Spawning Troubles

[bettaBetta]

I've had never ending problems in my attempt to spawn Amphitrite and Pandora. Amphi jumped out of the net when I took him out of the tank, Thank god he landed on a papertowel and no harm was done. The heater seems to have a dead thermomter or somting because it is way off so I have to put it at like 86 farenheit to get 80(despite the fact it was expensive and can work facing any directoin and fully submerged) .I let them see each other though a specimen container all day in the breeding tank. Atfirst he did good, frantically swimming to her flaring and then going to blow his bubble nest. He blew was blowing the bubble nest in the wrong place, rather than under the styroform cup he blew it under a fake flower on one of the plants in the tank which the bubbles just rolled off and popped. I added more places in different ways for him to blow the nest and he chose the blottom of the cup that i floated. He just wouldn't build a decent bubble nest, it really sucked and then he seemed to loose interest in the nest and just flared at the female and floated around flared, floated, etc. Well, this may have been stupid, but I decided to release the female just for a momment to see if maybe it make him realize it's the real thing, he isn't just seeing another girl in another tank he would never get too. Her barring went darker than I've ever seen it and she started following him around and he ran from her I put her back in the cointainer and he was a bubblenesting machine for awhile but the nest still looked small and unsuitable so i realsed her again ad this time he chased her a bit and they both acted as if they were ready to breed so I took her out since his nest was still crappy and he starte blowing bubbles again but it still didn't seem to do much good, so I decided to just try and let them breed. (btw, I know amphi can blow a decent nest because I watched him the day before blow a good one in her tank.) They did everything right though Pandora got a nip and it tore her anal fin but it didbn't seem to faze her. She followed him to the nest as he was trying to get her to do and she stayed still, probably waiting for hir to wrap and he bit her! and the process went over and over last night with no good results. During the time Pamdora never lost her dark breeding stripes. I don't know what to do, none of my other males have bubble nests to steal to ger him started or anything. I was thinking of running out and geting some blackwater extract at a local pet store this morining, would that help?

 

[_cRaCkEr_]

I've had never ending problems in my attempt to spawn Amphitrite and Pandora. Amphi jumped out of the net when I took him out of the tank, Thank god he landed on a papertowel and no harm was done. The heater seems to have a dead thermomter or somting because it is way off so I have to put it at like 86 farenheit to get 80(despite the fact it was expensive and can work facing any directoin and fully submerged) .I let them see each other though a specimen container all day in the breeding tank. Atfirst he did good, frantically swimming to her flaring and then going to blow his bubble nest. He blew was blowing the bubble nest in the wrong place, rather than under the styroform cup he blew it under a fake flower on one of the plants in the tank which the bubbles just rolled off and popped. I added more places in different ways for him to blow the nest and he chose the blottom of the cup that i floated. He just wouldn't build a decent bubble nest, it really sucked and then he seemed to loose interest in the nest and just flared at the female and floated around flared, floated, etc. Well, this may have been stupid, but I decided to release the female just for a momment to see if maybe it make him realize it's the real thing, he isn't just seeing another girl in another tank he would never get too. Her barring went darker than I've ever seen it and she started following him around and he ran from her I put her back in the cointainer and he was a bubblenesting machine for awhile but the nest still looked small and unsuitable so i realsed her again ad this time he chased her a bit and they both acted as if they were ready to breed so I took her out since his nest was still crappy and he starte blowing bubbles again but it still didn't seem to do much good, so I decided to just try and let them breed. (btw, I know amphi can blow a decent nest because I watched him the day before blow a good one in her tank.) They did everything right though Pandora got a nip and it tore her anal fin but it didbn't seem to faze her. She followed him to the nest as he was trying to get her to do and she stayed still, probably waiting for hir to wrap and he bit her! and the process went over and over last night with no good results. During the time Pamdora never lost her dark breeding stripes. I don't know what to do, none of my other males have bubble nests to steal to ger him started or anything. I was thinking of running out and geting some blackwater extract at a local pet store this morining, would that help?

Black Water ... Yes !

 

[splashluff]

I say get Blackwater, a NEW 25w heater that works (Neptune worked really well for me), live Java ferns and a large IAL if you can find one.

You really do not want to be taking chances with a messed up heater, if you left and came home and the temp was 86*, it could easily kill off every one of your fry. Blackwater should definitely help get them in the mood. IAL's are wonderful to nest under, my male didn't even touch his styrafoam cup OR his bubblewrap, he went straight for the leaf. Try letting him get a stable nest and everything going before adding the female to the breeding trap, then when you do release her let them go for it. As long as no scales are being ripped off and the female isn't injuring the male. Even if they do spawn under a poor nest (which is unlikely, because most females will reject the male until they see the nest as fit), if the male is a good Dad he'll build an amazingly huge nest once the eggs are in there. Maui's nest was nice to begin with, but within hours after spawning it was at least 3x bigger and much thicker. Also, be sure to cover the top with seran wrap and a small towel over that, so the lighting in the tank is fairly dim and the condensation holds his nest together.

You've been trying so hard for a good spawn! I hope this one is very successful!

 

[bettaBetta]

I used the blackwater extract and he built a better nest (not great but I'd do), but still nothing today. FInally Nerues blew a bubble nest and I tried to scoop some out and give it to Amphi but most of it popped from one tank to the other. But still nothing all day so I returned her to the cointainer again for the night. I'll try again tomorrow.

Edit: Here are a few pix from the attempt....

Amphi flaring at Pandora

Pic of Amphi, I couldn't ger a shot with his full flared tail.

Look at that pury beard

ANother pic of them together.
Me thinks Amphitrite may just be all looks and no brains.::sigh::

 

[Synirr]

Don't take her out at night, leave her in!
They need some time together! As long as neither is getting severely injured or anything, just leave them and let them do their thing. I find that they tend to really start getting in the mood when the lights are low

EDIT: Did you leave him in the tank by himself for a while before letting him see her? If not, take her away from him so he can't see her for a while. She may be distracting him from building a good nest. Also, is the tank covered? If not, the air inside may not be humid enough, which will cause the bubbles to pop more easily.

 

[bettaBetta]

Don't take her out at night, leave her in!
They need some time together! As long as neither is getting severely injured or anything, just leave them and let them do their thing. I find that they tend to really start getting in the mood when the lights are low

EDIT: Did you leave him in the tank by himself for a while before letting him see her? If not, take her away from him so he can't see her for a while. She may be distracting him from building a good nest. Also, is the tank covered? If not, the air inside may not be humid enough, which will cause the bubbles to pop more easily.

Whoops, well I'll remember not to take her out next time. DO I leave the lights off or on at night then?
Yes, I left him in the tank for two hours before placing her in the cointainer and the tank is covered and the humidity is so high water is condesing on the glass above the water line.

 

[bettaBetta]

I think I found the problem and it really sucks. Remember I dropped Amphi on the paper towel but thought all was well? I had thought his fins looked strang and now I know why. He has come down with clamped fins, most likely because of that because he didn't feel good must've been why he wouldn't spawn. I'm so disappointed as I love him so much and so wanted to spawn him. I'm gonna try to breed Pandora to my DRCT (meaning I'd probably get almost all DRCT as she is 1/2 of it too), but he might be too old. If thias doesn't work I might have to give up trying to spawn for now.

 

[splashluff]

I'm not sure what you mean by clamped fins? Either way, try leaving him in the nice 10gal for at least a few days, and maybe place a female near his tank for short intervals to encourage him. Let him get used to the tank and start a nest, THEN add your female to the breeding trap and leave her in there until clear submissive signs are shown, THEN release her. Don't jump the gun on removing her, unless she/he's being injured and attacked, it's ok to have them together for a couple days.

 

[bettaBetta]

Phineus, didn't have enough interest and Pandora was just getting stressed so now no one is in the breeding tank.

I'm not sure what you mean by clamped fins?

What I mean is that they are clamped up, don't spread, meaning he must be sick and I'll have to treat it for him for awhile.

 

[Synirr]

Just let Amphi rest for a couple of days, I'd say. Let him hang out in the breeding tank and recouperate, then try again once he looks better. This time just leave the female in overnight... and yeah, turn the lights on and off as you normally would