[MollyJean]

I'm becoming obsessed.. I mean it. Everything I think and say and do is bettabettabettabettabetta... and my husband noticed. So he's proposed a change. He thinks I should try my hand at breeding betta's. Oh. My. GOSH! After my adventures in angelfish, which I bred when he and I first starting dating, he asked me not to breed anything.. ever... again.. cause it takes up a LOT of space and costs a lot of money. Both of which I have now, for the first time ever, really. We bred in the dining room in our first apartment, and the house we lived in for 10 years after never had the room.. Now I've got 6 bedrooms AND a well-house with a great big empty upstairs room.. I could use whatever I like for a fish room.

I'm writing up my supply list, and amassing websites and resources, I'm taking inventory of my supplies and looking for a quality pair for my first spawn. I MIGHT use my girl, Mary Jane, and find a green male for her, because I love her color and would like to go for a true green line, like MJ.. but that is a long way down the road. I need to get a lot of things together, first.

So.. I have LOTS of fish tanks. My girls will be going into a 29 gallon, leaving me four 10 gallon tanks and a 20 gallon tank. I think I've paid 60 dollars for all of those together. One of those 10 gallons is for Corrin (He deserves it) and I plan to use another for a good breeding male. So two 10gallon tanks and a 20 left.. I'll need a few more tanks. I've found good prices on a lot of things I'll need; Heaters, filters, air line tubing, containers, ect. There's also my father-in-law, who's staying with us and is great at most DIY, so I have someone to get my plumbing up and working. I set up a fish account at the bank and have 500 bucks in it! (I love my hubby) and with a lot of the supplies already in hand, I'm on my way.

I'm going to enjoy this so much. There's a good chance I'll keep every fish I raise, lol! I'm still picking up tanks, and hubby said as long as I am able to give a fish 5 gallons or more, I can keep as many as I can house. (This is his way of limiting my fish... mwahahahhaha)

I'm probably not the first person who wanted a pet store when they where little.. though I might be one of the few who still wants one and would love nothing more then to take out a small business loan and go for it.. but deep down I know it would just be so I could spend all day around animals, lol! A fish room is close enough!

Time to make some lists! If you know any really obscure things or stuff you yourself forget sometimes, post it, please? I am a very forgetful person. My family says I have the memory of a screen door.. >.<

 

[sparkyjoe]

Congrats!

I'm not a breeder so I can't really offer any suggestions beyond checking out the stickies in the breeding section.

Good luck!
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[inareverie85]

It's amazing that he's standing behind you. That support is just wonderful! My parents think I had a ridiculous amount of fish and that I should get rid of them, but my fiance says I can keep and breed as many as I want once we are married

Keep us all posted on your progress with the spawns!

 

[Ilikebutterflies]

Congrats! I needed another hobby after I sold my horse and betta fish are right up my alley. Best of all...compared to horse keeping which was running me $500 a month, bettas are super cheap! I am setting up an outside breeding operation here though because I just don't have the space indoors AND I live in a climate very similar to Thialand (central Florida, hehe). I have everything except my first breeding pair which is proving to be a PITA but that's fine:-D

I am finding tanks on craigs list right and left super cheap...$20 for entire 10g set ups and I'm hitting all the sales on the net. Now if I could settle on those first pairs...

 

[EvilVOG]

good luck Molly! Maybe look into joining the IBC as the have good deals on fry foods and supplies, ect.

 

[MollyJean]

Oh that's a great idea. Any discount is a good one, right?

I just got 2 more 10 gallon tanks from a friend, free. One needs resealed, but that's simple.. I love free stuff.

 

[KadenJames]

Just a suggestion, you could take those 10 gallons and divide them into 3 using glass from lowes. Once you get into the breeding, you'll quickly realize you need another pair for a different line... and then one more pair, and of course another. Then maybe one more. Then you have to start housing all the males from your spawns. Before you know it, you will need a way to organize and compact more fish more efficiently. Lowes sells small sheets of glass for about $2. Dividing all four 10 gallons instantly gives you space to house 12 males comfortably. Then, order in some sponge filters (about $3 each if you know where to find them).

Just finished my first today, I have about 5 more in progress. -_-

Totally worth it, though. You can even eventually get a good drip system Going with them on heavy duty shelves. Which is my plan, eventually. xD

 

[MollyJean]

Kaden that 10 gallon looks really clean, I love it! I've divided a couple of tanks, but only with plastic. I'm using the flimsy cutting boards you can pick up at just about any store at 3 for 5 bucks. They cut easy, stay rigid and are easy to drill holes in if I need to. But I think, for a more permanent solution, the glass is a great idea (If I don't drop it.. I'm an 'oops' waiting to happen)

I'm going for a drip system. My father-in-law looked at my plan and wrote up a list of supplies, but not going to move on it just yet. I want to see how the first spawn goes. And get the rest of my supplies and fish room set up properly.

So far I have all the basics. I 7 air pumps a few weeks ago, when all this started, cause I only had 3 and all where in use. I ordered ten 50 watt adjustable heaters (So I can heat a 10 gallon, or half a 10 gallon, whichever I needed) and two 100 watt heaters for the big tank.. I got a 55 gallon tank from my sister (She found it in the apartment she just rented) and i'm probably going to use that for growout. I also got more Rocket filters. I don't know if anyone has seen these yet, a guy in Florida sells them on Aquabid. I had gotten 2 for my 20 and 29 gallon tanks, and I have one in every tank, even the molly tank, and am going to order more in the future. These things are awesome. They take up almost no space and cycle a lot of water. I even got one of those fry savers with the tiny slits in it.. though I'm still a little wary of it, I am willing to try it. They're keeping all the tanks pristine, and I've got one set up in a new tank that cleared the water (sand substrate) in about 2 days.. When I set up my last sand tank a month ago, it took nearly a week on a corner filter, so these things have my vote.

Anyway, lots of tanks, filters, air pumps, a HUGE roll of airline tubing, heaters, lots of cleaning hoses and scrubs, a set for every tank, and now I need the breeding pair and some brine shrimp for the babies. I'm still looking for that perfect green male. Mary Jane, my green crowntail, has such long fins and a very nice color, so I know I want to breed her with something similar, just haven't found a boyfriend for her yet. I'll order brine shrimp when I buy the male, probably.

Ohh and the breeding tank! I got the most awesome tank ever from my brother. It's 15 gallons and made for turtles.. It's long, wide and low and I can't WAIT to get it cleaned up. It'll be perfect for breeding. Heck, with the footprint on this thing, I kind of want to split it in half, but i have no idea if that's a good idea or not.

oh.. and that 500 bucks is almost gone, lol.

 

[Timberland]

Good luck! My husband is letting me spawn as well but thinks I have too many. haha

 

[Twilight Storm]

Then, order in some sponge filters (about $3 each if you know where to find them).

Jehmco is a great place to find fish room supplies for a pretty good price. Here is a link to their sponge filters: (I don't know where to find them for 3 bucks each though but those prices are close if you buy quantities.)

http://www.jehmco.com/html/hydro-sponge_filters.html

They also have lots of bits and pieces to build drip systems etc etc.