Breeding Bettas
By Gerald Griffin
Domestic Bettas (Betta splendens) are one of the easiest and most difficult fish to spawn. Sound
paradoxical? Not at all. If we go by the book then Bettas are easy to spawn. However as I point out so
many times, they did not read the book so every spawn has the opportunity to be unique and a learning
experience. Why is this so? Many fish species have definite breeding patterns and are predictable. They
conform to the nature of the species. Bettas however have been so line bred that many bizarre quirks
have been bred into various lines and therefore all sorts of abhorrent behavior can be noted.
So the first step is to have a male and female you wish to spawn. Sound easy? Well what is it you are
spawning for? This will determine which ones you use for spawning. Next step is conditioning. Well-fed
Bettas spawn better. Conditioning foods would be foods such as frozen or live. Never think that freeze
dried foods are conditioning or healthy. Conditioning does not take a long time, a few days to a week. The
female will begin to get very plump as she fills with eggs.
Next is the tank set up. Although technically Bettas have been known to spawn in virtually any container I
do not recommend anything smaller then a 10 gallon tank. I have seen reports where Bettas had
spawned in puddles on a fish room floor when a male and female jumped out and spawned in quart
mason jars when one would jump into another’s container. Some people have used 2.5 gallon tanks and
others 5 gallon tanks however these do not allow enough room for a female to escape. The 10 gallon is
perfect for Bettas as when set up properly allows the female (or male) enough room to escape an over
aggressive spawning partner. The tank should have a place for one fish to hide. This could be a flower
pot, a bunch of plants or piece of PVC pipe. This will also allow them a place to feel secure so when they
are ready to spawn they can approach when ready. The female will also need a glass jar or chimney for
her introduction into the tank. Also a place to anchor the nest would be helpful for the male. A Styrofoam
cup cut in half works as well as plastic lids that can trap air. Live plants can also be helpful but beware of
snails. Snails will eat Betta eggs. The live plants will act as a base for infusoria which the fry will eat as
they transition to free swimming. The tank should be heated to 80o F. Bettas have been known to spawn
from 74o F to100o F however 80o F is the best temperature for spawning.
Now for the hard part. When do you release the female. Most Betta Breeders wait until the male has
constructed a nest and the females ovipositor (egg tube) drops some. At this time the female should go
into a head down position when the male approaches. However as has been noted many do not follow
established behavior. Many breeders will release the female late at night and turn out the lights and then
as the tank lights up in the morning so they will spawn more naturally. Again this sometimes works,
sometimes does not. The following timeline is what many breeders follow and is quite typical of the
species.
Day 1 – Introduce conditioned male and female in the breeding tank in the morning. Female separated by
container. If male builds a nest and female responds by having her egg tube drop and she assumes a
head down position then the female is released. If not she is held another day.
Day 2 – If female is showing positive signs with head down then she is released. If male has not
constructed a nest then hold the female in her container until lights out then release her.
Day 3 – Female and male should have spawned. If they have and neither of them show any moderate
damage then leave both in another day and see if any spawning activity takes place. If they have
spawned then remove the female.
Day 4 – If the pair has not spawned then check for damage. If there is no damage then leave the pair
together and repeat for 3 more days. If they do not spawn after this remove both fish and recondition.
After Spawning takes place the male should be tending the nest. The male should be left in the tank
unless he is observed eating fry. It is totally natural for a male to pick up a fry and place it into the nest.
During the tending of the nest the male should not be fed. The fry will become free-swimming around day
4 to 5. At this time the fry should be fed and the male removed.
The fry should be fed 2 to 4 times a day for optimal growth. Most recommend newly hatched brine shrimp
as first food; however some argue that some of the fry are too small and should be given vinegar eels or
one of the microworms like walter worms, or banana worms or micro worms. All are good beginner foods
and after a week of growth the majority of the food should be baby brine shrimp until the fry can be
switched to prepared foods.
At about 3 weeks of age the labyrinth organ begins to form and the fry are susceptible to drafts. The tank
should remain tightly covered until the fry reach about 5 weeks of age. The young should continue to
grow quickly and by the time they reach 6 to 8 weeks should be sexable. At this time the males need to
be removed to individual housing so that their fins can grow out. At about three months they should be
reaching full adult size.
Now you probably think breeding Bettas is easy however the more one breeds Bettas the more quirks
one will observe. For example a few breeders as well as myself have observed cases where the female
will tend her own nest and even raise her own fry. These cases are very rare but have been observed.
There have also been cases where females have overpowered males and drove them from the nest so
that they can tend it. Some males and females are egg eaters so impossible to spawn without extreme
measures. Others will kill the other breeder and this goes both ways, some males kill females and some
females kill males. Some will never construct a nest until they are spawning. These wide range of
behaviors is what makes spawning Betta splendens so unique.
These pictures show the typical spawning behavior. The female approaches the male in his nest and nips
at his tail. The male then shimmies and the female will point her head down. The pair will then circle each
other until they embrace. As they embrace eggs will eventually fall from the female. Either fish may be
paralyzed for a short period. Typically it is the Female but can also be the male. If neither fish have
spawned before then both will typically be paralyzed.