Betta Fish Breeding (my hobby)

[08chrissy08]

Over the last year or so, I have begun to get involved in breeding bettas. I spent most of that time doing research, visiting shows (well only one, they aren't too common in this area), and I joined the International Betta Society. I've always really enjoyed fish, and I just love the personality of Bettas!

So, after doing some research and checking things out, I selected a couple of pairs of fish from overseas. They are imported from Thailand and are known as Plakats. Plakats are actually a short finned version of the bettas you see in the pet stores. Don't get me started on the misinformation pet stores give out about Bettas, but it's along the same lines as those that sell dogs. Mass bred, poor quality and health, and the things they say to do with Bettas makes my blood boil. No, those tiny containers they sell are NOT acceptable. I'll stop there unless anyone has some direct questions regarding their care.

Anyway, I got my breeding area set up and bred my first pair! I'm so excited about them. The eggs hatched last night and it's a huge spawn. The parents are really gorgeous fish and I have high hopes for the babies.

Here is Daddy.


And Momma


And this is what the fry look like currently, though these are not pics of my own fry. My camera just can't get any detail on them, which makes me sad.



I'm really excited about this success and just wanted to share!

[pinkpixie1588]

Wow...how interesting! This is going to sound ridiculous to you, I'm sure, but I didn't realize fish had personalities. Can you describe how betta personalities are?

I think baby anythings are adorable, so I hope you'll post pics when they get a little bigger and you can really make out what they are Any idea how many little ones there'll be?

I always felt sad for the shelves of bettas sitting on the pet store shelves with no room to move around. I'm glad it's not always like that! What is the average lifespan for a well-bred Betta? Are there 'reputable breeders' for all kinds of fish or just the more expensive ones?

[08chrissy08]

Bettas are honestly the only fish I have really seen personalities from. I have a wide array of personalities here from the super feisty, to very shy. I have a crowntail male that was given to me that will flare at anything and anyone. You can just see him screaming "RAWRMEBIGFISH!"

I have another that thinks he is Jaws. They love getting frozen bloodworms as treat, all of them swim to my fingers as fast as they can and snatch them except for one fish. He will circle the bloodworm and watch it like he's waiting for it to try and escape. Around and around he'll go until suddenly he darts forward, grabs it, and hauls it to the bottom on his tank to eat. He cracks me up to no end. Some are laid back, others think they need to show everything that moves how big and tough they are.

My girls all have different personalities too. I have 2 that are very shy. They stay at the back of their tanks when they see people coming, but then slowly make their way to the front for food. I have another that gets so excited over food that she will leap out of the water. I have to keep her water level low so she doesn't jump out. She jumps impressively high.

The average life span of a pet store betta is generally not more then a year or two. A betta from a reputable breeder can live up to 5 years and I've heard of a few rare cases of them living longer then that.

After learning what I have, I despise pet store care of bettas and the ridiculous containers that they sell to people to house them in.

These are a couple other pictures of fish I have. Definitely not your average pet store betta!

[myfairlacy]

How neat! My favorite is the first fish in your second post...gorgeous! I've had a few betas in highschool and college. I actually had one that lived for almost 4 years but the others maybe lived a year, if that. I had 4 at one time (in different containers) my senior year in HS and three died before I went to college...the one that lived went to college with me and was the one that lived for a few years. I had a couple more after that but they just didn't live that long. I think they all came from Petco... I read up on Betas a few years ago and learned what you were saying..about the difference between petstore Betas and well-bred Betas. I didn't know they weren't supposed to be kept in tiny containers though...how sad for the fish that they really do need more room than that and are trapped. I've really learned that NO animal of any kind should be bought from a petstore...even the pocket pets and birds are poorly bred in mass and usually raised in horrible conditions. There are people that show & breed almost every domestic pet responsibly...it just takes more time and research to find I guess.

[Toby's Mom]

That is really cool. Will you have to separate them?

[jenn78]

Your fish are beautiful!
My daughter, Lacey, she has a betta, his name is BlueBoy, she has had him for about 2.5 years now, and I know all about what you are talking about with the personality! Blueboy loves the camera, he is so funny, I go in with the camera to take pics and he will come to the side of his tank and watch and keep moving so I can get full side shots of him, so funny!
Here are a couple pics I took tonight.

[08chrissy08]

Originally Posted by myfairlacy

How neat! My favorite is the first fish in your second post...gorgeous! I've had a few betas in highschool and college. I actually had one that lived for almost 4 years but the others maybe lived a year, if that. I had 4 at one time (in different containers) my senior year in HS and three died before I went to college...the one that lived went to college with me and was the one that lived for a few years. I had a couple more after that but they just didn't live that long. I think they all came from Petco... I read up on Betas a few years ago and learned what you were saying..about the difference between petstore Betas and well-bred Betas. I didn't know they weren't supposed to be kept in tiny containers though...how sad for the fish that they really do need more room than that and are trapped. I've really learned that NO animal of any kind should be bought from a petstore...even the pocket pets and birds are poorly bred in mass and usually raised in horrible conditions. There are people that show & breed almost every domestic pet responsibly...it just takes more time and research to find I guess.

That is absolutely true. I will only shop now at a small store that carries the dog food I like. They don't sell any animals at all and the owner is involved in rescue. Love that place.

There is a lot of misinformation about Bettas out there. You hear from pet store employees that they live in small mud puddles and that always kills me. They live in rice fields, which while shallow, are huge and often span acres of land. They are also tropical fish which a lot of people don't know and do best in temperatures of 76-82 degrees. They can survive in lower temps, but are much more active in warmer water and healthier in general. There are also betta tanks out there that you can buy that leave no surface access. Bettas are anabantoids which means they have a labyrinthine organ and breath at the surface. They do get oxygen from the water, but will drown without surface access.

I've very much come to believe that with any animals you have the good and bad breeders out there and any live animal purchase should be researched. A couple of years ago, I never would have thought twice about getting a betta from Petco.

[08chrissy08]

Originally Posted by Toby's Mom

That is really cool. Will you have to separate them?

Yep! At about 6-8 weeks of age I will have to start removing the fish that start showing aggression. Eventually all the males will have to be put into individual containers. The females from a spawn can often be kept together for some time. People often will have sorority tanks where they have several females in a tank together. This requires a tank with a lot of hiding places though, and sometimes the females will turn on each other. They are not super friendly fish.

[LJSquishy]

Oh my gosh, I LOVE this one!!! What is it called (the variety / coloring)? It is so weird that you posted about your bettas -- just about 2 weeks ago I started looking into purchasing one from online (hobbyists, not Petco or Walmart...lol).

I read that they should be in a tank at LEAST 1 gallon, is that accurate? I know those little cups they are in is so cruel, and even when some people put them in vases.

Also, is it true that they need a heater in their tank? I've read some conflicting information on that, but I would think warmer water would be better for them.

I think your fish are beautiful! Congrats on the new babies! Do the adults try and eat the babies? I once had Molly babies and had to separate them because the parents would try and eat them. lol

[08chrissy08]

Originally Posted by jenn78

Your fish are beautiful!
My daughter, Lacey, she has a betta, his name is BlueBoy, she has had him for about 2.5 years now, and I know all about what you are talking about with the personality! Blueboy loves the camera, he is so funny, I go in with the camera to take pics and he will come to the side of his tank and watch and keep moving so I can get full side shots of him, so funny!
Here are a couple pics I took tonight.

Aww, I like him. It's so funny how some of them are such show offs!