Your breeding methods?

[beat2020]

Well since I will be breeding this year I have been doings lots of research for a few months now. While doing my research I was intrigued by all the different methods there is to breeding bettas. So I wanted to make this thread so people could discuss their own methods and some tips and tricks. So please post your breeding methods here .

[1fish2fish]

I'm still not satisfied with my methods so I'm still figuring out what works best.

I use a 10 gallon tank filled 5 inches. I use a 50 watt adjustable heater and heat to 82*F. I fill the tank 1/2 way full with java moss and hornwort and add some pond snails and malaysian trumpet snails.

I introduce the male and female at the same time. I put the female in a 1 gallon clear glass pickle jar and give her a little java moss in there as well.

I've tried many different things for bubble nests and I've found that bubble wrap works best for me. The males seem to think its a nest and begin to add on to it. I do add an IAL to the tank but I submerge it.

I release the female when she seems ready. One spawn that was after only about 3 hours (the pair spawned 12 hours later). Another I waited two days before releasing the female (and the pair spawned a whole day later). It really helps if you have a basic understanding of Betta behavior to know when to release the female.

I take the female out once there are eggs in the nest and the male is chasing her away. For my next spawn I'm toying with leaving the male in the tank with the fry longer than I have in the past to see if that increases my survival rates.

[Oldfishlady]

The natural spawning method I use that has worked well for me

10g tank, full to the top with water- natural planted with soil/dirt substrate and sand cap, 80% of the floor planted with stem plants, 5% rosette plants, 10% moss on driftwood and floating plants that cover 10-15% of the top.

Half full tanks are for the male-not the eggs/fry-if the male is well conditioned and healthy he should not have any problems retrieving eggs during the spawning act. Once eggs are in the nest they should not fall unless they are bad and hopefully he will eat them to prevent spread of fungus to healthy eggs or if the nest is disturbed and healthy eggs can fall.

As the eggs hatch-some may fall, after hatch the healthy wigglers should be able to get themselves back to the nest with occasional help from the father

Eggs hatch at different times in relation to when they had been placed in the nest during spawning. It is common to have different size fry at different stages of growth and development.
An hour or two difference in age can make a big difference in the fish world.

I use lots of common snails-ramshorn, pond, trumpet-they help in the production of infusoria a great live food for the fry, they also clean up any bad eggs and dead fry that fall. I also keep shrimp in the spawning tank. Both the snails and shrimp are part of the natural set-up and have other jobs not related to spawning

I use water that has been steeped in native oak leaves, so the water is a nice amber color

The Betta will use either the floating water lettuce or a sword plant leaf for his nest

I don't add anything artificial in the tank

I keep the water temp at 80F for spawning and fry rearing-I found that at this temp I get hatch within 24-28 hours.
At higher temps my fry hatch too fast and tend to be weaker

I don't use any aeration or filtration

I add both breeders at the same time, the plants in the tank will work as a natural divider to prevent premature egg drops and injury to the female
Spawning will start from a minute to 3 days
Longer than 3 days and I start over

I don't wait on a nest as a sign for breeding readiness, often a male will not make a nest until he has eggs in his mouth

I condition them with live foods, usually mosquito larva, I feed them together in the spawning tank as well and I also feed the male after spawning and during egg/fry care.

I usually remove the female after spawning is completed

I leave half my lights on at night until the fry are free swimming and then I turn them off as usual, my lights are set on a 12 hour photoperiod-due to the plants.

I usually leave the male with the fry the first month or so-this depends on the male and known habits and how important the fry are as well
If the male is a known egg/fry eater I remove him once the fry are free swimming, if he is new and unknown to me I will sometimes leave him and watch unless I really need that clutch of fry.
Males that are know egg/fry eaters are given a chance to change this behavior, if not, they are culled after the third attempt.

I place a plastic veggie wrap over the top of the tank to keep the air above the water warm and humid for the labyrinth organ development

Feeding the fry and water changes

I only use live foods: newly hatch brine shrimp with yolk sac intact for more nutrition, HUFA supplement BBS after they absorb the yolk sac to provide the Betta fry with needed nutrition, white worms-small amounts due to high fat content, and daphnia, infusoria, seed shrimp other micro-critters that are either already growing in the tank for free range feeding or from green water cultured outside in oak leaf/rainwater buckets

You know he fry are eating infusoria and other micro critters in the tank by looking at their stomach-it should be round with little black dots

With NHBBS and supplemented BBS the stomach should look round and pink/orange in color

I start adding the live foods once the fry are about 6-7 days old or 3-4 days after they are free swimming.

Once I start adding the live foods I start making 50% daily water changes.
This is to encourage strong growth and development and dilute the stunting hormone produced by the larger/older fry.

I also will start to condition the fry to a "feeding tap"-I tap on the rim of the tank as I add the live food.
This helps to insure most of the fry are in the feeding area for food, counting and catching/netting when it is time to be moved and most important observation for eating, health, growth and development.

As the fry grow I will start to move the larger fry to other grow-out tanks, usually starting at 6-8 weeks of age

This can vary from one spawn to another, I am not strict with feeding or spawning...I watch the fish and they tell me what they need by their behavior.

[MrVampire181]

Here's my supply list:

10 gallon tank
Pack of plastic party cups
Live plants
Half styrofoam cup
Live and plastic plants
Small corner bubble filter
Air pump
Air control valve
Hikari first Bites
Brine Shrimp Eggs
Stress Coat water conditioner
Stress Zyme biological filter booster
Nutrafin Betta Max water conditioner
Several Jars (like at least 50)
Extra tank for growout
Brine Shrimp Hatchery (2 liter bottle air pump and stone..simple )
Aquarium salt
Heater
thermometer
glass lantern chimney or clear plastic cup

I fill the tank halfway and add Stress Coat, Stress Zyme, and One cap of Nutrafin Max Water Conditioner. Then I tape the cup to the right front side of the tank. Then I put my filter in the back left hand corner and my heater on the bottom next to the filter and set it at 84 degrees. Then I put my plants in the left hand side. Now I put the glass chimney in the middle of the tank. I let the tank run for a few days in the mean time I clean my bettas water at least once a day and feed them frozen bloodworms. Then I acclimate the pair after a few days and release the male and dump the female in the chimney and then I leave. If the male makes a nest within a few days or hours (which he usually does and she is ready I release them and within three days I get a spawn