Instructions
Keep the male and female in separate containers until conditioning is complete!
Condition both the female and male betas by feeding them either frozen, or freshly hatched brine shrimp, until they are ready to mate. Give a good sized pinch of the brine shrimp twice a day, in addition to normal feedings.
Keep the male and female separated, but move their individual containers close to each other, so that the fish are in view of one another.
Observe the female beta. When she is ready to breed the female will swell up, and begin to produce a large number of eggs. The breeder should be able to observe the eggs falling out of the female fish.
Observe the male beta. A male who is ready to breed will build a "bubble nest" at the top of the aquarium. The nest will appear as a mass of tiny, white bubble clinging to the surface of the tank.
Introduce the female beta into the male's environment when both fish are ready to breed. Never put the male into the female's environment!
Watch the fish until they are finished breeding in order to save the female. The male beta will attack the female immediately after they have bred. It is very important that you remove her as soon as possible, in order to prevent the male from killing her.
Allow the male to do his job. After the female has laid the eggs the male beta will collect them from the bottom of the tank, placing them in the nest. Don't worry, he is not attempting to eat them.
Be patient. The eggs will take about 3 days to hatch, but at first the young fish will be invisible to the naked eye. The male beta will care for the babies when they are this size. You should leave them in the tank with the male for at least 2 weeks, sometimes longer. When they are able to eat a small amount of brine shrimp on their own, it will be time to remove them from the adults environment.
How to Breed Betas
Breeding beta's takes patience and care, but the rewards are well worth the effort. If you have the extra space required to properly house the young fish, as well as the extra time involved in caring for them, a good breeding can bring in a good amount of extra cash, once your hatchlings reach maturity. If this is your first time attempting to breed beta's, follow these steps, to ensure that your efforts are both successful, and monetarily rewarding.