Once the male is aware of the female’s presence, he will swim up to the glass, flare his fins, and extend his gill covers. This courtship can last anywhere from between one to 24 hours. Eventually, the female will become agitated and try to find a way into the male’s tank. It is now time to move the female into the breeding tank. However, if the female does not want to spawn, an upturned flowerpot or other hiding place should be in the tank for her to take refuge in.
The female lets the male know she is ready to begin spawning by swimming beneath the nest. The male follows and curves his body in a “U” shape over her (known as the “spawning embrace”). Together they turn upside down and the female begins to release her eggs with the male fertilizing them. During this time the female may release anywhere between 350 and 400 eggs.
As the eggs fall towards the bottom of the tank, the male swims down and picks them up in his mouth, beginning his role as caretaker. He then returns to the bubble nest and gently places the eggs in the nest, where they adhere to the mucous coating. After the female has spawned, she may help with the moving of the eggs. If she shows no interest in assisting the male, move her back to her tank. Her job is done. It will generally take the male two to three hours before he has all the eggs placed in the nest. To make his job easier, the water in the breeding tank should be no deeper than four to five inches.
Betta Babies!
Within 36 hours, the eggs should begin to hatch. Again the male is on guard, picking up any fry that fall from the nest and returning them. Once the fry are swimming horizontally, usually three days after hatching, remove the male from the tank. You are now the caretaker.
Betta babies are TINY. How in the world will you feed something so small? The only thing that they are capable of ingesting is infusoria. Infusoria is basically a group of microorganisms typically found in infusions of decaying organic matter. Remember the last time you forgot about that bunch of celery in the fridge? All that gunk in the bottom of the bag? Infusoria. But don’t worry, there’s a simpler way to get your hands on it. Most pet stores will carry tablets that can be mixed with water to produce the necessary “baby food.” Or you can also purchase liquid fry food. Once the babies are a week old, they should be big enough to take baby brine shrimp.
To raise an entire spawning, you will need at least a 15 gallon tank. You will also need to have some method of aerating the tank (an airstone, for example) to increase the available oxygen. The labyrinth organ takes a few days to develop once the betta is born. Until that organ is fully developed they rely completely on their gills for oxygen.