How To Breed Fighting Fish Successfully

Breeding Siamese fighting fish a.k.a. Betta is not much different than breeding any aquarium fish. However, there are some considerations you want to take in order to breed successfully.

First and foremost, Siamese fighting fish have a fairly short lifespan. They are successful breeders when they under a year old. Pet shops usually sell them at least six months of age, so you might want to start planning ahead when shopping for bettas.

Ideally, the fish should be conditioned prior to breeding by being fed a diet of live foods. The water should be at a pH of about 7.0 and the temperature around 80 or slightly above.

These fish breed in bubble nests and do not require a large tack or special equipment. Most breeders find that a bare-bottomed tack of about ten gallons works well, although smaller tanks are also suitable.

The Caring Process

In the world of fighting fish, it’s the father who takes care of the brood. The female will simply mate, lay eggs and swim off to resume her independent life.

The male will blow an elaborate bubble nest at the water surface when it’s ready to spawn. It secretes a mucus coating from its mouth to form a floating nest of bubbles. In the wild, the bubble nest is usually built under a floating leaf or object to prevent it from being destroyed by water currents or wind.

The Breeding Process

Introduce the male (usually more colorful, and with long flowing fins) into the spawning tank. Make sure the tank is devoid of any currents to prevent the bubble nest form being destroyed. Then put the female (usually more drab-looking with shorter fins) in a jar, and suspend the jar within the tank.

Upon seeing the female, the male may start building a nest and returning intermittently to display itself to the female, while the female will darken and display vertical bars on its body if it is ready to mate.

Once the nest is build (usually in a day), release the female into the tank. An initial round of chasing will ensure. As the male tends to be rather aggressive during this stage, it is a good idea to put plants such as java moss in the tank to provide hiding places for the female.

During mating, the male wraps itself over the female, while the female releases eggs to be fertilized by the male. The male will then pick up the eggs and place them into the bubble nest. This process will be repeated until the female has expelled all her eggs.

What’s Next After Mating?

Remove the female once mating has ceased, otherwise the male may harass it to death. Leave the male to tend to the eggs. It will take 36 to 48 hours for the eggs to hatch.

The hatching will cling onto the bubble nest. In a few days’ time, they will start to swim freely and look for food such as micro-organisms or newly hatched brine shrimp. Remove the male lest it starts eating up the hatchlings.

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