

I hop eyou have a 10g ready for breedign? set up wtih a sponge filter and heater and a growout for the fry? it's not recommended for beignners to spawn thier betats in anything less than a 10g (not saying you *can't* it's just nto recommended unless u've been breeding htem fo ra while).

as for the time the fry will matuer, really dpeneds on how well you take care of them. I know some fry are ready to go to new homse at around 2.5 months, yet some fry will take over 3 months to mature, so it really depends on how often you feed them/cahnge their water.

 

[willywonka099]

Okay don't burn me for this please i know it was a very stupid and idiotic mistake but actually i am going to have to get more 1g. for more betta. I only have that on for the fem. . I releived water level on male b/c that is what it is going to be when i breed (in 2.5) so it is less work on him. You seem to know alot about betta do you think you could lead me in the right direction as far a set-up (anyone for that matter) pictures name off what i need exct. i know i need a sponge filter but i am going to do 50% water changes every day or other day is this good ???

 

[cutecotton]

heya, good to know that you'll be doing some more prep before you get iont the spawning thing, it does take a lot of work.

You can easily get a plan 10g without all the fancy stuff for like $12.99, you can make ur own hood or just cover it wtih something, and put a sponge filter in there and a heater. Set the temperature to around 80F, fill the water half way (around 6 inches or so). Make sure it's bare bottom (no gravel or sand or anything like that)

Put a lot of palnts into one corner of the breeding tank (perferably liv eif you have any good live floating plants too). Take a styrofoam cup, cut it in half and let it float int he tank. Now your breeding tank is set up.

Say you'ev conditioned both the male and the female, put the amle inot the tank, and flaot the female in a clear container of some kind so she can see the male but the amle can't attack her.

Leave it like taht for about 12 hours (usually overnight), to give the male a chacne to build his nest, and then when you see that his nest is build (usually under the cup), release the female, and they 'll most likely flare and chase at each other. Dotn' be worried becuase some aggression is normal. Some, but not excessively. If you see the female taking a lto of damnage, remove her.

The time betweenr eleaseing her and having them embrace really varies a lot. Soemtiems it takes a few hours, sometimes it takes over 12 hours. You might find yourself recupping her if the male gets too aggressive, so that's normal.

Once they embrace, and they're done, the male will tend to the egg and the female will run away and hide, that's when you take her out but e careful not to ruin the mal'es nest and eggs in the process.

Anyways you should check out he pinned toipc at the top of this fourm for the article written by wuv on breeding bettas.

Trust me a 10g will be the safest bet for you, do you have a 30-40G growout for hte fry? tehy ca'nt live in a 1G they'll be stunted. Betta fry needs a lto of room in order to grow.

 

[willywonka099]

Thanx for all of the advice so do you not think i could get away with breeding in the 2.5 ??? The females will be placed in a 29. gal. while the males will be put in 1/2 bowls or large mason jars until time to sell About how much would a ten gallon sponge filter run my at Wal-mart ?? i will eventually have a nice set-tp like you suggested but my fem. was plump with eggs and had a white teet when i got her !!! But really my maine consern is would i be okay breeding them or is it too big of a risk ............. take into considerating that they will almost NEVER be alone together without my steady eye .............

 

[willywonka099]

a ten gallon and a sponge filter ********

 

[cutecotton]

Thanx for all of the advice so do you not think i could get away with breeding in the 2.5 ??? The females will be placed in a 29. gal. while the males will be put in 1/2 bowls or large mason jars until time to sell About how much would a ten gallon sponge filter run my at Wal-mart ?? i will eventually have a nice set-tp like you suggested but my fem. was plump with eggs and had a white teet when i got her !!! But really my maine consern is would i be okay breeding them or is it too big of a risk ............. take into considerating that they will almost NEVER be alone together without my steady eye .............

i think righ tnow it's too big of a rsik. The males cannot be jarred until tehy are at least 4 weeks old, if you jar them any earlier they'll be too small (you wouldnt' be ablet ot ell until they are 10 weeks anyways) and be stunted.

So in those 10 weeks, you have to keep the fry together, and if you dont' have a big enough tank then it's not goign to wokr.

your female beign plump is normla, the white dot you're seeing is her oviposter, it is always there and not necessarily meaning that you have to breed her. you do NOT have to breed her she will reelase the eggs on her own eventually.

It deosn't seem like you'll have a place to put 100 - 200 betta fry i suggest you put it off until you can get a 10g to spawn and then a 30g for growout (i assume you already have fish in teh 29g). Remember the fry must be fed 3 times a day with live food (bbs or mw) and water changes must be done every single day.

it's a ton of work, but in the end i wouldn't suggest breedign in the 2.5G you'll be risking the parents too much, its' just not enough room to house all the fry for 10 weeks anyways.

 

[willywonka099]

So could i keep conditioning and get a ten gal. ??? when the babies are big enough they will be put in the 29. with the mom a sword and a common plec(2 inches)

 

[cutecotton]

by big enough you'l have to wait until they are at least 4 weeks. What are you going to put them in from day 1 to day 28?

 

[willywonka099]

Well if i have aten gallon the babies will stay in there after they are free swimming with bi-daily water changes and dad will be put back in his bowl

 

[cutecotton]

yes, so before you can breed you'll need to get that 10G to start anyways. For now i suggest putting all the bettas back in their oringal bowls with the regular water levels and just condition them for 2 weeks.

Couldn't you do daily awter changes? water changes are more improtant than you think they are to fry. My first batch i did water changes every other day, didn't feed enough and they ended up stunted