The mating process for betta’s is a beautiful spectacle, from the preparation to the swimming fry. After their enchanting embrace, the male squeezes the eggs out of the female and they fall to the tank’s floor. The male then has to swoop down to the bottom, pick them up in his mouth, and place them safely in his bubble nest. He’s the knight in shining armor.
If the female is left in the tank with the male for an extended time after mating though, she will likely try to eat the eggs. If you’ve got an alpha betta (funny I know) it will prompt his aggressiveness and he will never allow her to get close to them. He will actively guard the eggs and his bubble nest by chasing her away. The female should be removed shortly after mating once she recovers from her temporary paralysis.
If you’ve never seen the male placing the eggs in the bubble nest you’re in luck! The video below shows the process in under 3 minutes.
The male will stay guarding the bubble nest and the fertilized eggs until they hatch and are able to swim on their own. During the wait though, it’s not all guarding, there’s some maintenance involved too. The male cleans the fertilized eggs. Any eggs that are left on the bottom of the tank and haven’t been eaten by the female or fertilized into the bubble nest become useless.
Share any comments or questions you may have below!
Does boy fish lay eggs?
The female holds the eggs and are released during the male and female embrace.
Hello Im Maya ! the video was removed 🙁 , My stepmother an I had a couple together for a good min in the tank , not knowing the facts behind she removed the female betta from the tank and placed her in another one following into her having babies … later we tried to reunite them again . The male betta is getting chased down by the female ! we dont know what to do at this point , to either to seprate them or keep them together .if you can help us it would greatly appreciated
Aw sorry about that, it was a video from someone else on Instagram and I didn’t have control over it being removed. I just replaced the video to a different one. The female released her eggs in the other tank? I would separate them and only reunite them if you are trying to breed them again in the future, and only after understanding that entire process.
What condition should a tank be in to breed Bette’s ? 79% 10 gal slow flowing water filer a few plants. I have catappa leafs anything else? I have raised a batch of fry about 40 years ago, but wondering if any changes have been made.