Anabantidae
Betta
7.62 cm
Can range in size from 2-7 inches, anything above 3 is usually considered a 'giant' variant.
Semi-aggressive, Community
Depends on the individual, you can have very aggressive or very peaceful fish
Insectivore
18.93 L
21.0 C - 23.0 C
This fish is generally not picky with parameters. As it is uniquely captive bred and does not exist in the wild, it can tolerate a wide range of parameters. However, it does tend to prefer softer water.
Surface
These fish are not found in the wild due to their heavy selective breeding.
They are found globally and are one of the most common pet fish and come in many different varieties. Their color genetics are well studied, and there are currently a few major tail-types. Delta, plakat, halfmoon, crowntail, and veiltail, though many of these can be combined (ie halfmoon plakat, crowntail plakat).
Bubble Nester
Male will build the bubble nest and try to impress the female
50 fry
Warm water, lower the water level, condition with high protein foods, add tanins
Male will generally take care of the fry for the first week or so, fry need to be fed live foods like baby brine shrimp.
Generally, you condition the male and female with live foods or protein-rich foods for one to two weeks before the spawning. Then, you place them in a shallow container (about 2-3" of water) with a heater and some sort of floating object for the male to build the nest under. This can be either Styrofoam cups, flat planes, or Indian Almond Leaves. Tannins are also beneficial. Place the female in a transparent cup and allow the male to court her and build the nest, then once you see vertical breeding bars appear on the female and a decent bubble nest, release her into the larger container. Nipping and chasing is normal for both males and females, though some are more aggressive than others.
The spawning can take up to a few hours, and when they are done the male will chase the female away from the nest. That is your cue to take her out! In rare cases, the female will also try to take care of the eggs, but this is uncommon.
The first sign that fry have hatched is that little tails will drop down out of the bubble nest and they will start to wiggle. The male will take care of them until they are properly free-swimming, and at that point you can remove them and start to feed them BBS, crushed egg yolk, or other small live foods.
