Well here is a video of two bettas spawning.
You can see the eggs in here C:

they're very tiny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QRbHkmyQ10

 

:greenyay: WE HAVE EGGS!!!:greenyay:

I put on some coffee & viewed another embrace- this time I saw a stream of maybe 70 eggs! After Glow "comes to", she seems to be scooping up eggs and adding them to the bubble nest- is she just mimicking Butch and eating the eggs, or is she really helping??? (I know you can't know for sure, just sayin'.)

 

Females actually help pick up eggs. Though some may snack on them.

Good thing you didn't disturb them spawning. Sometimes it takes several embraces just to get one right.

Congrats. Hope you end up with lots of fry.

 

How long do the pair remain working together like this? They're adorable, b/c they are both a good, strong yellow. Swimming around each other, they look like one fish...

My eggs were brought into the world as a new pope! I hope this is a good sign!!! (Are betta Catholic?)

 

Females definitely help pick up the eggs. In fact, during my spawn (just two days ago) I noticed the this female was actually picking up more eggs than my male. She seemed to be much more studious at picking up the eggs while the male just hovered under the next and blew bubbles.

 

That's what's happening now! Glow's picking up every single egg & spitting them out to Butch, who is placing them in bubbles! A bucket brigade! This is adorable & very exciting!!

 

Eventually you will have to separate either the male or female, I don't remember which (think it's the female)

 

It's the female. After about 4 hours, the male chased her across the tank. I waited to see if she'd come back, but Butch has thrown himself into maintaining the nest. I've placed Glow alone w/ heater in a .5 gal acrylic tank, where she eagerly ate her live blackworms. I am not sure how long to keep her there b/f putting her back in her sorority.
Any ideas?

 

What do you plan on feeding?

 

I have my DIY brine shrimp farm set up. I am hesitating to add the eggs b/c I'm afraid the shrimp will hatch & go bad b/f the fry are hatched & free swimming. It's a heated, aerated hatchery, and the shrimp could hatch in 24 hours- what should I do?

 

Wait until after the fry have hatched and are starting to go sideways, rather than up/down before feeding.. the BBS typically take anywhere from 18-36hrs depending upon how warm the water is, to hatch.. and you are right, you want to feed newly hatched BBS as they still have their egg sacs in and are more nutritious.

Leave the female in there for a day or two, if she isn't beat up then just a day or two to recoup, but if she has bite wounds on her then I would leave her in 3-5 days to make sure she doesn't get infected. But she should be fine - eating is a good sign

Congrats on your first spawn!!

 

Great!!! Thanks!
Do you mean leave Glow in her isolation tank for a day or 2? She is a bit ripped up. I gave her part of a IAL.

So many sources say to "have the brine shrimp ready" before the spawn! They never clarify if you're supposed to have them hatched & ready, or just the EGGS & equipment. What set up alarm bells for me was a good DIY video on YouTube where it shows the shrimp hatching in 24 hrs.!

 

I treated my post spawn females like they are being conditioned again for about a week. Just a medicated gallon tank and very good food. As for feeding I would also maybe get a back up culture just in case the BBS are a fail at first...

 

P. S. Will the adult bettas like more the mature brine shrimp?

Should I prepare a 2nd-3rd-4th batch of shrimp for subsequent feedings?

 

If it's just torn fins, a few days should be fine. But, nothing wrong with doing as Jayloo does though Some females bounce back quicker than others, so keep that in mind.. you will be able to judge how she is in the next day or two (while in isolation/hospital tank). No need for medication, just keep a watchful eye is all.

If you are feeding primarily BBS having 2 hatcheries going at once is ideal - set up one the morning before you will start feeding, then the second one you set up the morning you do start feeding.. keep them 24hrs apart, that way you have one hatched each morning. You can feed from the same hatch for that full day - it takes a day or two before the BBS get too big/less nutritious, so just hatch enough to feed 3-4 feedings that day (you will find the right amount - the eggs are so tiny so you don't need a whole lot).

To grow them big enough for adult bettas to eat takes a lot, and isn't easy - most BBS tend to die before bigger than a pin head.

You will want to make sure to rinse off the BBS when you go to feed.. everyone has their own way to do it. Some use shrimp nets under a faucet, I personally will rubber band a coffee filter over a cup (make a "bowl" into the cup to hold the water in), use a turkey baster to dip to the bottom of the bottle and suck up the BBS (after removing the airline/stone and letting the BBS settle - a flashlight laying on the side facing the bottle helps to get them into one spot).. I then slowly squeeze the BBS into the coffee filter and then let it settle for a few mins.. takes a bit for the water to drain out, but this way I know I'm not losing any BBS through the net. Then I just take some tank water and pour a tiny bit over the BBS once or twice.. once the water drains out I then use an eye dropper (cheap at Walmart pharmacy) to gather the BBS and drip them in different locations within the tank to make sure all the fry see them.
Or can use a turkey baster, suck them up, squeeze them into the shrimp net and gently pour water over them for a quicker way.
Either way works.
But you want to rinse them off so you don't add any AQ salt into the tank with the fry.

So 2 hatcheries going 24hrs apart is all you need. Keep in mind, some fry may be too small for the BBS - most don't start feeding the fry BBS until they are about 3-5 days past their egg sacs.. they either feed a micro culture (micro worms, banana worms, vinegar eels, water worms) or infusoria for the first few days, then start on BBS once the fry are a tiny bit bigger.. can continue to feed the micro cultures up until 6 weeks or so along with BBS.

BBS can also cause swim bladder issues in some fry many believe - so many like to mix up the feedings, while others feed nothing but BBS with little to no problems. So you can judge what works best for you and yours.

What do you plan to feed them once they get a bit bigger, around the 6+ week mark?

 

You've been a great help. I have a microworm culture, and I ordered some vinegar eels.
Once the fry are bigger, I have frozen food: San Francisco Bay Brand makes a "freshwater multi-pack". It has frozen brine shrimp, blood worms, plus two mixes called "Freshwater Frenzy" that is a mix of various worms, and "Emerald Entree: which has some spinach mixed in.
I feed them to my adult fish: I take a clear plastic cup, dip out 1/4 cup or so of tank water, and drop in part of a cube. I swirl the food & water for a few minutes., then drip it into the tank. Because they're hydrated, tiny bits of the food float everywhere. It occured to me that this would be great fry food.
I also have a culture of live blackworms. My adults would kill for them. I thought about chopping them up w/ a razorblade & offer them up. I also have a stash of several packets of commercial fry food... whew!

 

Of course, it's more a matter of what they WILL eat. I have micro-betta pellets, as well. My bettas prefer the flakes.

 

Should I keep the spawn tank lit 24 hours?

 

I also want to release some RCS to act as clean-up crew- good idea?

Am I wearing you out??? ;0)

 

Myates has wonderful tips and advice. Follow her advice and I am sure you will be very successful I am sure. It is a great idea to have a variety of food on hand and not just depend on the bbs cause sometimes you simply have a failed batch for no apparent reason. I always offer a variety of food with each feeding as some fry may be pickier eaters and I have noticed once I started doing this, as adults they will readily accept and at least try new food source, even if they decide later that it is not something they may be interested in. They will at least try it. The mixture of frozen that you have would be a good idea as long as the "bits" are small enough. after a month or so it may be okay, Im just not sure how small those parts are. The fry will be extremely small. So whatever they eat has to be even smaller!

As far as the bbs, I start the first batch the first day I see little wigglers. The first day I put a small amount in the tank under the nest for any fast growers who may be quicker developers. Then I make a new batch every day. You can also set you up a simple airated tank and throw in a pinch of yeast and a pinch of spirula. And I do mean a pinch. Throw in the unused bbs and grow them out for your adult fish. Doesn't take long at all if you keep it in a warm place. I just keep it above my spawn tank and heat rises, so it stays considerably warm to not have a heater. San Fransico Bay is full of brine and the ocean therre is quick cold. So even 75 degrees for an adult brine is warm. The hatchery though you want about 80*. Mine usually hatch between 18-24 hours. But you don't want to just have bbs and nothing else cause its stressful to have a failed batch and a tank full of hungry fry!

Congratulations on your spawn!! I can't wait to see how this turns out!

 

Oh yeah, the light, I leave a light on in the room, or flip the tank light over to give indirect light. Dad will get a little frantic if he cannot see his little ones in the dark.

 

Where do I get spirula?

 

And, LL, I'm not sure what you mean about San Francisco Bay foods- is the brand good or bad?

 

I would say micro worms until day 5. Then BBS and MW mix. I wouldn't put anything that cleans up other than plants until they are a little bigger.

 

You can get it at most pet stores. Just look through the fish food. Yeah San Francisco bay foods brand is a good brand. I use it. I was really talking about the actual place and the temperature. I was just pointing out that it wouldn't need to be too awfully warm to grow them out.

 

I had done lots of research and looking - San Fransisco Bay is a decent brand, but surprisingly Hikari has the best frozen foods, nutrition wise. Either works good, I just thought I'd toss that in

Keep in mind for a couple of days after hatching they still have egg sacs and won't eat anything, why I don't feed until 2-3 days after first hatching. Rather not let the dead food sit there for so long (since not going to disturb daddy caring for newly hatching fry). Once they start going horizontal then they are ready to start eating - the early hatch ones.

 

I second that Myates. I prefer Hikari over San Fransisco Bay, but different stores carry different brands. I wouldn't not use SFB if that is what I had.

 

Going horizontal- hehehe (my best Butt-Head laugh). Sorry.

Anyway, I don't think Jack is the best Dad and I'm starting to get discouraged. There are lots of eggs on the bottom of the tank, and his nest is quite small.