Information on the care and breeding of the Betta Splendens.
Introduction
The Betta Splendens fish , also referred to as the Siamese fighting fish are a species that originated from the Asian continent, mainly Indonesia and Thailand. The original living environments of the Betta Splendens are in rice paddies and swampy areas. Though, they are known to be a peaceful species of fish , the Betta Splendens get very aggressive with regards to defence of their territory and their rights to breeding with a female Betta . A good knowledge of the above facts is very essential in order to effectively care for and breed these species.
Caring for the Betta Splendens
Luckily, there is not much work associated with caring for Bettas as they turn out to be relatively easy to keep. To properly feed and breed a small number of Betta Splendens, all you need is a small container (could be a fairly large bowl, jar or small tank) with regular water changes about twice a week. You do not have to include expensive filters and these fish survive well on cheap fish meals. Feeding of the Betta is required about two to three times a day and few checks every now and then. The big advantage associated with all this is that even a beginner can adequately care for the Betta Splendens by following the above steps properly.
Though, for commercial rearing, it would be much better if you are able to replicate the original swampy living environment of these species in a large tank.
Breeding the Betta Splendens
The two main methods used in breeding the Betta Splendens include the Mouth Brooders and Bubble nest builders. The male species of this fish is greatly aggressive with regards to its right to breed with females, so this has to be considered in the methods used. Let us review them separately below, though the spawning methods for both are similar.
Mouth Brooders Method
The Mouth Brooders Betta species are mainly found in flowing streams and small rivers, thus they hardly build nests during the breeding period. Clear water bodies with some dense vegetation should be placed in the breeding tank and the flowing water should be maintained at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. At the start of spawning period, the male and female should be kept apart, with the female in an enclosed space. After all the actions associated with attracting both sexes are completed, the female Betta can then be released for the actual mating process to occur.
During the actual mating, the female will release the eggs while the male Betta releases sperm. This occurs when both fishes are in a tight embrace and continues over a few hours in separate embraces ranging from 15 to 20 seconds each time.
Bubble Nest Builders
As the name implies, a nest is built during this mating process after some form of excitement is built up in the male Betta due to the presence of the female which is unreachable because of physical separation between them. Water used in this process should be clean and slightly higher in temperature than that used in the Mouth Brooders method-say 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The separation between both sexes is important so that the male does not harm the female due to its high aggression. It is usually less aggressive after completing a nest approved by the female. Then, the mating process occurs same way as described above and the female should be removed thereafter.
Stay posted for our next article which describes how the hatched fries survive and are cared for in both breeding methods.