is there an easy way to breed fish???

[bettaangel]

I really need to breed my male and female bettas, but I want to do it without buying anything can you help???

[okiemavis]

Need? I think that's a subjective word...

Bettas require a lot of knowledge, research and planning. Basically, NO, you cannot breed them without buying anything. Or, you could breed them, but you would be giving all their offspring a death sentence.

For one thing, when the fry get older every single male will need to be separated or they will kill each other.

You also need to feed the fry a variety of microscopic live food.

I'd advise doing a lot more reading before jumping into this.

[dramaqueen]

I agree with okiemavis 100%. You can't just throw them together and hope for the best. You really have to know what you're doing.

[amones369]

I have a question in relation to what okiemavis said. I know that you have to separate the males so they don't fight, but how do you know when you separate them? When they are nearly full grown? Or much earlier?

[dramaqueen]

I think you separate them as soon as they start showing signs of aggression. The fry will start fighting among themselves. The males all need individual containers and the females can be kept together, at least for awhile.

[Nataku]

There is no 'easy' way of breeding them. It takes time and money (and a lot of space) invested to breed betta.
Things you need to successfully breed betta fish:
~Larger tank ie 20 gallon long or greater for the breeding/spawn tank
~Adequate lighting
~A variety of meaty, high-protein foods to feed to your breeding pair to condition them before sticking them together. Bloodworms, fruit flies (and their larvae) and mosquito larvae are common foods I hear used. Unconditioned bettas normally will not spawn, instead, they will beat each other to a bloody pulp.
~Heater(s) to keep the breeding/spawn tank at appropriate temp. Too cold and most of the eggs will not hatch, and the few that do will likely have difficulty properly developing their labyrinth organ as they grow, and so will probably also die.
~Fry food - no, betta pellets and/or flakes will not work, they can't eat it yet. You need microworms, infusoria, vinegar eels and/or other microscopically small LIVE food sources for the betta fry that will need to be cultured in advance or your fry will starve to death within the first three to five days.
~Grow out tanks for all the male betta fry. Lots of 'em. Every single male will need to go into it's own tank once you can determine it's a male, otherwise they will start fighting their siblings and killing each other. These tanks should be at least a gallon in size and also need to be heated adequately.

And need? You don't need to breed betta fish. You want. There is a difference. Lots of us want to breed bettas. None of us need to breed them.

Amones369 - Betta fry will begin taking on adult finnage somewhere between 2.5 and 3 months of age normally, and it is generally by this time that most breeders recommend you separate the males out. By this time you should be able to spot the oviposters on the females, and the males will be growing out longer finnage and begin showing aggressive male traits like flaring. The male should be separated out as soon as you can safely confirm they are male at this point in time, or they will soon fall to attacking each other for dominance. I have heard that some breeders do not even like leaving any of the fry together, and around this time EVERY betta from the spawn gets its own tank, male or female. Most breeders seem to think that it is okay to leave most of the females toghether for a while though, and that it's just the male that must be separated.

[dramaqueen]

Good info, Nataku! I see you've been doing a lot of research. :)

[Nataku]

^_~ I have been pouring over every site I've been able to find for the past several weeks on the topic of betta breeding, found a lot of good info.... found a lot of people who also unsuccessfully tried and failed.

Also found a LFS (okay, well, maybe not quite local, they're a fair drive from my house) who specializes in tropical fish, primarily chiclids and bettas, and breeds quite a bit of his own stock. It's been one of the best looking fish stores I've been to yet, I was only able to spot one dead fish in a grow out tank for some chiclids (not my speciality, so I couldn't say what kind, but boy does he have a lot of different types) in the whole place and not a single case of fin rot, ich or velvet! He was very happy and willing to talk, and had a lot of good info to share about his years of betta and fish in general breeding. Took me around and showed me a lot of his breeding tanks out in greenhouses and everything, was really cool. I think I'll try a couple of his techniques if'n I ever work up the moxy and time to attempt betta breeding.

[dramaqueen]

Cool! It would be quite an experience to breed and raise your own bettas. :)

[Virus]

I'm actually looking to begin trying to breed Bettas.
So far I've bred Dalmation Mollies, but I grew a bit tiered of the easiness of it.
I'm looking for more of an adventure when breeding fish.
And you have to admit, Betta's are gorgeous fish!