Siamese fighting fish and other members of the betta genus are notoriously difficult but rewarding to breed. Many new aquarists find that they are an excellent choice for new fish-breeders seeking a challenge. When done correctly, betta breeding can become an exciting and thrilling hobby, but, when done poorly, it can be disappointing and will lead to many deaths and unwanted, unattractive fish. Proper set-up, pair selection and fry care will give a new hobbyist many years of enjoyment and many dozens of beautiful fry.
Selecting Stock
The selection of a breeding pair is the most critical step that a new breeder must make. The selection of an unsuitable breeding pair is unlikely to result in a completed mating, and, if the two do mate, it is even less likely that their young will be attractive or showable.
When choosing breeding stock, avoid pet stores at all cost. Siamese fighting fish in pet stores are generally over a year old--past the optimum breeding age--and are usually unhealthy. Worse is that pet stores rarely offer certified breeding pairs, and most fish available in the stores are cross-breeds with no verifiable pedigree. As a result, if pet-store bettas breed at all, they will usually result in unpredictable offspring, many of which will have birth defects or poor coloration. Your first pair should only be purchased from a reputable breeder.
Always purchase breeding pairs that are less than one year of age. After this age, the males and females both become somewhat impotent, and fail to breed as prolifically. Bettas usually live no longer than three years, and the younger your pair is, the more time you will have to breed them.
When seeking a pair of bettas to breed, do not mix and match. Choose a pair from an established gene pool, preferably a brother and sister, and they are more likely to result in attractive and healthy offspring. Do not worry about inbreeding--unlike mammals, Siamese fighting fish can inbreed brother-to-sister for up to eight generations before there are any ill effects.
Setting the Mood
Setting up the spawning tank is one of the most exciting steps in breeding bettas. Like humans, some Siamese fighting fish are very picky about the circumstances under which they will breed, but others are less so. A proper aquarium set-up will please even the most finicky of bettas.
Starting with a five to ten gallon aquarium, install a floor-heater underneath a thin layer of substrate. Fill the tank two-thirds full with pre-treated, pH-balanced, dechlorinated water, and install a very gently-flowing filter and a thermometer. Fill the tank with a few live plants to set the mood.
Next, take a Styrofoam cup, cut vertically down the center. Place each half of the cup, halfway submerged in the water, against the side of the tank, and tape it there, with the open side facing the glass. Place each one of these bisected cups on opposite sides of the aquarium.
Keep the temperature of the aquarium at a constant, stable temperature of 80-82 degrees for a day or two. When the plants, filter, and water are established and stable, it is time to introduce your two new bettas.
Spawning
Float the male and female both side-by side in floatable, clear cups (available at some supply stores) for about thirty minutes when they first meet. Allow them to both become used to the water temperature and surroundings of the new spawning tank. Hopefully, while in the cups, they will begin showing interest in each other.
Male and female bettas are obvious about their courtship rituals, which often begin while they are still separated by plastic bags. A male will begin flaring his fins at the female, dancing ostentatiously to get her attention. The female will change her colors to show vertical stripes along her body, and may "stand on her head", often looking somewhat ill. Later in the process, her breeding tube, just behind her pelvic fin, will become visible.
After about an hour, or sooner if the male is clearly trying to get the female's attention, release him into the tank. He will most likely begin building a bubble nest by blowing foam-like bubbles onto the surface layer of the water, probably under the bisected Styrofoam cups. This process may take anywehere from a few hours to several days. Leave the female separate during this time, until the bubble nest is somewhat completed.
When the nest has grown large, release the female. It is likely that they will begin mating almost immediately, if they have bonded during this time. Even if the mating does not occur instantly, they will spend the next few hours or days dancing, sparring, and chasing each other as they prepare to breed. If they fight visciously and either one of them seems to become seriously injured, put the female back in the floating cup until she has recovered, and try again in about a week.
The two will decide to mate, usually within a few hours or days, and without too much injury. The male will at this point encourage the female to follow him to the nest, where he will repeatedly embrace her, squeezing eggs out of her by wrapping his body around hers. When this occurs, do not be alarmed if the female looks like she is dead. She will lie motionless, as if in a trance, while he retrieves the eggs that fall to the bottom of the tank. He will then deposit the eggs in the bubble nest.
When the female comes out of her trace, remove her immediately, as her part in mating is now complete. Failure to remove her quickly enough may result in the male killing her, or in her eating all the eggs. If you can't see the eggs, don't worry: they're there! They are clear-white and only about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
Raising the Fry
Add a small amount of commercial antifungal water treatment to the spawning tank after breeding, or the bubble nest is likely to become infected by fungi. Some aquarists may also cover the tank with a layer of plastic cling-film, which keeps cool air from getting into the tank and harming the delicate bubble nest. If the male has built the nest in the cups, this is usually not necessary.
About three days after the spawning, tiny blackish dots will begin falling out of the nest to the bottom of the aquarium. Believe it or not, these are baby bettas! The male will usually pick them up and deposit them back in the nest for the first several days or weeks. If he begins eating his offspring, remove him from the tank promptly, but if he is continuing to care for them, it is okay to let him stay. If they fall to the bottom of the tank and are not retrieved, this is fine. They can wait there until they become able to swim.
When removed from the spawning tank, the male may become sluggish and depressed. Care for him properly during this time, as he may become prone to infection or sudden death. Feeding him extra treats may help him to get back on track within a few days. Wait at a month before breeding either of them again.
Fry can be fed commercial fry food, every four hours, starting around their third or fourth day. By a few weeks of age, they become free-swimming and can be seen floating deliberately around the tank. At around five weeks of age, they grow their labyrinth organ, which allows them to breathe air, and will come to the surface to breathe.
It will take about seven or eight months before your bettas become what you normally think of when you hear the word "betta". Until then, they have little color or character, and may appear drab and small. When their sexes start becoming apparent, the males will become aggressive with each other, and will need to be isolated into isolated tanks, bowls, or even mason jars, if they are going to be sold. Be sure to keep the individual bowls or jars carefully cleaned and maintained.
Although the fry may be up to a year old before they achieve optimum coloration, they are ready to breed as soon as they begin displaying their sexes, and this is also a good time to sell them, whethe individually or in brother-sister pairs.
Breeding Siamese fighting fish is an enjoyable and addictive hobby. Many aquarists find that it can quickly go from being an interest to being a career, or even an obsession. Over time, individual breeders can develop their own unique, exciting strains of showable, sellable bettas, and may find themselves passionately involved in the exciting field of betta care.
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