Monday, May 24, 2010

Betta breeding: The male chases female all around the breeding tank. What is wrong?

Hi, I'm breeding my betta fish. The male has built a bubble nest and the female is gravid with eggs. She is also displaying light vertical bars (not as dark as the were the first time I introduced her 2 days ago). The first time I introduced them, the female seemed a lot more interested. Now instead of her following the male as he flares, male male chases her away all around the tank. He also hangs around his bubble nest a lot while he isn't chasing her. The femail wanders to the bubble nest only to be chases all around the tank. The temperature is 86 and I'm feeding flakes and blood worms 2-3 times a day. I kept the female inside a clear inverted jar in the tank before I released her and the male occassional came and flared at her through the glass, but she seemed to want to dart away.
Answers:
He may not like her. (Some males are picky.) On the other hand some couples take a while to get downto bussiness. A couple of points on what yo've said.

1)Gravid with eggs? A healthy female betta always has eggs. If she's got a big stomache. She been over fed.

2)Feeding in the breeding tank?!!? Feeding more than once a day?!!? You should feed either of the pair in the breeding tank. Much less feeding more than normal. This will foul the tank, and isn't good for the adult betta either. Don't feed the adult's in the breeding tank at all, and do't feed the fry more than twice a day.

Hoestly I'd start over from scratch. Clean the breeding tank. Prime both with normal amounts of flake, and blood worm. Don't over feed the female to get a big belly. Read betta talk.
Maybe she's just not that into him.
if she has already layed the eggs that means he is tiing to kill her that is wat they dooo..
put her in a glass
do sumthing GET THE FREAKN FISH OUTA THERE~!
HUMM guess she dont think hes a hottie!
If she has completed laying eggs the male would have fertilized them and taken them to the bubble nest and put each one in a bubble. Take the female out. If they have not completed the cycle by now give them a break and try in a few days. If they completed the cycle then after a few day you will see little tails hanging out of the bubbles. Floating the female in a jar with water from the tank usually gets them in a mood. It should only take a few hours for them to be ready. Then you turn the female loose. If they dont breed within an hour or so take her out. Leaving her in the tank only causes stress on both fish and could lead to problems for the female.
OOOOOOk. welcome to Betta breeding. first, stop feeding them. it detracts them and clouds the water- bad. they will be fine for a few days not eating. second, have you conditioned you fish? if you haven't conditioned them, they both may not be ready to breed, even though they are willing. third, where did you get you fish? walmart fish are the Mutts of the Betta world and sometimes can be to young or infertile. and finally, if your fish are from a breeder, you have conditioned them, and you stop feeding them, there is nothing wrong, your fish should breed within a few days, or they have already. the eggs are the same color and size of the bubbles in the nest, and the male will continue to chase the female away. But anyways your fish should breed in a few days, but don't let them go for longer then a week.
nothing is wrong hes pressuring her to mte but keep them seperate until the male makes his bubble nest and keep the water temp around 75-80f to encourage mating. i bred my beta's but make sure the male doesnt kill the female and after mating leave the male in with the babies he the one who takes care of them..the female will just eat the eggs
its very natural.dont worry..its the way

2 comments:

  1. i have a question too... i have been keeping my male and female together in the same tank for a couple days now they are doing just fine but whenever the female gets curious and swims up to him he flares his gills twists his body and puts his front fins out.. then he chases her for a few seconds then goes back to whatever he was doing... what does this mean?

    ReplyDelete