Betta Fish Bowls
Betta Fish can survive in almost any container of fresh water, and for this reason Brandy glasses and other small containters have been a popular "home" used by people over the years. However, Betta Fish will thrive much better in a full-size fish bowl or small aquarium (10 gallons is a good size, and perfect for breeding).
Also, it is a good idea to have some minor filtration in the bowl or tank as well. Sponge filters are popular and a good choice because they'll fit nicely into any space, are cheap and very easy to maintain. Plus, if you'll be breeding your Betta Fish sponge filters have no suction, unlike pump-powered filtration, so won't pull-in and harm the weak baby Bettas.
When cleaning your bowl or tank and decorations, never use soap. It is nearly impossible to completely rinse off and can harm your fish. Warm water and an untreated plastic abraisive brush will work just fine.
Betta Fish Care
In addition to the minimum filtration suggested above, you'll want to change out about a third of the water in your Betta's home every other day, replacing it with fresh water that has sat for at-least 24 hours since being poured from the tap.
A good tip here, is when removing water for the change outs, use a Turkey Baster and suck up water from the bottom of the bowl or tank. This way you'll also remove any uneaten food that has settled to the bottom, which will turn the water cloudy and can lead to potential illness for you fish if left laying there.
A lot of people like to put Lily roots in their Betta fish tanks. These are nice decorations and the Betta fish will even eat from them, but you shouldn't consider this the primary food source for your fish. Bettas eat from the Lily root out of desperation, meaning they're under nurished and at risk for their health, you wouldn't want to make your Betta fish sick or have to deal with Betta disease.
You should feed your Betta daily with just as much food as it will eat, taking care to use food that is clearly marked for Betta Fish. Freeze dried worms (mosquito larvae) and live shrimps are also good for your Betta, and they love them!
Betta Fish Breeding
Taking the Mystery Out of Betta Breeding
Betta fish are teritorial, this is why they fight. Most often the agression and fights occur between two male Bettas, however a new female introduced into a tank can threaten the existing male's dominate role and cause him to attack, so care must be taken when introducing Bettas.
A good way to get a male and female together for breeding is to start with them in separate tanks that are side by side, or in the same tank with a tank-divider in place to keep them apart, just so they can see and become familiar with one another before being able to interact physically. It will take between 3 and 5 days before they're ready to be allowed to interact, and even still a close eye needs to be kept on them at first to ensure the male doesn't feel threatened and attack.
The best time for breeding is when your Bettas are between 6 and 12 months of age. Your male should be larger than your female, and the more energy and vibrant colors your fish have the better. These are signs of healthy fish.
The bottom of your breeding tank should be bare, and the water level kept at about 5 inches deep. Your water should also have a pH level of 7.0 and be constantly kept at just about 80 degrees fahrenheit. These are the most optimal conditions for breeding, and normal healthy living for your Betta fish.
When the male is ready to breed, he will begin making a bubble nest on the surface of the water by blowing tons of tiny bubbles together. You can aid him by making sure there is a large leaf floating in the tank for his bubble nest to stick to and build out from. It can take several days for him to complete his nest.
Even though the tank bottom should be bare, you will want to ensure there is some vegetation or tank decoration available where the female can hide. Male Bettas can get very aggressive during the courtship phase, so the female needs available shelter if he becomes too rough. She'll also need a place to hide out after she's laid her eggs. The male Betta will handle all the caring chores for the fertilized eggs.
Once the bubble nest is complete, and the courtship has led to the male impressing the female to stimulate her into laying eggs (up to 500), the female will usually turn over (belly up) and the male will wrap himself around her as she lays the eggs. Fertilized eggs will sink to the bottom which is why having it bare will help the male at this point, because once the female finishes she will retreat to shelter and the male will begin scooping the fertilized eggs from the bottom into his mouth, and placing them on the bubble nest.
It is a good idea to remove the female from the breeding tank at this point if you can without disturbing the bubble nest. Being a devoted father, the male Betta can view the female as a threat to the eggs in the nest and attack her. Also, you will want to discontinue changing out water in the breeding tank until after the baby fish are 2 weeks old. For this reason you need to be extra careful not to overfeed the tank in order to prevent the water from clouding too much.
The eggs will hatch within a few days into fry, which wil hang down from the bubble nest for several days as the fry feed from the yolk sack. In about 3 to 4 days the fry will begin swimming around freely, and at this point you must remove the male Betta (their father) from the tank or he will turn on his young and eat them.
At this point you should begin feeding the fry twice per day, either Baby Brine Shrimp or a special baby fish food called Daphnia. Tetra can also be given to the fry, but some think it is not the best starter food for Betta fish. Just remember not to overfeed the tank or your water will cloud up quickly and place the young fish at risk.
Once the fry are two weeks old you can begin changing out the water in the breeding tank again, but be very careful as the baby Bettas will still be small and fragile.
If all has gone right, you should have a tank full of young Bettas to either separate into multiple tanks for yourself, or to separate and sell to local pet stores, or to just give to your friends and family.
For even more detailed information on Betta fish breeding, check out Taking the Mystery Out of Betta Breeding
