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.
Mermaid Highly Recommends:
Jan 8th 2008
2:17 AM
Very usefull information,, we need more and more about fighter preeding and reproduction.
B,Regards
Nizar
Mar 13th 2008
7:20 AM
how to identify the gender in the aquarim fishes, specially in gold and fighter fishes
Mar 13th 2008
7:44 AM
Generally, females have slightly “rounded” bodies and are less vibrant in color than males.
Apr 11th 2008
5:17 AM
The Information was very useful for us newbie in the field of breeding fighting fish.
thank you may your site stay!
Jul 8th 2008
9:06 PM
that was very useful info but i still need to no what i need to do if the fish breeds a male will the dad and little males that the fish breeded fight?
Aug 22nd 2008
10:53 AM
Very useful info. i would like to ask if different kinds of fighting fish will breed together. like veil tail male with halfmoon tail female?is that possible?
Sep 15th 2008
10:24 PM
Thank you very much i will try using this method because it didn’t work when the fish shop lady told me
Thanks,
Ryan
Nov 8th 2008
1:35 AM
This is the most useful website with the best information et that I have found. Just bought a male and female fighter today so this was great. Thankyou !!!
Nov 14th 2008
4:13 AM
hi please told me about breeding and feeding fighter fish thank you very much
Dec 1st 2008
9:10 PM
hey the info was good buti cant find the info on when the females r ready to breed please help me
Dec 8th 2008
5:48 PM
thanks for the info cause i got those things breed once and could raise them.
Jan 16th 2009
8:31 AM
hi everybody!asking some anformation, during the breeding process, is it required to feed them?
Jan 19th 2009
5:30 PM
i need more about the babys when they grow up, or during the fry life, like when to seperate them from each other etc
Jan 22nd 2009
12:26 AM
thank you very much about the info………….
but i would like to know how to care for the young hatch lings
Jan 29th 2009
11:45 AM
hi there every1, i have a question that doesnt seem to be ansered anywhere. when the eggs have hatched where do you put them. in a bigger tank or leave them with the nest. have only got a breeding trap 12″ long witch divides into 4 but im only gonna use it as 2 comartments. i have been told his is ok.
Apr 3rd 2009
10:24 PM
thankyou very much for this information . i breed it give a succesful time . i was very happy . i was studing 5th standard only so many of my friends are asking how i told them go to internet.
May 2nd 2009
12:50 PM
this is great i will try this straight away
May 8th 2009
7:53 AM
whats the average lifespan of fightimg fish?
May 8th 2009
11:58 PM
Hi John,
Averagely, 2 to 3 years. But with proper maintenance and good diet, it can live up to 4 years.
HTH
Jun 27th 2009
5:11 AM
Thanks for the i dea……….!
Jul 22nd 2009
4:00 AM
before i opened this website, i asked the pet shop owner. they told me to put the breeding tank in the sun for 2 hours everyday for 1 week, then cover it until it is dark. does this method work too?
Aug 1st 2009
10:14 PM
hi i have a male fighting fish and a female and ive tried before but he doesnt even blow bubbles what do i do?
Aug 22nd 2009
4:48 AM
can the babies eat betta food and can the babies stay with the female once they have hathed and if the babies are boys and girls will they attach each other strait away.
Sep 2nd 2009
6:48 AM
I feel that this is very important info wat i hav got today i will try this but still its not that clear that how i can make out are the male n female r in right stage for mating how many days should i leav male n female together any ways i will take this idea n i will try very soon thanq for ur info
Sep 3rd 2009
7:42 PM
Ty for the info. I almost bought the male betta when suddenly the female betta start tearing his fins. Is that normal? And should I try with other male betta in case the previous one doesnt well match her? I had a crazy assumption its because the female doesnt want any company..
Sep 9th 2009
1:24 AM
how many days should i get the male when it hatches from the egg? what if theres a mosquito breeds inside the tank,what should i do?just leave it there?
Sep 18th 2009
2:48 AM
hi we are new to this breeding of fighting fish but ours has just blowen bubbles what we want to no is when the babys are born when do you seperate them males from females
Nov 2nd 2009
5:40 PM
sooooo i dont get how to make the bubble nest because i already have them next to eachather in a tank that is davided into three bits?????
Nov 26th 2009
5:52 AM
its cool to raise a betta,
my 1st try to breed them the male almost killed the famele,
but they come to,
Dec 21st 2009
6:28 AM
hey this helped abit.. when the babys hatch is that when u take the male out? and how old do they have 2 be until u seperate the babys? thanks
Jan 8th 2010
2:02 AM
Hi i was wondering, does it have to be a 10 gallon tank?
Jan 16th 2010
6:00 AM
Its very useful to breed my fish that time:-)
Jan 16th 2010
6:01 AM
Its very useful info but i not that understand
Feb 15th 2010
7:44 PM
I have already had baby fighting fish ,how do I take care of the babys
Mar 2nd 2010
12:05 PM
hahahaha umm how many babies do the hav tho
Mar 16th 2010
12:58 AM
when to separate male fighter from bebies
Apr 2nd 2010
6:33 PM
Thank you. My male has built the nest and the female has her stripes. Holding thumbs that they will mate, but at the moment the female is hiding from the male.
Apr 3rd 2010
6:05 PM
Hey Everyone.
Well it can be any tank. Doesn’t have to be a certain size.
Mine just successfully breeded
First time ever. And the eggs have just hatched!
When the eggs are laid by the female, you take her out when she has layed ALL her eggs, and leave the male to look after them.
When the eggs hatch (2 days later) you leave the male to pick up the babies and spit them back into the nest, just as he did for them when they were eggs.
When the babies are about 2 days old, take the male out as he may begin to eat them.
Feed the babies Baby Brine Shrimp about 3 times a day until tthey are old enough to be separted from each other (at about 3 months).
Everyone says this is easy, but it’s complicated until you understand it all.
May 18th 2010
3:50 AM
hi i have 3 male fighter fish and 3 female fighter fish can i keep 1 male with 3 female so that the male can choose it mate
May 27th 2010
7:21 AM
thanks very muck
Jun 3rd 2010
3:49 PM
how do simmese fighting fish lay there eggs?
Jun 6th 2010
1:47 AM
pls tell me wer i buy fighting fish in the phil. only
Jun 28th 2010
3:23 PM
thanks but when do u know when they are ready to lay there egg..
Jun 28th 2010
3:26 PM
thanks but do u have to have a heater to be able to breed them…
Jun 28th 2010
3:28 PM
how do u know that the girl has lad it’s eggs….
Jun 28th 2010
3:29 PM
can u put other fish in with the simese fish……….
Jul 8th 2010
10:47 PM
I want to know what babies eat please help immediately…………………..
Jul 8th 2010
11:46 PM
Hi. I have a male and a female fighter fish for about 2 week and the male built his bubble nest. I put the female in the tank with the male about yesterday but am not seeing any eggs. Tell me what I shall do?