Content
- Preparations for breeding betta fish
- The approach of a pair of betta fish
- betta fish father care
- Feeding during the reproduction of betta fish
- how long does a betta fish last
- Betta Fish Curiosities
The betta is a freshwater fish that lives in environments with an average temperature of 24ºC. However, they are able to adapt to colder climates without difficulty and, for this reason, they can be considered cold water fish, as they do not need appliances that provide heat.
These animals are the favorites of those who want to have a goldfish at home, as they easily adapt to our homes. Originating in Asia and also known as fighting fish, the betta comes in a wide variety of colors. And many people try, unsuccessfully, to encourage the reproduction of these animals at home, but know that you need to be careful due to the personality of these animals.
In this PeritoAnimal article, we'll explain how it works. betta fish breeding, with the step by step of how its reproduction should be, the necessary care and you will also discover how long a betta fish lasts. Good reading!
Preparations for breeding betta fish
If you have decided to breed bettas at home, first of all it is important that you know how to identify a female and male betta fish to avoid clashes between these fish that have a personality aggressive and territorial. You don't need to be an expert for this task, as each sex has very striking characteristics:
- O male betta fish it has well developed fins and very striking colors.
- O female betta fish it is more discreet and, at the same time, more robust. The end of its fin is straight, while the male's ends in a point.
Setting up the aquarium for these fish is quite simple. To start with, it is necessary to have a space of at least 25 x 25 cm with 8 or 10 cm height of water. You must enter some moss so that the fish can eat and make their nest. For this, we can also leave in the aquarium a small container such as a plastic pot so they can choose where to nest.
Before you place the male and female in the same aquarium for the purpose of breeding betta fish, it is recommended that, in the previous week, they stay isolated in a place where they cannot see members of the same species. In addition, you should offer a feed made up of live food.
know you should never join the male and female in the aquarium without knowing each other before, since the male considers the female an intruder and, most likely, would start a fight until possibly killing her.
Ideally, you should place them face to face in different tanks or, if they are already in the same tank, have a plastic or glass divider in the middle so they can see each other without touching. If you don't have a proper separator, you can create one yourself by cutting a plastic bottle in half and creating little holes so that the water from both fish can be filtered. In this way, the male will notice the hormones that the female betta fish releases.
Place the female in the container you created or in one of the parts of the aquarium first, then the male. Then cover the aquarium with glass or plastic. And so begins the betta creation process.
The approach of a pair of betta fish
If the coexistence in separate environments is successful, without estrangement, the male will create a nest with the moss somewhere (probably in the plastic pot). Meanwhile, the female will be receptive by trying to get out of her half and pushing with her head. It's the right time to release the female beta fish.
At first, both will act slowly and only then will the male actively seek out the female. He will take the female, forming a strong hug with your body around the female, which will take a few minutes until you become pregnant.
It won't be long before the female lays the eggs. Immediately after, Thefemale must be removed where the male is, as he can become aggressive. She must return to her own space without having any contact with other males. We recommend that you use your hand instead of the net, as you may unintentionally take some of the baby fish.
After separating the male, it is important to take into account that you must not re-join the male and the female, each having its own aquarium. The two sexes should never be together without the proper prior procedures.
Remember that the above procedure should only take place if the initial approach is successful. If you remove the divider between them and a fight breaks out, remove immediately one of the two from the aquarium. If not, the female runs the risk of being killed by the male, who will consider her an intruder. So if you wanted to know if female beta fish can stay together, the answer is no, except for breeding as we mentioned.
betta fish father care
Unlike much of the animal world, in betta fish breeding, the responsibility for caring for eggs and offspring rests with the male, not the female betta. So he will put the fertilized eggs in the nest created by himself and the chicks will be suspended vertically like wires in the nest. The father will ensure that they do not fall and, if they do, he will put them back in their proper place.
About three days after spawning, the small betta fish should be swimming alone, which is the right time to separate the male from his offspring. The male did not eat during this period, making the offspring possible victims. To prevent this from happening, you can place some mosquito larvae in a corner of the aquarium. So when you start eating, we know it's time to separate you.
Feeding during the reproduction of betta fish
As the work of the daddies is finished, now it will be necessary to count on your help so that the little betta fish grow well and healthy. Some care with food is necessary, check:
- Three days after the kids and dad split up, it's time to start feeding them microworms that we find in fish specialty stores. You can ask the professional which ones to use. The process will take 12 days.
- From then on, the small betta fish can already eat brine shrimp, which are small crustaceans. This process takes 12 days again.
- After the brine shrimp diet, they will have to feed on de grindal worms and from the 20th onwards, we begin to see that the correct development has already begun.
- After a month, we can change the betta fish and transfer them to a larger aquarium where they receive Sun light.
- Once fully developed, you will notice that males will start their first fights with each other, which can undoubtedly affect females. It's time to separate them into different aquariums.
If you do not know the foods mentioned, look on the internet where to buy or go to a store specializing in fish.
Now that you know how to betta fish breeding and since it's breeding betta fish, it's time to name them, which can be a lot of fun. Check out our suggested betta fish names in this other PeritoAnimal article.
how long does a betta fish last
How long does a betta fish last? The answer to this question depends on how well you care for the animal. As they are very exposed in nature and are considered easy prey, they tend to live less time than in captivity - as in aquariums in our homes.
Average, a betta fishlives between two and five years. If the aquarium is spacious and has a filter, and the goldfish has good nutrition and care, it will certainly go beyond four years. Now, if he lives in a small aquarium with poor quality water, he shouldn't have more than two years of life.
Betta Fish Curiosities
- The correct name is betta fish, not beta fish (with just a "t")
- It is one of the most commercialized ornamental fish in the world
- Despite being omnivorous, betta fish have carnivorous habits, and eat larvae of mosquitoes, zooplankton and insects.
- Betta fish is considered an effective biological alternative in combating the mosquito that transmits dengue, due to its remarkable ability to prey on larvae present in the water.
- Males have greater overall length and head, while females have greater width
If you want to read more articles similar to Breeding betta fish, we recommend that you enter our Pregnancy section.