Age to breed ?

[Aahnay]

Sorry if this is discussed elsewhere. I read that at 3mos they are breedable?

They are so small? is that really true?

I ask as the new male and female i just received seem to want to be together. He built a huge bubble nest yesterday. I need to get them farther apart. When she jumped out, she was in the water by his tub, and he was at the tub side.

Not together, you know..

Thanks very much.

[madmonahan]

The male and female should be around the same size and
No younger than 4 months ;)

[Aahnay]

Even that seems so young!

[babystarz]

Well, they're fully mature and grown by 5-6 months, and most are not bred after a year old, so that leaves a breeder with a pretty small window of time for breeding a particular fish :)

[indjo]

Some bettas sexually matures early and show signs that they want to breed. BUT they may not breed and get hurt instead. IMO maturity is influenced by size. Fast growers tend to mature first.

IN my area it is not advised to breed them younger than 5 months. It is believed that they're still unstable both genetically (what ever that means) and instinctively (they may not care for fry). But I have bred young 3 - 4 months (almost full size) with no problem (female). But most young males that I've bred do lack instinct - takes a while to get embracing right, do not tend to egg/fry, etc.

Further, young females will lay less eggs. It is believed that they produce better fry and more males during the first 3 spawns. So breeding young and chancing failure is not advised. People often breed after they are 6 months, 3 times with one month intervals. Thus by 9 months, they retire these females.

[Aahnay]

wow, thank you both. So thats why you see the males come into this country, and then start traveling around to the breeders? I may be wrong, but following some fish, that were purchased abroad, then sold after they were here again.

It makes sense, but hard on the males, all that travel and sex o.O

So, from the moment the female produces eggs, they start aging, makes sense too.

I have thought I would want to try one breeding with the pair i have now, but Im not ready to do that. Will be some time. More than 3 months, making them 6 mos before I even think about it again.

This is very interesting, thanks again.

[BeautifulBetta123]

Just make sure you don't breed them after 1.5 years at most i recomend breeding them yonger.

[Aahnay]

Yeah, I wont, and thank you.

[babystarz]

Yeah, the Thai imports get around :P I bought one from a breeder in Georgia that originally came from Thailand, but he's never been bred and I will not be breeding him. And he's not going anywhere so he can relax!

The history of bettas being shipped all over the globe for their genes goes back to the 70's and 80's; the first breeder to start creating for halfmoons sent his breeding males to several other breeders in Europe and the U.S. Every halfmoon in existence is a descendant of that first prototype halfmoon male. The story is a fascinating read: http://bettysplendens.com/articles/p...articleid=1024

[Aahnay]

Thank you, yes I read it, and the one about the gas too. I just wanted them for viewing really. But now .. i dont know, it could be fun to do just one breeding. Its so fascinating. But, im not sure I can cull, and I know i cannot support all the babies for life.. Its a big decision.