Are you thinking about breeding your bettas, but aren’t sure where to start? Maybe you’ve heard that bettas will eat their young, so, what are you supposed to do?
How many betta fry will survive? What can you do to keep them safe? Can you prevent them from dying?
We have good news, becoming a snack doesn’t have to be your betta’s fate. There is a way to prevent this!
When you do everything right, betta fry has a survival rate of over 90%. Most bettas lay between 30-100 eggs at once, so you’ll have many baby bettas grow to adulthood.
How To Better Protect Betta Fry
Taking care of your new betta fry can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. Keep reading to find out how to make it easier.
Set The Tank Up Correctly
Before breeding, you should set up a proper nursery tank for your fry.
You’re going to need to cycle the nursery tank just as you would with any other aquarium. You’ll know your tank is cycled when the parameters look like this:
- Ammonia: 0ppm
- Nitrites: 0ppm
- Nitrates: <40ppm
A circular tank is best for cleaning and feeding your babies. You should choose a tank that is at least 20 gallons so that the fry has plenty of space to swim and grow.
You’re going to need a sponge or stone filter to keep the water clean. Sponge and stone filters are safest for your fry so they don’t get sucked up. You’ll also need a heater.
Include live plants in the tank because they will provide areas for your fry to hide. Many plants will also come packed with infusorians for your fry to eat. Additionally, you can add Indian Almond Leaves. They keep the tank healthy and boost your fry’s immune systems.
Lastly, you’ll need a soft light, whether it’s sunlight or artificial light, to help your fry grow.
Some breeders will breed their bettas in the main tank. Then they transfer the fry into the nursery tank after they’ve hatched. Yet, it’s easier if you breed the parents right in the nursery tank. Rather than moving dozens of tiny babies, you only have to move two adults.
Remove The Parents!
Bettas WILL eat their own children, so you must remove the parents as soon as possible. Remove the female from the tank as soon as she lays the eggs so she doesn’t eat them.
The male can remain a bit longer. He will push the eggs up into the bubble nest he’s created where the eggs will be safe. Remove him when the fry hatch.
Keep The Water Clean
Betta fry are susceptible to changing water parameters. So, you should keep their aquarium clean.
You should be performing at least a 25% water change every three days.
Avoid using traditional gravel filters as they may suck up the babies. Instead, stick with a turkey baster.
Feed Your Bettas The Right Foods
Receiving nutritious protein-packed foods is essential for betta fry growth. If you don’t give them the correct foods, they can stunted, malnourished, and may even die.
Separate Your Fry
As you likely know, betta fish are aggressive. As the males mature, they will begin to attack one another, so you should separate them.
Females may attack each other as well, but not as much as the males. Separate larger females from smaller ones to avoid any deaths.
9 weeks is the timeframe in which bettas begin to mature and show their adult colors. This is when you should separate them because they will become aggressive.
Many people use small containers or jars. These serve as temporary homes until someone buys them.
Conclusion
The good news is that if you take steps to protect your betta fry, most of them should survive to adulthood. The biggest threat to your fry is their own parents, so you should remove them from the tank. If you’re concerned your betta is nearing the end of its life, be sure to check betta fish behavior before death
Fry are more susceptible to poor water or food quality. But, if you do things right, you shouldn’t have many fatalities.