Stages of a Baby Betta Fish's Life

Bettas are colorful, distinctive fish and the males are known for having a feisty disposition. If you're lucky, your betta will become a vibrantly hued fish with the "trailing tail" so coveted by aquarium enthusiasts. Before it "grows up," however, it is a baby fish known as a "fry" that looks to the eye like a dark dot, according to Aquatic Community, a portal established in 2004 for tropical fish keepers and breeders.

  1. Spawn

    • A baby betta's life begins with a set of meticulous parents. The colorful male betta creates a bubble nest for the smaller, not-so-colorful betta momma to release her eggs into, according to Aquatic Community. The nest is literally a cluster of mucous bubbles stuck together. In captivity, after the eggs are set, the female is placed in a separate tank, while the male remains to take care of the babies after they hatch and until they can swim, according to UK-based Norton Aquatics.

    Hatchlings

    • When your betta hatches, it should not be fed the first day as it will already have the nutrients it needs from the yolk sac, according to the Aquatic Community. On the second day, the young fry will begin to fall out of the bubble nest to the aquarium floor. It is then up to the male to retrieve the fry and spit them back into the protective bubble nest each time they fall out, according to Canadian-based betta breeders B.C. Betta.

    Fry

    • After the first day, your betta may be fed microscopic vinegar eels and, after two weeks, it may eat freshly hatched brine shrimp, according to Aquatic Community. The site reports that bettas grow very slowly. You may not notice any color until the fish is seven months old.

    Growth

    • Though fry generally take a while to mature, B.C. Betta reports the rate of growth depends on the spawn and some mature faster than others. At about two months old, the swimming fry can be separated from the adult and placed in a tank. As early as one week after this transition, each fry may be moved to a separate jar or smaller bowl, according to B.C. Betta. The fry should be monitored, as some of the faster growers will eat the smaller fry, even though they are siblings.