Breeding

Use a small, flat-bottomed container (we recommend the rectangular four-sided glass aquarium that measures 12" long x 6"wide x 7" high that holds 2.5 gallons. They are readily available at Petco or Petsmart for roughly $10.00. (Assemble and save the glass cover for later use)

Do not use gravel.

Tape air line tubing (about 3 ft. length) from the bottom of the inside of the aquarium tank to the top and over and down the outside wall to facilitate water changes later on but remember, when tape gets wet, it will lose its hold, so start your tape about halfway up the inside of the aquarium. Fill the aquarium half full (up to 6") with well-conditioned water and a pinch of sea salt.

Place the Betta Magic™ in the middle of the aquarium and add one mature male (at least 1 yr. old) to the inside of the Betta Magic™ making certain that you use the cap to keep him inside.

Add either anacharis or cabomba plants to float in the open water area but avoid placing any plants directly inside of the Betta Magic™. (The female will appreciate hiding in these plants and later on your fry will love them as well).

Place a mature female in the open water area of the aquarium and feed them both a variety of live food over the next few days. She should be very stimulated as she is able to swim around and approach the male without fear. Her stripes, appearing vertically, are signs that she is ready for spawning as is a swollen belly.

No doubt, the male has started building a bubble nest on the inside of the Betta Magic™ and if he has and you disrupt it, don't worry, he'll replace it almost instantly. In any case, lift up the Betta Magic™ and let him go and allow the spawning to occur. Now remove the female.

It is up to you as to how long to leave the male in with the freshly laid eggs. As you see, he scrambles to pick up and spit back fallen eggs from the bubble nest which is very beneficial. The problem is guessing when he'll cannibalize these eggs, as most males eventually do, and when to remove him.

Why do we encourage using plant material? To provide cover for the newly hatched fry. The male's eyesight is not as good as ours so the fry can and will hide in the plants. These plants may allow you to keep the male with the fry for a longer period of time.

If it's daytime and you can afford to baby sit him then allow him to stay as long as possible tending the eggs. If the spawning occurs in the evening, you can leave the male until morning if you are willing to risk that he'll dine on them as you sleep. Or remove the male at this point, willing to sacrifice a few fry that won't hatch.

Feeding Fry/Water Changes

Let's remember to use the glass cover that accompanied our aquarium now and avoid any sudden changes in room temperature. When you see that the fry have lost their egg sacs, it is time to start feeding.

Along with the feeding you will need to start periodic water changes. About thirty minutes after feeding the fry, siphon off about two inches of water and then add back an equal amount of fresh conditioned water. This balance of food to fresh water will make you a successful breeder and those who master it are well rewarded! Raising successful fry rests solidly on your ability to provide enough clean water in balance with consistent temperature and plenty of food.

Use any fry food of your choosing but remember to be very light in feeding them. Often we accidentally kill our fry by over feeding and polluting their water. Seldom do they die from underfeeding.