Sex

Reproduction is a part of the betta life. Finding a mate is very important. They follow the courtship process. A male flares a fin to attract the female. A female chooses her mate. During the mating; the male chase the female –nipping at her fin before their nuptial embrace.

The male flips the female upside down wraps his fin around her and fertilizes the eggs as they are released. They repeated the process several times.

Before mating the male spends hours building a bubble nest on a water surface. A male put the eggs in a bubble nest. At the water surface which is called mucus; a male puts on a musk to attract females, becoming spreading and brighter out his fin.

Males betta take care of their young. Once they release eggs they typically leave. He gathers eggs in a mouth and spits them in the nest. A male watches the baby 48 hours; a baby betta called a fry to hatch.

The father protects eggs from rival males and defends the egg. When the fry is ready to swim; a male leaves the brood.

Breeding

Breeding is an important part of the blue betta lifecycle. Prefer breeding temperature between 25.6 to 26.7 °C (78 to 80 °F). The male and female live together and they should live together temporarily for the breeding process.

Males and females can choose their mate according to their wishes. If a female is ready for breeding, her color and pattern change, her body appears vertical line, and color is faded. Before the breeding, a caretaker prepares the male and female for breeding. Two weeks before breeding male and female betta provide nutrition-rich food.

Male and female betta are kept in a separate tank; before the breeding put them in the same tank and keep them separated with a clear divider. So, they can used by each other. The male betta uses his flaring behavior during courtship. Males build a bubble nest, and when female lay eggs males collect them and put them in the nest. After each spawn, the male betta repairs the bubble nest. A bubble nest floats in water that’s why you should put a floating plant.

A male protects the egg from another male betta. Eggs hatch in 1-2 days, they get nutrition in yolk sack in the 3rd and 4th day. After they can eat shrimp as a first food. The male takes care of the fry until he is ready to free swim. The betta eats his fry without hatching.

During the fertilization to free swimming fry, you can not predicate the gender of the fry, both are identical. The main difference is males are large, have a long fin, and vibrant blue and green color. While females are small and short fins. A female has a small white “egg spot” on their underside.

Breeding tips:

Prepare a separate tank for breeding. The 10-gallon tank with heater and sponge filter is sufficient. Before 2 weeks of the breeding offer them a high quality, protein-rich food for successful breeding.

Use a live plant and a floating plant. It will help you female to hide and the male builds a bubble nest. A breeding process requires time, silently observing their behavior and witnessing the circle of betta life.