Hard to breed bettas

[iGoatfish]

I have been looking all over the web for tips or tricks on how to breed bettas that are reluctant to breed. I was hoping some of you veterin breeders out there would be willing to share some of your knolege that I am sure you worked very hard to learn.
Aloha and Mahalo

[ChoclateBetta]

I have never bred but know a little. What do you mean by reluctant?

[homegrown terror]

i know that some HM's and VT's that have excessively long finnage find it hard to wrap properly.

[ChoclateBetta]

Some Bettas eat there eggs. Carter tried Betta eggs before.

[Oldfishlady]

What I have found over the years of spawning this species....Is that they like to drive you nuts....lol.....Sometimes you just have to get creative and experiment....A lot of times-no two spawns will be alike-even with the same two breeders.
One thing I have found.....Mass feeding of live mosquito larva can get them in condition faster. Keeping them on a 12h/day photoperiod, using the shock method has worked well with some of my really hard to spawn. Adding either another female or a cupped male will sometimes help.

I have had better luck or more constancy by using a more natural method to spawn. I use soil based heavy planted-full to the top with water-5-10gal tanks, no filter, added tannins, temp at 80F, on a 12h/day PP-Sometimes I use the shock method and other times I will add the male first-then the female cupped for a day or so-I will get spawn usually within the hour to first light the next day, however, in some cases it has taken a week or longer....This is when patience comes in handy...gotta have lots of that...lol....

[iGoatfish]

That's the kinda tips I'm looking for. Thanks!
I have one ee male and the only way I have been able to breed him is in a 5 gal bucket with the female jared in the middle for 2 or 3 days. When I put him in a traditional breeding set up he just plays and doesn't evan notice the female. I just want learn every thing can the easy way and not the hard way.

[Oldfishlady]

That is how I spawn mine in the summer/warmer months outside. I use 5gal buckets-I fill them about half way with naturally dried Oak leaves-Fill to 1inch from the top with water-Then add lots of stem plant cuttings to float or hang in the water column and water lettuce. I have these setup for about 2-3 weeks before I add the fish-this is so the oak leaves can release the tannins, microorganisms can start to colonize and mosquito larva and other critters can get established.
Depending on what my plan is....I will either add a couple of females first-then add a male 2-3 days later-Usually with this...the females will attack the male and demand to spawn-Now or else...lol....kinda funny to watch.....Or, I add the male and a day or two later add either 1-2 females. Sometimes I will do just 1 female-but I usually do artificial hatching and I collect the eggs/nest and with two female-I generally can get a nest/eggs daily.

[GreyHounD]

Its very easy to breed this fishes, only thing is that you need time to keep track with the fries.

They'd die easily due to a lot of factors.

Try using IAL for best results in breeding and it'll be like no sweat.

[iGoatfish]

Lucky for me IAL grows all over place in Hawaii

[indjo]

IME, the key to breeding is a healthy pair. This is what lots of live/frozen food does.

Another factor (in my case) is aggressiveness. Stressed individuals will never breed. !!!There are times when healthy and aggressive females would rather fight than breed!!! But this is quite rare.

With those two factors in consideration, I usually mass feed and isolate reluctant pairs, exercise daily about 15 - 60 minutes (my bettas are used to flaring for long periods). But if yours aren't used to it, gradually add flaring time so they won't become stressed (they seem to use up a lot of energy to flare). Eventually they will begin to "flirt swim", though flared to the same sex. A few days later, I breed them. . . . OR if I want to "force" them, I flare for long periods 1 hour/+. If they're healthy, they should be in breeding mode in a day or two.

Often (not always) different environment also helps. Say, they're kept in bare tanks then plop them in a well aged heavily planted tank. Breeding instincts usually kicks in.