Novice Breeders: Be Careful What You Wish For

[JohnnyReb]

Many on here are trying to breed bettas. I have two spawns now at 2 months and 5 months and some jarred that total 400 fish. Be sure you are prepared to spend a lot of time, hatching 4 liters of a shrimp a day, 4 to 5 feedings a day, 2 hours a week changing water, time feeding breeders, cleaning their tanks twice a week, dealing with sick fish and all this time not knowing what to do with 400 fry. Not to mention needing multiple tanks and a lot of BBS eggs and feed.

 

[connorlindeman]

Do you have any plans for your 400 fry?!?

 

[JohnnyReb]

Do you have any plans for your 400 fry?!?

None other than maybe keep a few.

 

[GaryE]

Every time I bred splendens, I determined how many I could raise and rehome, then removed that many (usually about 30) from the tank. The rest, alas, faced fate in with the male. I never bred long fins, so I never jarred a single fish. I raised them together and sold them in our club.

With pla kats, one brood was bought by one guy who had a large tank and kept the lot.

 

[emeraldking]

I've bred bettas for 15 years and sold them to stores and at vivaristic events... But also to other breeders...

 

[GaryE]

I've bred bettas for 15 years and sold them to stores and at vivaristic events... But also to other breeders...

You're in the Netherlands. In many North American regions, the next interested breeder can be hours away, as can the closest store. There's a city of 65,000 close by me, and it doesn't have one single aquarium store. There are 78,000 people in my city, and 1 fish first aquarium store, barely solvent. And hour and a half away, there's a small city of 188,000, and it has exactly zero fish first/fish priority stores. In those three cities, there's one club that meets 10 times a year, with about 25 members.

The next closest aquarium club with regular meetings in 7 hours by car away, with the same time to return.

The same holds true in a lot of this continent.

If you are in a region with a surviving aquaristic community and local stores, appreciate it and work to keep it alive. We're rebuilding, with the creation of our monthly meeting club, but that's new. We're hoping to have a healthy club in place if our one store goes bankrupt (high rents from corporate property companies who have bought up everything are not helping). If you have friends in the Netherlands who don't appreciate community, give them a shake!

 

[emeraldking]

You're in the Netherlands. In many North American regions, the next interested breeder can be hours away, as can the closest store. There's a city of 65,000 close by me, and it doesn't have one single aquarium store. There are 78,000 people in my city, and 1 fish first aquarium store, barely solvent. And hour and a half away, there's a small city of 188,000, and it has exactly zero fish first/fish priority stores. In those three cities, there's one club that meets 10 times a year, with about 25 members.

The next closest aquarium club with regular meetings in 7 hours by car away, with the same time to return.

The same holds true in a lot of this continent.

If you are in a region with a surviving aquaristic community and local stores, appreciate it and work to keep it alive. We're rebuilding, with the creation of our monthly meeting club, but that's new. We're hoping to have a healthy club in place if our one store goes bankrupt (high rents from corporate property companies who have bought up everything are not helping). If you have friends in the Netherlands who don't appreciate community, give them a shake!

Yes, I am aware of the limited relevant stores overthere. Something I've noticed quite fast when I was in Canada and the States. When it comes to pet stores or lfs's, you're better off overhere in Western Europe.

 

[GaryE]

I may visit one of the European killie club conventions next year, to see it done right. The national clubs work so much better there.

 

[emeraldking]

I may visit one of the European killie club conventions next year, to see it done right. The national clubs work so much better there.

The last weekend of this coming March we'll have a killifish convention overhere. And our national livebearer society will participate as well. I've been requested to represent our society overthere.

 

[GaryE]

I speak no Dutch, though I know how common ability in English is there. I'd still be making people speak my language to me in their country, if they wanted to talk with me. That always feels rude.
I'm looking at the club in France for 2026.

 

[JohnnyReb]

Adios and buenos suarte!!

 

[emeraldking]

I speak no Dutch, though I know how common ability in English is there. I'd still be making people speak my language to me in their country, if they wanted to talk with me. That always feels rude.
I'm looking at the club in France for 2026.

Most of us speak English in our country...
Btw, this killifish convention is international...