AboutBenty Expertise GOT A QUESTION ABOUT:
Basic needs for specific fish, illnesses, best tankmates, breeding, water chemistry, tricks to safely cut corners, and/or “stupid” questions? Maybe I can help! :)
I like to explain why you do things in aquariums (like why to use spring instead of distilled, or what pH numbers mean, ect.) so you understand why and not just taking someone’s word for it. I also like giving answers where you have two choices so you can choose which is best for the time and money you can commit to your fish. I understand how tight money can be and how expensive fish related things get.
I will NEVER leave you with an “I don’t know.” Ever. I hate that. That would waste your time and that's just mean. :)
Puedo contestar tus preguntas en español también.
Experience I have had tropical fish since 1999. I currently have: a 55gal, ten 10gal, 3 five gallons, three 2gal, and a bunch of jars and bowls. At the time I'm typing this, I have: 14 angels, 13 goldfish, 73 bettas, 12 barbs, 5 catfish, too many guppies, 4 gouramis, 2 plecos, 10 loaches, bunch of swordtails, and probably a few others, lol.
I love to rescue fish. I've had everything from mutant danios, to one eyed goldfish, to my newest adoptee, a 2 year old betta with a MASSIVE tumor problem. He was brought to a pet shop and left there because the lady didn't know what to do with him. He's pretty scary looking. One of the guys at the store there I know let me have him. :D YAY! Elephant Man lives in a gallon bowl with pretty stones in my bathroom.
Plus!!!
I sell: veil, delta, halfmoon, plakat, and crowntail bettas as well as halfblack and blonde tuxedo fancy guppies. Ask me about it sometime.
Question I have had two male bettas for a while. I just tried to breed one with a new female I bought today. He attacked her and she ran and hid.
Any advise
Answer Ok! Well, why do you want to breed your fish? Is it for your experience? Do your fish have desirable traits that should be continued?
Easy check list:
1. Is the pair over a year old (they are about 6-8 months when they are at the pet shop)? You don't want to breed older fish. They can die more easily and don't have as healthy eggs as when they are younger.
2. Are they the same tail shape? There are a few tail shapes:
a. Plakat (Wild type, also called round tail)
b. Veil (Petshop kind, they are considered by betta breeders to be "exhausted genetically". That means they are undesirable. )
c. Crowntail (where the rays of the fins extend past the webbing)
d. Delta (Wide veil. Kinda like a triangle)
e. Halfmoon (Their tail makes a full 180 semicircle.)
f. Double tail (Their tail is split into two, separate lobes.)
3. Do you plan on taking care of at least 500 or so babies that will grow into adults that may or may not ever have another home? Do you have the housing for the babies you will create? Can you take care of them for up to 5 years? Where will you be in 5 years?
4. Do you have the right food for the babies? They can't eat powdered flakes or baby brine shrimp. They have to have infusoria, microworms or vinegar eels (you can buy them online but they have to be producing before you breed.). Do you have a culture that's already producing? Don't breed babies that will starve. It takes about 3 days to have a set up culture start producing.
5. Are they the same color bettas? Breeding different color strains is bad. It produces fish they are unwanted by aquarist. You undo the work of years of selective breeding. Not good.
6. Do you have plants (fake or real, doesn't matter) for the fish to hide in while breeding?
7. Filters will suck up babies even on low levels. I don't use one but the only kind of filter that can be in a breeding tank like that is a sponge filter. Check them out. Just look them up on the web. You can make your own. This is a GREAT site! http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects/diy-filter/19.asp
You don't have to have a filter to have a good spawn though. It's just A LOT better.
6. Heater? Babies have to be kept at a constant 80*F temp.
The color no-no's on a fish:
Red and white together.
Black and red together
Blue and red together.
Red and yellow together.
If a fish is either of those, pass it up. Spend your time and money working with good fish. There's a lot out there too.
I know it seems like alot, heheheh. I just don't want you to get in over your head. I want you to be informed of what you will need BEFORE you need it. :)
There is also a chance one of the bettas will die from breeding. I've had I think 3 females and two males die from breeding so far. All the females were stressed out to death one was actually half eaten. One male was nearly eaten to death by the female, lol. And the other male died from the stress of taking care of the fry. (He was older.)
I'll tell you the process (believe me, it is a step by step process, lol) for breeding them if you still want to breed them. :)
