Have I done everything wrong?

[1361]

I have been keeping fish on and off for over 30 years. At this point I just keep them in a large tank that showcases some of my rocks and crystals. The fish are really just there as a secondary effect.

Well, my neighbors kids decided to set up a fish bowl with a couple of gold fish. They had no luck and lost 4 gold fish in a week or so. I had a male and female betta in my tank and decided to give them to the kids. I figured the bettas would be better suited for that type of environment. In my 125 gal tank, they had plenty of space and never had the opportunity to breed. The many livebearers in there seem to dominate that department. I thought seeing the bettas breed would be kind of cool for the kids.

Well, I am fish sitting for a week and I am thinking I totally screwed up. The male has his bubble nest going and is trying to entice the female. The female is hiding out in the small cave in the bowl. When she does come out, the male is nipping her rear fin. It is almost half gone. Now, while reading here, I see that this scenario seems to be a recipe for disaster. They do not seem interested in their food at all. It just sits at the top of the tank for hours.

What have I done? What should I do? I do not want to disappoint the kids.

[rb500]

I would say that like many times, the male and female are just not right together. try a different female, but don't just plop her in, put her in a jar and put the jar in the male's tank. when they are flirting and trying to get to each other and there is a bubble nest, then let her out. and btw, you're gonna need a MUCH bigger tank. that little 1 gal is hardly enough for one betta, let alone two and a whole bunch of fry. you shouldn't breed if you don't have knowlege about it. It is very hard, and you should prepare first. Read the breeding forum, they will help you out.

[cottoncandygirl]

i think they dont feel comfortable in the tank or they dont like each other i wopuld get a bigger tank for both of them and see what happens im not any fish expert but im giving ideas :P

[BakaMandy]

Yeah, I defiantly think they need more room. Most breeding sites I've read say:

-Use a 10 gallon tank
- buy a breeding container and place the female in it in the same tank as the male so they grow conditioned to each other
- Feed the female lots of healthy foods till she is large and full of eggs (don't over feed though)
- When she is ripe, THEN place her in with the male
-Give the female lots of places to hide

After they mate, take the female out.

2-3 days after the eggs have hatched, take the male out.

Here's a good site where I read lots of stuff on breeding.

[crowntail lover]

Not to be rude...But take that poor little female out now!!!! She is frightened to death!!
What size is that bowl???
I am suprised she hasnt been killed already!!!
If you dont know what your doing...as you stated!!! Dont so it!!!
The kids can live without seeing bettas spawn....

[doggyhog]

Agreed with everyone.

I suggest you do TONS (!) of research before even considering to breed!!! Bettas are hard to breed, and ALL the male fry have to be separated from each other. This means 100-200 jars. If you have to let the kids see fish spawn, stick to livebearers.....

[dramaqueen]

I agree with doggyhog and crowntail. Never house a male and female together. It is a recipe for disaster. The female is scared to death. She'll either die from the stress or he'll kill her.If you're serious about breeding then do as much research and reading as you can so you'll know what you're getting into. They cannot spawn in a small bowl.

[1361]

Thanks for all the imput. I pulled the female out today. I'll just have to explain to the kids what happened. My intention was not to breed them. I just thought it would be cool for them if it happened.

[BettaSquirt]

Originally Posted by crowntail lover

Not to be rude...But take that poor little female out now!!!! She is frightened to death!!
What size is that bowl???
I am suprised she hasnt been killed already!!!
If you dont know what your doing...as you stated!!! Dont so it!!!
The kids can live without seeing bettas spawn....

I agree. They cant be together in that tiny tank, shouldnt it be like +10 gallons?? I didnt think that they could even be together, well if your breeding them thats another thing... but still. You shouldnt put 2 bettas together in a tiny tank what so ever...

[dramaqueen]

1361, how is the female doing?