[RHGL73]

Hey! I'm new to Betta breeding and this forum!

Sooo, I decided to take my love for Bettas a step further and breed them for the first time! I conditioned the pair for two weeks with Palembus Dermestoides (also known as Cancer Beatles) larvae. I also set up a ten gallon tank with an almond leaf and a few moss balls for Pronoea (my female, I can explain the name if you want ) to hide. I also have the sponge filter and a plastic square for Prometheus (my male) to make his nest!

Friday morning I moved prometheus to the breeding tank and placed Pronoea in a chimney. They seemed to interact as they are supposed to: Prometheus built his nest and Pronoea developed the vertical stripes and got filled with eggs. On Saturday morning I released Pronoea into the tank. There was the usual chasing and a few torn tails. On sunday afternoon Pronoea approached the male a few times and attempted to embrace but failed. And the few times they apparently did embrace Pronoea didnt drop any eggs. This happened 4 or 5 times. But then suddenly, Prometheus started chasing her again until she decided to hide. When she came out of hidding, Prometheus started trying to lure her back below his nest, but she doesn't seem interested anymore. She even dropped unfertilized eggs an ate them after a few hours. It has been about 7 hours since the last embrace and she seems completely uninterested. She has kept eating and dropping eggs!! What should I do?

On the other hand Prometheus has kept working on his nest and hasn't given up on luring Pronoea to it
Thank you in advance!

 

[Nimble]

Give them some time, and if in a couple of days nothing else happens, you'll want to separate the pair, and keep them from seeing each other for another two weeks while you recondition.

Just out of curiosity, do you have everything you need to take care of the fry? Grow-out tanks, individual cups for the males, food cultures, and anything else?

 

[RHGL73]

Thanks! Definitely will do! Should I feed them?

And I do! I'm building barracks with drip system (should be done by next week, and with the amount eggs she has eaten I guess I won't have a big spawn anyways). I have a vinegar eel culture and bbs. I also have a microworm culture on the way! Anything else I should need?

 

[hrutan]

You'll want to be prepared with fry food for older fry, and a backup plan in case you end up with too many. You'd be surprised...

Be careful with those microworms. Some people swear by them, but I have had the worst luck with missing ventrals even when feeding only the first two weeks.

 

[RHGL73]

I was planning on feeding them baby brine shrimp, is there any other food you'd recommend? And with regards to the back up plan, when my barracks are done they'll be capable of housing around 100 fish! If for whatever reason I cant house them my local breeder said he would help me with the rest! And oh man, I'll be careful then, thanks for the advice!

 

[hrutan]

At 2 weeks, I start introducing powder food along with the BBS. Golden Pearls or Fry Starter are good. At 6 weeks, I start adding frozen food and wean them off the BBS.

 

[RHGL73]

Thanks again!