breeding beta fish

Question
QUESTION: I bought a 6 gallon tank have some colored rocks on botton have a heater reading at 80 degrees have a filtration system (eclipse system). I used tapped water and put drops to clear out any bad chemicals waited 24 hours and put the male in the aquarium and the female in a jar inside the aquarium. I am feeding frozen blood worms (in the morning) and dried betta food in the evening. How long should it take for the male to make the bubble and get things rolling? Am I doing anything wrong? Also I am not sure just how much food I should be giving them. I have read that if they don't eat all the food in 3 minutes it should be removed. the blood worms fall to the ground so it is pretty difficult to calculate. Thanks for any help.

Kitty

ANSWER: You haven't cycled the tank, so you'll have to do very frequent water changes. Moniter ammonia and keep it under or around .25ppm. It may take 2-4 weeks for it to cycle. Although, the bettas may breed in this time, but the babies will be stunted and will not grow properly in an uncycled tank.

Look here for tips of aquarium cycling.

http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

Now about feeding. There should no food falling to the ground. It should ALL be eaten. Put in one bloodworm at a time if you have to.
Also, frozen bloodworms generally aren't used to feed bettas, more commonly freeze-dried bloodworms are used. Freeze-dried floats on the surface and replicates bettas feeding in the wild. It should encourage spawning more than frozen will, unless you feed very slowly. Betta food should not sink. Also, I would not feed bloodworms that much. Feed them 3 or 4 times a week, but not everyday.

-Nick

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

QUESTION: Thanks Nick for your fast response. While the acquarium is recycling should I have the fish in the tank? Also should I just feed them the dried Betta food everyday and forget about the blood worms all together? That would be fine with me!!!!!!! Last question, does the filtration system bother them at all? Thanks again

Answer
You can cycle it with the fish in the tank, but do not add any ammonia.

Just do frequent water changes and add "Seachem's Stability.

No, bloodworms are a very good food to feed them. Daphnia is also very good in encouraging spawning.

Filtration doesn't bother them, but surface movement does. If you get a filter make sure it is one that does not disturb the surface of the water too much, they are less likely to breed in moving water.

-Nick