In this blog we will discuss bettas breeding and baby bettas.This blog will give you all the information related to how breeding takes place and how they should be taken care during and after the breeding process.
Overview
In this blog
- Do betta fish have babies?
- Betta breeding to make babies
- Do bettas need light during spawning?
- Do bettas need light during spawning?
- What is the most important food fed to baby betta?
- How long do baby betta fish take to get their beautiful colors?
- Summary
- Frequently asked questions
- Reference
Do betta fish have babies?
Bettas can be carefully bred & raised in captivity.If you look closely at female betta’s response to male’s aggressive mating behavior,these brightly colored little fish may be bred in captivity to produce offspring of different varieties and colors as per the choice of betta enthusiasts by a process called cross breeding.
Bettas have been domesticated for at least a thousand years, making it one of the oldest fish domestications known.This fish has become a darling in the pet trade, and thanks to its ease of care and attractive colors and due to this they are very popular among fish aquariums.
Betta breeding process to make babies
Select a healthy betta pair
- Buy a healthy pair of bettas from a reputable breeder, who is aware of their genetics.
- When ready for breeding or spawning, both male and females are 4-12 months old.
- Male bettas should not show any signs of lethargy or illness.
- Male bettas that are bright red in color are most attractive to female bettas.
- Male bettas should have long and unscathed fins.
- Use dividers to separate female bettas until both fish are ready to breed.
Prepare betta breeding tank
To install a betta fish breeding aquarium, you need a slightly larger aquarium. An aquarium of about 10 gallons is perfect.
Betta breeding aquariums should have no substrate,but should provide plenty of hiding spots in the form of broader leafy plants.
You can also use Indian almond leaves to facilitate the breeding process.If you cannot find almond leaves, many different leaves can be used.
Oak leaves are very good and contain lots of tannins, but leaves from almost any hardwood tree should be fine too, like beech. maple, etc.It is important not to disturb the breeding tank.
Otherwise there is a risk that the nest of bubbles will collapse.The nests get bigger and it should take 3 days for the fish to hatch.
By then, the female should lay enough eggs in her body.Make sure the tank is fully cycled and is set at the correct temperature.
Bubble nest preparation by male betta
If you want your male betta to blow bubbles and build a bubble nest,then keep the aquarium water temperature at 78 degrees for several months and then raise it to 82 degrees over a week or two.
The presence of a female betta can encourage male bettas to build their foam or bubble nest, and the presence of another male bettas can also make your male bettas to start building a nest of bubbles out of competition.
When the male fighting fish are ready to breed, he builds a bubble nest.These foam nests float at the top of the aquarium and look like small foam masses.
Once established,male fighting fish often remain under the nest, waiting for female bettas to mate.
After mating, female fighting fish lay eggs.Eggs come from what is often referred to as egg spot.The spot looks like a grain of salt and is actually the ovipositor tube from which the eggs emerge.
Female bettas cannot lay eggs without male bettas.During the breeding process the male bettas fertilize the eggs and press on the lower body of the female bettas, causing the eggs to come out of her body.
Once the female betta is removed from the water, the male will release the sperm in the tank to fertilize the eggs externally.The eggs will begin to sink after fertilization, but the male will catch the sinking eggs with his mouth and carry them to the bubble nest.
Post betta breeding process
Foam nests allow for a clean, moist, and oxygen-rich environment for baby betta fish.Male betta fish stay under the nest and protect their eggs from potential predators.
This is the case with wild bettas ,in aquarium conditions,there won’t be any predators except female bettas, so it is important to remove her after the hatching process, as female bettas get very aggressive during the breeding process.
Once the fry are free swimming, the males need to be removed. Or, if you have a fry rearing box, you can move the fry there.Raising fry to adulthood can take up to four months, so you need plenty of food
Food for baby bettas
To keep baby bettas growing and healthy, they need to feed live food such as grindal worms, tubifex worms, white worms, blackworms and mosquito larvae that are very special to young bettas.
Baby betta fry should be fed a small meal at least 5 times a day.This pattern begins to change and diminishes as they grow older.
Baby bettas, from 4-6 months old, should be fed foods designed for baby fish, not necessarily bettas.
Baby fry should be fed 3-5 times a day, with frequent small meals. Depending on the number of fry in the system, you may only need to feed a few sprinkles only.
- Start by feeding fry nematodes to baby bettas.
- When the betta fry are a few days old they should be big enough to deal with eating artemia babies.
- Feed the fry after a week and continue with baby artemia.
- After three to four weeks you can continue to feed the young betta fish with artemia babies.
Do bettas need light during spawning?
Live plants that float on the water surface are used to provide the male with a surface to build his bubble nest on. A couple of popular options are using a piece of styrofoam or a sheet of almonds.
As for lighting, bettas need privacy to breed and won’t spawn if it’s too bright, so it is recommended to only use a dim light in their breeding tank.
Betta fry do not need lights at night.Lighting is essential for betta fry development, but it can either be standard aquarium lighting or natural daylight.
What is the most important food fed to baby betta?
Infusoria is a type of liquid food often recommended for baby betta fish and is ideal for newly hatched baby betta fish because the infusoria is small enough for a small betta to eat.
The important thing about infusoria is they move and look very attractive to baby bettas.
Infusoria are small free-living nematodes such as vinegar worms, microworms,banana worms, and walter worms, baby brine shrimp, daphnia, fairy shrimp, and grindal worms are all wonderful fry food.
Feeding Infusoria increases survival for the first few weeks before it is ready to consume brine shrimp and other off-the-shelf flakes.
How long do baby betta fish take to get their beautiful colors?
The betta will be colored in about eight weeks.Store the fry in the breeding aquarium for 3-4 weeks before transferring to the growing aquarium.Fry becomes fully developed fish in 3-4 months.
Summary
- A male betta fish keeps eggs in a foam nest or bubble nest created by them.Baby bettas will hatch in about 3 days when hatched, the baby is called a fry and is very small.
- Neither parent takes care of the baby, they will find their own food as they grow up or the captive ones should be given utmost care by their owners from the day they come out of those eggs.
- Bubble nests are only built by male bettas and not female bettas.
- Female bettas should be removed from the breeding tank after fertilization.
- The ideal food for baby fry include nematodes, earthworms and mosquito larvae.
- Infusoria is the best among all,as it moves and looks attractive to baby betta fish.
- Make sure there are no substrates in bettas breeding tanks.
- Bright lights should be avoided in breeding tanks.
- Taking care of baby betta fish is not easy.They require more special attention than adult betta.
Frequently asked questions
What are mating calls?
Mating or courtship calls are vocal cues that animals use to attract a mate. The period during which seasonally breeding animals can mate. Reproductive activities such as courtship, mate selection, and mating are visible.
What kind of fertilization is seen in bettas?
Betta fish rely on external fertilization to give birth. This means that the female carries the egg and the male betta releases the egg and fertilizes it in a bubble nest specially created for the breeding process.
How many babies do betta fish produce?
Female bettas lay 30-40 eggs/spawn, but some can lay up to 500, it totally depends on the individual betta fish.
Can you keep betta babies together?
Yes,you can keep bettas together, as long as they are not both males.
Do baby betta fight with each other?
Combining two baby bettas may not fight at first, but as they get older they kill each other, especially male bettas.
