How To Breed Betta Fish: An Expert Guide To Successful Breeding

 

Step 1: Set Up Your Permanent Betta Tanks

Before you do anything, you need to set up the permanent homes for your male and female Betta.

You can read a clear guide on how to set up the perfect Betta fish tank here.

Once you’ve bought all your equipment and set it up, you’ll now need cycle both aquariums before you buy your fish.

Step 2: Betta Fish Breeding Tank Setup (Buying Your Equipment)

The BIGGEST mistake people make when breeding Bettas is attempting to breed them in the males current tank–don’t.

You need a breeding tank because fry are extremely fragile and need pristine water conditions. Once they’re free swimming, you will need to remove your male (which you can’t do if it’s his tank) so he doesn’t see them as threat.

Step 3: How To Choose Your Betta Breeding Pair

This is the most important, most vital, the most everything.

Your success is going to based on the breeding pair you choose.

You’re going to be faced with two choices here: buy from a reputable breeder or a pet shop.

Now, even though you have a choice, really (if you want to be successful), you only have one – buy from a reputable breeder.

Yes, it’s “cheaper” to buy the Bettas from a pet shop, but, your chance of success dramatically drops.

And after investing money in tanks and equipment, you don’t want to take shortcuts now.

Why does buying from a pet shop dramatically reduce your chances of breeding? Because you’ll have no information on their genetics and age.

Step 4: How To Create The Breeding Conditions

We’re now going to discuss the exact measures you need to take to ensure you create the best possible breeding conditions.

Step 5: How To Introduce Your Male To Your Female Betta

Now your breeding tank is in the optimum condition, it’s time to introduce your breeding pair.

Step 6: Breeding Your Bettas

It’s time for the big show. But, be warned, this is an aggressive process.

Step 7: Male Betta Looks After The Nest

Over the nest 24-36 hours, your male will spend all of his time attending to the eggs: mouthing them and blowing more bubbles.

He may even build a brand new nest in another location and move them all there.

But, most of his time will be hovering under the nest looking bored, periodically checking to see if they’ve started to hatch.

Some first-time Dads may eat the eggs or fry, which can be very frustrating.

However, he may only be eating ones which haven’t been properly fertilized or have something wrong with them.

He might just be doing his job, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Step 8: Hatching The Fry

When your fry start to hatch, their wriggling can shake them loose from the bubbles and they’ll fall.

If your males see, he’ll catch them and put them back.

When they all start to hatch, he’ll be very busy: darting around to catch them and put them back–scanning the bottom for any he’s missed.

Your fry will hang tail-down for the first few days, and slowly start taking on a horizontal swimming position. 

Once they’re free-swimming, remove the male and give them their first feeding of small brine shrimp, microworms, vinegar eels, or infurisa.