I am learning to breed betta firsthand!

[velanarris]

There are no mouth brooding Bettas. Betta males will roll eggs and fry around in their mouths to clean fungus off of them but they won't rear the fry.

Crowntails are a genetic variant resulting in longer fin rays, giving the appearance of a "crown" when you look at the tail vertically.

 

[likestofish]

actally there are mouth brooding bettas just not beta slendens

 

[ajbassmaster]

I did read that there are mouthbrooding species but it didnt list what kinds so I didnt want to make an assumption about crowntails.

 

[ajbassmaster]

I totally forgot to tell everyone that they hatched yesterday morning at 7:30. Unfortunately i had to go to school so i had to trust that the father would care for them. Luckily my male is a good father and is keeping a good eye on them. Today he is still caring for them and i would say that there are about 50-100 babies.

 

[Ikhan Bettah]

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:
About $380.00
Aoutch.
This is from Faith Grangers website at www.bettatalk.com She is an International Betta Congress member and well known authority of the fish. I do not feel like explaining all of this info so I am taking it right from her site for you. She has one of the best Betta websites created. You can find all your info and wonderful stock from her. Her website is easily layed out and very nice to work with, and best of all she sells stock, and supplies!! THis set up she describes should be Betta breeding NECESSITY! at the very least. There are other tricks breeders use as well. To put it pointedly it is not something to take lighthearted. I really don't recommend pet store stock Betta breeding but, they are great to practice with first. Go directly to this link for a detailed description with great pics of how Bettas spawn. The thing about Mouth Brooding Bettas is more commonly seen in the wild ones by the way.

 

[Ikhan Bettah]

Oh and P.S. I have made an MFK Betta Society, all should come and join who love these fish! I am working on making it official but I need to renew my IBC membership. Anyone interested see my profile and join up! No better place to have a group than on MFK!!!

 

[swede]

Where are you going to put all those males once they grow?

 

[Ikhan Bettah]

Well I have actually had a bunch of freaking males in small plastic cups before, lol they work great, and I was in a small apt. The thing is you need a pretty hard core set up for breeding Bettas, like the small cubicle wall mount tanks, a bunch of them, a couple of quarantine tanks, a couple hospital tanks...so what he is going to do I have no idea.

 

[swede]

cool ...... i just wouldn't wanna do it!

 

[Ikhan Bettah]

Betta fish are the bomb. I bet you've never seen one as nice looking in a LFS or a pet store like in my icon! =P They are beautiful fish and genetically very fun to experiment with as far as tail shape and size of the fish in general. Besides once you breed beautiful Bettas, train with them, show them it is so much fun. I am telling you, get caught in the Betta world and you will be hooked!