Breeding Bettas

I'm not gonna forgive Kamil for this...

He lifted the barrier between the two fighting fish while I was having a lab session.

I received these messages:

"They are having baby!"

"This is so cool you are missing out so much! The eggs just keeps coming out. Oh man you would wish to have missed your lecture for this!!!"

I was still in the conditioning stage of their breeding... was planning to get some live food from AD tomorrow arvo and fatten them up for a few days before letting them do their stuff. To produce the best results, so that the female doesn't become too exhausted, etc etc.

Anyway just a little background story There are four females, and one male. His name is Huxley, and the females... one's called Fitch, 'cos she's a fish and she's b*tchy. Another's called Susan, for no good reason, and the rest are Preston and Lesbian (shrugs, ask Kamil, he named them). Now Huxley originally liked Fitch, but Fitch didn't return his love. Yet when Susan started showing interest in Huxley, Fitch would flare up and chase and fight Susan away. Huxley would fan out his fins and gills and display at Fitch and Lesbian, but none of them would pay him any attention. He'd start to chase and abuse them, so much so that Fitch's fins were torn. Lesbian was only interested in displaying at the other females, but never to Huxley. Preston... was always easily stressed and shows no interest whatsoever in anything. So we put Huxley and Susan together in the same tank, separated only by a transparent barrier to get them 'into the mood'. After the second night, Susan started flaring at Huxley, and vice versa. Huxley started building a bubble nest. Susan's ovipositors became visible. All good signs.

But I didn't expect it to progress this quickly. Sui who bred Betta splendens before in Singapore recommended that I condition them and 'let them see each other' for one or two weeks prior to introducing them. That's what most websites saytoo.

Hmmm...

But well now that they have spawned, there's nothing I can do 'cept to prepare for the mass hatching of fish fry. 36 hours... thereabouts. Countdown begins. I hope to get some brine shrimp or some other small live food by then.

posted by Husky @ 10/27/2005 04:13:00 PM  |