What should I do? (Horizontal stripes?) Includes TIMELINE!

[Iman]

I am going to begin from the time that I got my female betta, her story line.
1. I go into the pet store, and ask if they have any female betas. The pet store owner told me that he did and he took me to look at them.
>>>>>>I am going back in time from here<<<<<<<<
a. Around a month over a year ago (13 months ago) I went into the same pet store to buy bettas. I looked at the females he had at the time (he had around 16 of them) They were mostly small around 1 inch or less long.
>>>>>>>Coming back to recent times<<<<<<<<
2. So I came into the pet store, picked out the male I wanted, and looked at what females he had. He only had 2 females and they were both around 1 ½ of inch long (excluding tail) they weren’t in the same tank that I had seen bettas in over a year ago.
3. I bought the two bettas.
4. I brought them home.
5. I put the male in his tank.
6. I put the female in my large aquarium with the gourami, tetras, and cories.
a. >>>the male is doing fine>>>>>
b. >>>The female is hiding>>>>>
7. I take the female out of the big aquarium and give her, her own tank.
Next evening:
1. I put the breeding tank together.
2. I introduced the male and the female.
3. The female instantly got those horizontal lines.
4. I left them together for a night.
Next morning:
1. The female isn’t looking to good, she still has those horizontal lines.
2. I put her in her aquarium, but she still isn’t recovering.
3. I put her in my large aquarium and the gourami starts chasing her around, but she regains her color.
4. I put her back in her normal tank.
5. Every time I show the female the male she turns really pale and gets those horizontal strupes.
Next day:
1. They stay apart all day (they never see each other)
Next Day:
1. I brought the fish (male, female) down into our basement (because I don’t have a heater and it is over 75 degrees down there) and she still has her normal color, although she has 7-8 black stripes running length ways down her body (not the thick stress stripes she had before)
2. I show the female the male several times and she doesn’t get the thick horizontal stripes nearly as quickly.
Next Day (today)
1. I move the fish to a slightly less out of the way, but slightly cooler location.
2. I show the female the male (same thing happens today as yesterday).
3. I let the male and female see each other at a distance, the male goes crazy (he literally looks like he is demented he was moving around so fast.
4. The female gets those thick stress stripes although she isn’t as pale.
5. I read the isolation thread in this forum, so I slide a piece of black paper in between their tanks.
6. >>>Currently<<< The female has her normal color with those 7-8 slight stripes horizontally.
So what are your thoughts?

[HayrideHaunter]

Youre trying to breed? I haven't tried breeding ever, but from what I've read on here youre introducing them too fast...did you condition them at all?

Also, I think maybe you should let them be apart for like a week, maybe let the female chill out for a while...all that stress can't be good for her =(

i think maybe a warmer place would help too? If your basement is only 75-80 degrees...the water will barely be that...anyplace cooler can't be all that great...I think they need 76-80 degrees

[Iman]

Yes, I am conditioning them on Frozen BB. Also wh does everyone keep ignoring my question. (do you think she is too old to spawn have babies?
Also, I meant the water temperature is 75 (which IS warm enough)

[vilmarisv]

I don't think ppl are ignoring your question...
Her age shouldn't matter... they can breed well into adulthood.
The water IS too cold!
Read up on betta breeding and raising fry... go to http://www.bettysplendens.com there's really good information there.
You cannot expect to get a good spawn if you skip important things like water conditions when breeding.

[Abby]

hold on....Horisontal stripes? from head to tail are stress stripes


STRESS STRIPES:



breeding stripes (VERTICAL):



There in lies your problem her stripes are telling you she is stressed and scared.

[Abby]

Originally Posted by Iman

Yes, I am conditioning them on Frozen BB. Also wh does everyone keep ignoring my question. (do you think she is too old to spawn have babies?
Also, I meant the water temperature is 75 (which IS warm enough)

yeh i know this will sound like im a bitch but m having a rough day

A) CONDITIONING takes two weeks and in those two weeks you keep them separate and not in visual contact.

B) Your getting replies NO ONE IS IGNORING YOUR QUESTION, they are simply pointing out the OTHER things that need addressing BEFORE YOU THINK IT OVER.

C) we are telling you 76 and HIGHER not 75 have you got a thermometer in the tank?

D) have you got fry food ready? have you got over 150 containers and jars to house the offspring? have you got three tanks. MINIUM? do you even look at any of the breeding information BEFORE leaping into this endeavor?

[leeb62]

Boost your tank up to 84. They more likely to breed at 80 and above anything below that you have a slim chance of them breeding. Just remember they like warm water. Another thing is how big is your female because if she is too small or doesn't have a big stomach don't try breeding yet.

[bettamaniac]

if I ever tried breeding bettas I would spawn them in a 1.5 gallon tank to purposely get at most about 3 bettas. I know that that would work because I know someone who used to breed them in 1 gallon tanks.

[MrVampire181]

Originally Posted by bettamaniac

if I ever tried breeding bettas I would spawn them in a 1.5 gallon tank to purposely get at most about 3 bettas. I know that that would work because I know someone who used to breed them in 1 gallon tanks.

Problems with that:

1 gallon does not give the female much room to run away and hide.
Betta fry need ROOM to grow...they will still need at least 20 gallons to be grown out.
Hundreds of fish = lots of waste = ammonia = death.

[bettafish15]

Originally Posted by MrVampire181

Problems with that:

1 gallon does not give the female much room to run away and hide.
Betta fry need ROOM to grow...they will still need at least 20 gallons to be grown out.
Hundreds of fish = lots of waste = ammonia = death.

Well said! I was gonna say something, but didnt know how to word it right. xD