Breeding bettas is a great hobby for thousands of people around the world. With the unique personalities, flowing fins, bright colors, and endless demand for high quality fish, many people have started breeding just for the fun of it. But, these reasons also cause some people to consider raising these fish for profit as well. Some people have had much success with this, while others decide it is more enjoyable to keep breeding just for the fun of it.
1 – Breeding for Fun
If one is going to breed bettas just for fun, they can concentrate on raising just a few spawns at a time and to really focus on perfecting the form and color of the body and fins of their individual lines. Many people in this category will purposefully limit themselves to just one type of fish – e.g. the halfmoon betta, and others also decide to try only one color or type such as blue marbles.
This is beneficial because they can easily get one or two related strains going which allows for intermixing to help balance out body shapes. For instance, if one line lacks good dorsal fins but has fantastic tails, a related strain might have just the opposite and crossing the two could result in a very balanced group of fish! The desire to develop perfect fish is all part of the fun of breeding bettas.
2 – Breeding for Profit
While the hobby breeder can take the time to focus on attaining the absolute best shape of the fins and body, someone breeding for profit might be more interested in pumping out lots of baby bettas for sale. While the breeder should always try to improve the species, they might decide to focus on the pet/hobby market (people who have no intention of spawning the fish they buy), so quantity might win over quality. They might breed bettas that are very plump and hope for huge spawns. Whether for fun or profit, people who breed these fish always love the challenge of keeping Siamese fighting fish!