Some males make nests, some after they see a female (or want to spawn), some after spawning, and some never bother. DON'T worry a bout the nest. Eggs will hatch just the same as long as the male cares for them.

 

Okay cool. Thanks for the help. I saw in another thread that you can tell willingness to breed from behaviour. The male is still aggressive and flaring, trying to attack the female and he is often shaking the caudal fin and wriggling around. but the female doesn't flare nor is aggressive.

 

I say, separate for now and re-do everything.

1. What size is your breeding tank and can the female totally hide (out of sight). Big tanks with "out of sight" get aways may cause longer courtship periods. However smaller bare tanks, though more risky for females, should make them spawn sooner (with in 3 days).

2. Both male and female should initially flare and swim all over their containers in a wriggling or "S" fashion. Flaring (during intro or exercises) and holding their position means they are in fighting mode - hence should not be released.

3. When released together, they should "follow the leader" until male decides to bite. Female will dash away but later return to male and repeat the ritual. If the male is too vicious, female may look intimidated BUT should still show vibrant colors. IF SHE shows stress lines, immediately separate.

You will have to decide whether to continue or stop the breeding (female's health). Females almost always get hurt and may even die.

*** check out breeding videos to compare behavior/body language

 

it's a half filled 20L tank and I conditioning them in there with the female in a measuring jug for 10mins to an hour everyday before I return her back to her main tank. the female seems to be submissive to the male and not flare but he's just aggressive right now in an S shape trying to get to her. i have a dragon betta but are the vertical lines the same as normal or are they harder to spot on them.

 

Vertical lines are harder to see on light colored fish. I don't really depend on body coloring nor nest building. I rely on body language - how they flare/swim

20ltr is rather small for breeding. A female may get hurt if you don't provide adequate hide outs. And a willing female might stress too much if the male is too aggressive/vicious. So be extra careful

 

Ok cool thanks I will try to get some vids of them

 

Please do!

 

Update: there is now a small bubble nest and when ever he flares at the female he will swim quickly to it and make sure it's fine or just look at it. I will still condition for like 4-5 more days and then try and breed them.
I can't get vids as they are too big but I will show a couple of pics tomorrow.

 

again i'm really sorry i didn't get any i was busy but he still does the wriggling thing but there are 2 bubble nests now ones big and ones sort of medium-ish sized. i made a mistake however and thought they were ready to spawn but he just started attacking her straight away. is that normal or do I give them a couple more days or conditioning? when he does do the wriggling thing he then goes straight to the bubble nest and adds more bubbles to it.
i have some time this arvo and i'll upload the vids to youtube and link them here.

 

those are the 2 vids

 

update: as of this morning (15 mins ago) I released her into thee tank and straight away he started attacking her and she hid. as soon as she comes out though he stops attacking and tries to lure her to the nest with the wiggle dance. however she keeps freaking out. she's still hiding now and he's defending the nest and tending to it.
I keep you guys updated

 

The video shows she isn't ready to soawn. She wasn't responding to the male.

Separate and isolate her until she is willing to flare against the male

 

so i should keep conditioning her until she flares at the male?

 

Not giving any advice here, but this sounds like what happened when I attempted to breed Kai and Duchess. Eventually they did breed but I think Kai neglected the nest or maybe the eggs weren't fertile so never had any fry. Kai was pretty aggressive and I felt so bad for Duchess. My heart literally ached when I saw her under the leaves. But they did breed eventually. Just saying what happened to me. Hope it goes OK. ❤

 

that's unfortunate. i have made the decision though to separate them and try again in a few weeks. they are both very happy to be back in their tanks and i will nurse her back to health before i try again. thanks both of you for your help. i might however try and re-scape my males tank before i try again.

 

I'm thinking of trying again soon so I will let you know when I do. Good luck for next time!

 

Yeah thanks. You too.

 

If you look at YouTube videos, MANY initially show unwilling females. You can "Force" a female to breed, but it's very risky hence never advised. At least I never advise it.

If the female wants to breed, she will behave similarly to the male; flare, swim all over the place, return to flare . . .and so on. Males will eventually bite, sending female to hiding.

I prefer "safe" than sorry. Though They can be bred in bare 1g, I prefer shallow wide, at least 3g (about 12-15ltr). I can provide adequate hide out for females.

Your female wasn't ready to breed. She should be stressed after the attack. Isolation will give bettas self esteem. Hence I advise keeping her isolated until she is willing to flare. Try using other females of mirrors. Once she is really aggressive, flare her to the male.

 

Ok cool thanks I will try again in a few weeks when she's ready.

 

Breeding betta fish can be a fascinating but complex process. Here are a few key steps to consider:

1. Prepare the breeding tank: Use a smaller tank (10-20 gallons) with appropriate water conditions (around 78-80°F), live plants or a spawning mop, and a sponge filter to maintain water quality.

2. Introduce the pair: Keep the male and female separate but in view of each other to allow them to get accustomed. Once they display signs of readiness (vibrant colors, nest-building for the male), introduce the female into the male's tank.

3. Observation: The male will typically begin to build a bubble nest, and the female might display breeding stripes. Keep an eye on their behavior for signs of aggression or readiness to mate.

4. Spawning: The male will embrace the female, wrapping around her to release sperm and eggs. Once the female releases her eggs, the male will gather and fertilize them, placing them in the bubble nest.

5. Separate the pair: After spawning, remove the female as the male may become aggressive towards her.

6. Fry care: The male will tend to the nest and the fry. After hatching (usually within 24-48 hours), the fry will hang from the nest for a few days until they start swimming. The male should be removed once the fry become free swimming to prevent aggression.

7. Feeding and care: Feed the fry infusoria or specialized fry food. As they grow, gradually introduce them to larger foods.

Remember, this is a brief overview. Successful breeding requires careful attention, proper conditioning of the breeding pair, and adequate care for the fry as they grow.