Raising Betta Fish Breeding Stock

An article in the Thai wisdom series by bettasplendens.com that brings you tips and commentary from Thai betta breeders.

At the betta fish farms in Thailand we take some special steps and make a number of observations when selecting breeding stock. Because betta fish are aggressive with fighting behavior they must be isolated when 1.5 to 2 months old. They can be raised in a variety of containers such as bottles or flat sided jars. Keeping them separate will allow those that develop slightly slower to avoid injury due to attack from more rapidly growing bettas.

When the fish are 1.5 to 2 months you should notice the male’s body is dark with long fin pattern on the body that becomes clearly visible. In contrast, female bettas with have a faded color. There will often be a layering pattern along the length of the fish body. With the betta fish in isolation you choose the individuals for breeding in the following manner:

  1. Observe that the males are darker in color than the females. The females will exhibit a faded pattern the length of a leaner body. Select males and females not older than two months.
  2. Observing the fins, notice that the male bettas have longer abdominal fins.
  3. Observe carefully the prospective female betta fish and identify the white area that is slightly visible – this is the location of eggs and the fallopian tube.
  4. Beginning as early as 20 days of age juvenile males will exhibit a red mouth.
  5. Notice that the males will develop larger and faster than the females.

Containers for keeping the betta fish isolated can vary. We often use empty liquor bottles. Commercial breeders often special order containers for keeping and breeding bettas but most of us use discarded liquor bottles. They waste more space than flat sided containers but they are of course cheaper. The curved glass also makes the fish appear larger for viewing when in the market. The container should be fairly small so as not to waste space in the farm. Remember that natural habitat of betta splendens is small puddles in the wild so they don’t want a big container. The container should have a small opening at the top to prevent the fish from jumping out. And the breeder must keep pests and predators out. The ideal container is the 150cc flat wall glass bottle commonly used for alcohol. The bottle stacks very well and can be used easily with a ladder.

Selecting fish farm location is important. It needs to be relatively quiet. It must be well ventilated especially in summer months. Care must be taken to prevent water temperature from getting too high as this will cause the fish to die. It should not get above 30 degrees Celsius and should be kept an average of 26 to 28 degrees. During cold months it must be kept above 20 degrees.

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