[MAP]

Hi everyone, I hope you are all doing great today!

I've just discovered this forum as I searched for some usefull information about Betta breeding and tank cleaning.
A little explanation: I have owned Bettas for some time and until now, never had any intention nor success in breeding, despite owning 5 females and one male in a 60l tank.

Now, this all changed since I adopted one supplementary crowntail female from a friends tank 3 days ago, and now my halfmoon male is carefully watching over a full nest of eggs (oh, dear...). I have no idea whether they are fertile or not I guess I will just see what happends in a few days, but in any case I plan to quicky set up my empty 20l old quarantine tank using some already cycled water of the aquarium to house the betta male when the fry hatches (to put either the male or the surviving fry away from the female).

Now I have been stuck with a few quick questions:

• I change the water usually 1x week, and should do it tomorrow; but now I am afraid this will harm the nest (as I believe the bubbles will stick to the corners while the water level goes down and this will come to hurt the eggs)? Water quality is still good (PH and GH) despite a little to high KH at the moment, should I therefore avoid changing water for the next 2-3 days or will it do no harm to the nest at all ?
• Should some of the eggs hatch, can I give them floating flakes as food (I have pellets for the adults) or do I need to go shopping for special baby fish food?

Many thanks in advance for your kind lights on this new topic for me in this wonderfull betta adventure

 

[indjo]

Do not water change once you have eggs. In fact you don't need to water change in the first month. Siphoning left over food and refilling should be better, but you could use snails to cleanup your fry tank.

Live food - either hatched or cultured is best. Fry often refuse non live foods.

 

[MAP]

Thank you @indjo for your kind advice! I will not water change but siphon with a very small tool. I have no snails in my tank as I didn't linke the trouble they caused in the past (dirt + dammage on roots and plants)

 

[papasiaaa]

(Personal experience) I remove 20% of the water level daily and add new stored water for better water quality and to avoid the negative effect of anti-growth hormone. @indjo

 

[MAP]

(Personal experience) I remove 20% of the water level daily and add new stored water for better water quality and to avoid the negative effect of anti-growth hormone. @indjo

It's been 3 days now and the eggs haven't hatched yet so maybe they're not going to.... I'm waiting for tomorrow to clean the tank and waterchange 10%

 

[papasiaaa]

You must waiting now, i think you can starting 7th day

 

[MAP]

You must waiting now, i think you can starting 7th day

You mean they will hatch in 7days total? Or I should wait until the 7th day to change water?

 

[MAP]

update: one of the females managed to get into the nest, half-destroyed it and ate a lot of the eggs despite the male guarding it. I guess I won't have a fry this time.

 

[indjo]

Sorry about your eggs.
For future = prepare tank for male and female + For breeding and raising fry.
*** Doesn't have to be glass tanks. You could use plastik tubs or boxes. But you won't be able to clearly see their development

Set temperature around 84. Eggs should hatch in 2-3 days
Move female after spawning is done
Move male after fry are free swimming

Good luck on your next attempt

 

[MAP]

Sorry about your eggs.
For future = prepare tank for male and female + For breeding and raising fry.
*** Doesn't have to be glass tanks. You could use plastik tubs or boxes. But you won't be able to clearly see their development

Set temperature around 84. Eggs should hatch in 2-3 days
Move female after spawning is done
Move male after fry are free swimming

Good luck on your next attempt

Thanks! I wasn't really trying so it's not really a problem for me I have tried to save the last remaining eggs by moving the male and the nest (my betta used a black plastercup I had put as extra hiding space in the tank to avoid him hiding in the filter as a nest so it was easely to move) to a 20l reserve tank with similar temperature (25°C) and water and I will leave them there for a few days to see if the remaining eggs will hatch, which I doubt but who knows..

 

[MAP]

update: there was one tiny fish swimming this instant...but the male gobbled him up before I could make a pic :'( I have separated the male from the nest and 'll see if other eggs hatch.

 

[MAP]

Back with a question again homeworking this afternoon, I have had some time to observe the tank: I saw at least 5 little fry moving, but most time they drop to the bottom of the tank and lay still, is that normal / healthy behaviour? As the bubblenest was largely destroyed by a female before I could move it, is it a problem that there is almost no bubbles left? Anything that can be done to ensure the few survive? Many thanks in advance for all your kind advice