New to having a betta

[Robby14]

OK so me and my girlfriend just decided to get betas igot a male and she got a female we have them in separate fish bowls planning to breed them in the long run but just wondering why the female is so much smaller im thinking she might be younger but i also dont kno how big they really get and replys would be nice ill try and add pics up soon

[Campbell]

Females are normally smaller than males. Breeding is a ton of work and takes alot of research. They aren't easy to breed like guppies or something along those lines. There's a good breeding section on this sight I strongly suggest you check out. Its probably more work then you think and your fish might already be to old.
But anyways, welcome to the forum and good luck with your new fish!

[dramaqueen]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I would definitely do research before breeding so you know what all it entails. Here is a sticky that might answer some of your questions. This is just a general guideline. Everyone has their own methods of breeding. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/b...-bettas-30005/

[Adastra]

Females do tend to be smaller than males. How big are the bowls you're keeping them in? Do they have heaters? It is a common misconception that bettas can be kept in very small containers. They are tropical fish and need consistent temperatures around 78-83 degrees to be comfortable, healthy, and active. Also, just like other animals, when confined they develop neurotic destructive behaviors like glass surfing and tail biting. Please keep in mind that fish constantly excrete toxic ammonia from their gills--this is kind of like the fish version of urine. In a closed system, this ammonia quickly builds up and can actually burn the fish. If the bowl is a half gallon, you should be changing 100% of the water every day. If it is a gallon, every other day. However, even if you keep the water pristine, for the other reasons stated above, this is not a humane way to keep a betta permanently. I strongly advise keeping your fish in homes that are at least 2 gallons because most heaters are designed for 2 gallon tanks, but the bigger, the better. Larger tanks are lower maintenance and provide more environmental enrichment.

Also, aside from mere logistical reasons for not breeding your bettas, there are also ethical reasons. There are fish dying on shelves every day because not enough people want to buy them. Why would they go out of their way to get the same fish from you if they can just go to the store? You might end up with dozens, to hundreds of babies. Are you willing to feed them for months until they reach a size that people will want them? Are you willing to house half of them separately and maintain all of their tanks, assuming half are male? Will you have the stomach and the experience to kill deformed or undesirable babies humanely? Think about it, you're the one who's going to be bringing new life into the world. It will be your responsibility to take care of them and ensure they have the best future you can manage for them.

Don't breed animals just because you can, you do it for the purpose of selecting specific traits that will contribute to the overall well being and value of the species--if fish mills are cranking out the same kind of fish you have, then you're not doing anything for anyone. If you want to be serious about breeding bettas, you need to research your method, decide on a goal, then buy a quality pair from a private breeder to start you off.

[Jazattackk]

It takes years of research to breed bettas. You just got a betta, so I suggest you learn how to actually take care of them before you think of breeding.
And I agree with Adastra about the breeding part.