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how does it take the male to finsh making his nest,and be ready and breed?

23 11:32:18

Question
QUESTION: how does it take the male to finsh making his nest,and be ready and breed?.my female is ready but when i remove her out from her cup and the male bite and chase her alot and she hids in my hidding spot that i made for her,they had stay together everyday..he is building his nest but i dont know when is he ready to breed and i dont know the signs he gives her that he is ready? can you please help?

ANSWER: Hello,
Breeding Bettas is not an easy task, and is not for beginners.  You must have a 5 gallon tank ready, and you put the female, and male together into this tank at the same time.  She must have lots of hiding places because he can kill her in a fraction of a second.  You must not leave them alone, and watch them.  He will build his nest, and when he is ready, he will give her a sign.  She will go to him.  This can last 4 hours, and be prepared to remove the female anytime during this time.  Never leave them alone while they are together in a tank.  The little female will come out of this ragged, and sometimes badly hurt.  She will be weak, and will need special care.  She should have good food, and a nice clean tank to come back to.  I see no point in breeding bettas.  There are so many on the market, and the trouble to raise them is not worth it.  The female will let her eggs go when she is ready, she does not need the male.  If you are serious, and want to breed them, and raise the spawn, you must be ready.  You will have to read up on bettas, and how to look after the fry.  It is too long for me to write all of this down here.  The males should have his own 5 gallon tank, and the female should have her own 5 gallon tank.  Keeping bettas in small containers is cruel.  Vendors don't care as long as they sell.  In their habitat, the betta's water may be shallow, but they have lots of room to swim.
For now, I would advise you to read up on them.  Get as much information as you can before going on this journey.
I'm sorry I can't write all the details here, but there are lots of books on bettas that would help you understand.
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: is a ten gallon tank good? i have a ten gallon and i think they are spawning

Answer
Yes a 10 gallon is good, but do not leave them without supervision.  You know when they are spawning.  The male wraps himself around the female holding her tightly, eggs come out of her, and he blows them into the nest.  How long the spawn last is anybody's guess.  You will have to watch them all the time while they are spawning.   When it is over, he will chase her away with intent to kill.  You must remove the little female at this point.  Feed her well, she will be very weak.  The male stays with his fry for about three days, then he must be removed.  The only food fry will be able to eat is microworms.  You must have a culture of microworms ready.  They cannot eat anything else, they are very tiny.  Baby brine shrimp is too big for them.
Lynda