Planning 1st spawn

[OohFeeshy]

I'm getting closer and closer to wanting to breed... I've got over the 'now, what will you do with hundreds of babies?' thought mostly, I figured theres going to be plenty of you lot who wouldn't mind some (especially if they're nice, I post and they're deformed ), and also Ebay and a LFS that is very friendly, I'd get a good deal at (owned by my dads friend) and doesn't sell bettas yet . Unfourtunately I'd have to compact the rest of my fish a bit (divided hex's, a few less danios), but not as much as I thought. So, earlier I was making a list of what I'd need. Heres what I have so far, feel free to add or say where I can get better deals at. I'm being a bit generous on the pricing too, its better to have too much and get a nice suprise at the end

Pair of bettas- £25 (I don't want a massively showy pair TBH, price includes postage)
Frozen/live food to condition with- £3 (covers a pack of frozen and some live)
Spawning tank- Already have, also use as growout
Tall clear vase thing to put female in- Already have
Silk plants- Ditto
Airline tubing (syphon)- £1
MW culture- £4 (can use to start other cultures)
BBS- £4
Hatchery- Already have
Salt- £2
Sponge filter- Already have
Airpump- Ditto
Jars- Collecting, probably free but I'll put down £5
Dechlor- £5
Flake food/pellets for older fry- £5
Assorted items for female fry to hide in from each other- £5

Thats all I could think of. I total it at £60. Some other of the stuff I put down pricing for I should have, but put it down anyway just in case. Jars will be anything I can get my hands on, but mainly 2l soda bottles with the top cut off and various cheap tupperware. Tail type, not sure, either CT, PK, DT or delta. Umm.... So, anything else equiptment wise?

 

[Joby]

Heater as spawn tank needs to be around 82

I think you have everything else on your list

 

[willtang3000]

styrofoam cup so the male can build his nest in it that will prob cost 2p lol

 

[keith565]

rather than house your growing fry in jars, i use 2 litre pop bottles. i know they are not a sturdy as jars but with the tops cut off hold nearly 2 litres of water. i have 24 on the go at the minute and i can see the young growing. otherwise i think you have it all. although you might need a few more bs eggs as mine eat tonns.lol

 

[OohFeeshy]

rather than house your growing fry in jars, i use 2 litre pop bottles. i know they are not a sturdy as jars but with the tops cut off hold nearly 2 litres of water. i have 24 on the go at the minute and i can see the young growing. otherwise i think you have it all. although you might need a few more bs eggs as mine eat tonns.lol

[snapback]876610[/snapback]​

Yep, exactly what I'm using We drink enough, my mum takes a bottle to work most days so I reckon I can get around 5 a week maybe? More if I get thirsty . Oh yeah, I already have heaters, duh, forgot to put them down. I also forgot the cup, I'll see whether the males I've got now (won't spawn with them obviously, VT mostly and old) will bubblenest under one.

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

Ooohh I'm excited for you! Good luck!

 

[OohFeeshy]

It probably won't be for a few months, I need to check back over some reading about whether its practical to do it when I'm at school or not. So far the bottle count is at 2, I think I have one in my bin, theres a near empty bottle of lemonade and I'm sure theres one in the green bin. I'd better start saving my money and doing jobs around the house... Ah well, I have a job at school which is £25 a term, so that should help

 

[willtang3000]

make sure that your breeding tank is in a quite room and make sure no one but you go in there just to have a really quick look at them cause once my male ate all the eggs because of my mums friend had come round and scared the hell outta him because he wasn't in a peaceful room

 

[OohFeeshy]

It'll be in my bedroom, the quietest room in the house. And possibly covered with a towel. And probably while I'm asleep. So, anyone reccomend tail type?

 

[Joby]

Just go with what you like best

I considered which would sell better at my lfs before I put mine together but also something that I would like so I could keep some.

I've done CT and now have an HM/SD spawn of 3 days its exciting whichever you go for waiting to see what colours you get

 

[OohFeeshy]

Thought I'd add an update. As you may have seen, I've got 3 new boys from bettaman. A HM, a SD and a CT cross (not sure what he'll turn out like ). The HM's a no-no, he's got some red wash on his anal fin, but the other two certainly would be good daddies The CT cross also has dragon scales (red ones over a white body), and Clover has some girlies that would compliment him perfectly The SD is very pretty, but has a wide array of colours so it might be a bit tough to get a similar coloured girl. Both boys will still be in a good age range for breeding when I'm ready for it, so time to start clearing space

 

[Durbkat]

Here is exactly what you will need to breed

So you want to breed bettas. But first, you have to learn the Heimlich maneuver. If you don’t know the Heimlich maneuver, don’t worry, you are going to become a top expert within the next few months. But in a few words, this is how it works:

Your local fish store salesman stands behind you, gets you in a death grip by wrapping both his greedy arms around your submissive, frail body and *HUH* squeezes all the dough right out of you. You will come out of this experience a little light headed and light walleted too . Cleansed.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if you want to breed bettas or keep tropical fish for that matter, you must be prepared to spend some serious dough. Hence, if you don’t have any money, you should reconsider. OK. Last call for the poor and the stingy. Bettas have no time for you . They are royal creatures that will not condescend to be offered anything less than the very best.

Still with us? OK, here is the shopping list. On your marks? Set? GOOOOOOOOO!

The following shopping list and “must have” list is the BARE minimum you will need to spawn one pair of bettas. I have put some approximate prices just to give you a rough idea of what you are getting into . These prices will vary greatly depending on where you live and who you buy the stuff from.




The breeding pair:
1)- One pair of younger bettas from a good breeder. Pick a strain easy to work with and not too expensive to start with. $20 to $30 for the bettas and $20 for Express mail shipping costs. Please do not try to save a few bucks by having your pair priority mailed. Priority mail is not guarantied to not go in the unpressurized cargo area of the planes. Many bettas shipped priority mail have EXPLODED while on the planes!!! Please don’t jeopardize your bettas lives and spend the extra $10 to get them there safely.

2)- Two one gallon glass jars to house each of your bettas. $15

3)- Water conditioners and additives as follow: Amquel ($9) Novaqua ($9) Aquarisol ($3) PH down—in most cases—($4) aquarium salt ($5)

4)- First aid must have medications: Maroxy ($3), Methylene Blue ($5), Tetracycline and a few other antibiotics ($5 each)

5)- Food to feed the little critters: freeze dried brine shrimp ($10), or frozen foods or live brown worms ($1 a portion—you will need many portions over the next months)

6)- Two fish nets ($2 each)

Subtotal = $130

The spawning tank:
1)- 10 gal or 5 gal spawning tank (same price $20 with cover and light)

2)- Mini penplax corner filter ($5)

3)- Small airpump to run the above filter ($10)

4)- Tubing and valve for above ($4)

5)- SUBMERSIBLE (and submersible only) heater 25W to 50W no more or you will cook you fish! ($15)

6)- One stirofoam cup (free… Woaw that’s a new concept!)

7)- One piece of scotch tape

8)- One chimney glass (from your local hardware store) ($4)

9)- One or two very thick bushy plastic plants ($6 each)

10)- a pack of small plant weights ($3)

11)- a mini tank cleaner (vacuum) ($7)

Subtotal = $74

The fry related purchases:
1)- One microworm cultureto be purchased about 3 weeks before attempting the spawning. ($10)

2)- Brine shrimp eggs ($6) extra valve and T connector to send some of your air pump’s air to the brine shrimp’s hatchery. ($1). Also a 1/2 gal jar with lid to hatch the shrimp in ($1.50)

3)- About 50 to 100 jars for the males to be jarred when they grow and start fighting ($1 each)

4)- preferably another larger tank (40 gal) to move them to when they grow, with cover, light, filter, plants and heater (used $100)

Subtotal = $171.00






GRAND TOTAL you will be coughing up after the Heimlich maneuver :

About $380.00

Aoutch.

This initial investment is the bare minimum to spawn one pair of bettas, that is of course if you want the pair and their fry to live. If you don’t care if they live or not, then you could cut the cost down. (Boooooooo!).

In all honesty, trying to skip any of the above items will probably cause you to fail in your endeavor. If you try to keep 200 fry in a 5 gal or a 10 gal, they will die of bacterial disease or nitrite poisoning. You must provide them with ROOM to grow and survive. Remember: Bettas may lay as many as 500 eggs! Hence the need for a grow out tank and many jars.

Hmmmm… You look pale. Are you OK? )))

Ah, what the heck, it is only money, and believe me, the enjoyment you will get out of breeding bettas is well worth it.

Have fun shopping, and don’t let that fish store salesman anywhere behind your back!!! Face him at all time! (hehehe I can already picture you walking backwards out of the store!! LOL)

 

[OohFeeshy]

I already made a list This is just an update saying I've found a nice pair etc, I just forgot to change the subtitle . And I don't do dollars

 

[Durbkat]

Oh I'm sorry its just that whenever I see people wanting to know what they need to breed or the titile talks about breeding I just get carried away and post that list on thier.

 

[OohFeeshy]

'S OK I've pretty much got everything now, so the final price will be far less (as all 3 males only cost £10 inc. postage ). Just the bottles to collect now, I've got about 13 already. We've also got a new TV stand thing so I might swipe the old one to put a spawning tank on