Thursday, April 26, 2012

Betta Breeding: A Spawning Pair






This video shows you how to introduce a male and a female for mating.

TIPS:
Select a male and female that is similar in size, with the male slightly larger than the female to prevent too much imbalance in size that may hinder courtship and worse, result in serious injury as courtship can be a turbulent affair!

Introduce both genders together to prevent territorialism from getting established by any of the pair. Place their separate containers into the mating tank, for 15 minutes so the pair can adjust to the water temperature in the mating tank. (You may leave the female inside her jar in the mating tank until the male has finished building his bubble nest, but some owners prefer to release them at the same time.) Then gently tip the male out into the mating tank followed by the female.

Monitor closely while the pair gets acclimatised to the tank to ensure they are compatible. While there may be some 'rough play' during courtship (chasing, nipping and shredding), you need to remove both the fishes if this becomes excessive and violent.

What you need to watch for is the male waving his body ... trying to impress the female with his 'sexiness'. This is a positive sign that courtship rather than hositle fighting, will ensue.

If after three days there is no sign of mating remove them from the tank and try again later or use another pair.