Betta Behavior, breeding

Question
WE,I mean my little girl and I have never had any luck with fish. The only fish we had over a year was a male betta. My little girl is 11 and loves fish, so we went to town and got another male. He seemed so lonely in his too big of a tank for one little betta, my daughter wanted a female. So off we go and get her a cute little female. At first the male was a little aggressive towards her and she found a little place to hide under some fake greenry in the tank. Now he won't get out of the hiding spot and she won't either. They both seem to be laying on each other, or on their sides. When we place something down there to see if they are ok they come out for awhile then right back in. Are they laying on eggs? I don't know what to look for and I'm afraid to change the tank. If there is eggs, won't he try to eat them or eat the babies when they come out? I know NOTHING about fish, any help you can send me would so much be apprecitated. Hey, if you need dog or horse info I can help ya, but fish not my thing. I like them, I always feel bad because I'm such an animal lover I know We'll end up killing it. I hate to see any animal be sick. Thanks again and hopefully the info gets back to me in time and we still have the fish alive. Tracy Lynn Tucker  

Answer
Hi Tracy;

Bettas need to be kept separated, conditioned with good healthy foods until actually ready to spawn, and then they must be separated again. The male builds a bubble nest at the top of the water and waits for his bride..... You then introduce the conditioned and egg-filled female. Once they finish spawning, he wants her out of there. He can injure her very badly or kill her to accomplish that. He has a big job ahead and will not want any help. The male cares for the eggs and the babies until they are ready to be on their own. Here's a web page on how it works;

http://bettas.fishjunkies.com/Spawning/lesson1.php

So I really think they are simply too cold too. Bettas are tropical fish that need temperatures of 76 to 82 to be happy and healthy. If it is lower than that in the room their tank is in, they are simply not able to move. Get another tank and heat them both up, or if the tank is big enough, put in a plastic divider. I think the smallest tank dividers are made for is a 5 or 10 gallon.

Let me know how it goes!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins