“Do Betta fish eat their fry, babies, and eggs?” This is a typical question among Betta owners and breeders when it comes to this fish’s eating behavior.
Every now and again, Betta fish will consume their eggs. That often occurs when too many eggs are laid or when the eggs are not fertilized properly. However, under pressure, bettas—the male in particular—may be forced to consume fertile eggs.
Although Betta fish may eat their eggs in circumstances of unsuccessful spawning or unfertilized eggs, Betta fish seldom consume their young (fry). Generally speaking, bettas only consume their own fry when they are desperate for food or when they are forced to act aggressively.
Do Bettas Eat Their Eggs?
Yes, Betta fish will consume young fish, but not all of them; this is the quick answer.
It’s a totally different situation, though, when it comes to betta fish eating their eggs. Although Bettas seldom consume their young, this is not necessarily true of their eggs. This is particularly true of the domesticated bettas that many buy at pet stores and maintain at home.
If the sequence of events is not followed correctly, the male (or “father”) betta fish may consume unfertilized eggs during the spawning process. In addition, if things don’t exactly go as nature intended during the spawning process, the female (mother) betta fish may occasionally devour the released eggs.
Fish come in a wide variety of breeds, each with their own unique quirks. Furthermore, certain fish will not consume other fish for obvious reasons. However, many fish also appear to not even care whether they are being fed by other fish. The basic line is that in order for your fish to be healthy and content, you must take care of it.
Making sure the fish you purchase from a dealer are in good condition is a crucial requirement for novice fish owners. Different temperatures are necessary for a wide variety of fish species to survive. Moreover, various feeding techniques are required for a variety of fish in order to provide enough nutrition.
Additionally, it’s likely that you won’t be able to determine whether your fish is healthy when you first get it home. Additionally, unless you are extremely familiar with your fish, it is easy to become sidetracked while you work to maintain its happiness and health by the sights and noises of your fish. Therefore, use caution.
Why Do Betta Fish Eat Their Babies?
Let us go through some of the causes for which your Betta could be consuming its young in more depth now. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep in mind that even the finest advice might backfire if it’s improperly implemented. Therefore, it is certain that you are prepared to care for your fish and adhere to the advice of others.
Since nothing in this world can compare to how much parents love their children, we will now try to look into some of the causes of your Betta’s defiance of nature.
Problems During Spawning
The disruption of having a child outside of its normal habitat may affect both parents. Confusion sets in, and they begin consuming either fertile or rotting eggs. Betta’s spawning is impacted when they are kept outside of it, such as in a closed tank.
The betta is under stress as a result of this situation. When both parents are under pressure, they begin to consume their own children to get rid of their anger. In order to reproduce, the female Betta chooses her partner. Any form of disruption to spawning will make the female betta angry, and she may even start eating her young.
Female Betta Instinct
Betta fish that are female are likely to consume their eggs and fry. So, it seems logical that anytime there are any eggs, the dads (the male bettas) are in charge of caring for and protecting them.
Therefore, the female betta’s normal reaction is to flee that area. All of the female Betta’s irritation and resentment toward her mate will be directed toward her kids if she does not depart. The female betta is going to start consuming her own eggs and newborns. She stays close by after the spawning, which causes all of this to occur.
First Experience Of The Father
When a Betta experiences being in a tank for the first time, it may feel confined. Bettas may become hostile if they experience a sense of being imprisoned. If this occurs, the betta may start devouring its young rather than protecting them. Babies, whether human or fish, are in danger from an abusive father.
Might Have Right
Everything that is alive in the cosmos has this instinct. The strong attempt to repress the powerless. Fish have the same characteristics. Fish that are stronger attempt to demonstrate their power to fish that are weaker.
The stronger fish may injure or even consume the smaller fish to achieve their goals. In the case of Betta, the strong fry or ravenous infants begin devouring their frail or malnourished siblings. Weak fries become the target of strong fries fighting for nourishment. The owners of betta, who keep them all in the same tank, have a severe issue because of this.
Lack Of Food
This is the simplest explanation for why your Betta is eating its young. When there isn’t enough food available, the Betta may be forced to devour their young. It’s possible that other fish will also feed on the young out of pure hunger.
Therefore, a hungry Betta will consume its young in order to survive. They certainly love their children, but they cherish life more.
Conditions Of The Aquarium
The betta is an extremely delicate fish that cares deeply about its ecology. Many Betta owners struggle with the task of keeping them happy and stress-free. Stress and hostility are two of the main factors that cause Betta to start eating its young.
There are a variety of reasons why a betta could become hostile. The tank environment has a direct impact on the Betta’s disposition. An agitated or stressed-out Betta is a sign of an unpleasant habitat.
Let’s discuss a few elements that have an impact on the tank and cause the Betta to become uneasy and hostile. These elements all have the potential to exacerbate Betta’s homicidal tendencies.
Temperature
Betta thrives best at temperatures between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The Betta can become uncomfortable at any temperature that falls or rises outside of this range. Unease breeds stress and aggression, which drives the betta to eat its young.
Overcrowded Aquarium
All of the fish in a tank become stressed out in an overloaded aquarium. Aggression can result from this stress, and they can start attacking and even devouring one another.
Unclean Tank
Betta is anxious about an unclean tank, much like your parents are anxious about an unclean room. As a result, one of the primary causes of Betta and other fish aggression is a filthy tank. Baby eating is not a habit that is typical and arises from a variety of causes.
Sunlight
The sun is good for Betta, but not the bright sun. The temperature of the water can rise in direct sunlight, which can be painful for Bettas and is also unsuitable for the fish. As a result, exposure to direct sunlight can potentially irritate and frighten the betta.
Higher Levels OF Ammonia
As a result of the waste material in the tank, higher levels of ammonia and nitrates develop. The Betta may become hostile if these things stress it out.
Unsuitable pH Levels
Additionally, make sure to pay close attention to the quality of the water your new fish is being maintained in. This is a simple chore that you should perform with any pet in general. Betta thrives best in a pH range of 6.5 to 8. A pH outside of this range might also make the betta hostile and anxious.
How To Prevent Fish From Eating Betta Babies?
Here you will now talk about some preventative measures after discussing Betta’s parenting style in detail as well as the reasons why infants are eaten. Although you cannot revive a newborn Betta from the dead, you can certainly prevent it from passing away in the first place.
Therefore, we will now talk about some advice that will enable you to keep your young Betta alive. Therefore, if they pass away, it won’t be from their parents or other family members, at least! Let’s now examine the preventative measures you may take to ensure the young betta’s survival and security.
Remove The Female Betta From The Tank
The inclination of female Bettas is to consume their eggs. You need to remove the female Betta from the aquarium as soon as she finishes producing eggs. The father, a Betta, has the responsibility of protecting the eggs. Therefore, it is essential to switch out the female Betta with another tank as soon as you can.
Don’t Use An Aggressive Father For Mating
You must not utilize a male Betta for mating the next time if you previously encountered him and discovered him to be a poor parent. You must also keep him away from the female Betta. The reason for this is that the father and Betta are the protectors by nature, and murdering the infants is not a customary action.
Make The Spawning Environment Less Stressful
Eliminating stressful environmental variables is one step you may take to prevent eggs from being eaten because agitated Betta fish have a tendency to make errors when spawning.
For instance, you can think about keeping the aquarium or tank in an area of your house with less traffic during the spawning period. During the fertilization and nurturing of the eggs, this is probably going to keep them calmer, especially the males.
Keep An Eye On Bullies
Bullies in the tank have the potential to hurt the little betta. You must watch the aquarium carefully to spot any such troublesome fish. If you come across any such fish, you should take it out of the tank and place it in another.
Give The Tank A Natural Feel
Make the tank feel like the parent Betta’s natural home to increase comfort. For the Betta, this improves spawning. Therefore, putting plants in the tank could also be helpful.
Feed The Fish Regularly
The Betta and its tank mates are most likely not going to devour the newborn Betta if they are adequately nourished. Therefore, you must make sure that all of the fish in the tank are fed appropriately and are not suffering from hunger. Having no other choice, a hungry fish may consume a newborn fish.
In order to avoid the fish resorting to aggression, do not push them too far. Make sure to feed your fish correctly and provide them with the finest possible living space. By doing this, you will both contribute to the well-being and happiness of your fish and prevent yourself from becoming sidetracked by the expensive equipment they are receiving.
Find A Better Male
You may need to exercise patience and wait until the fourth or fifth attempt for better outcomes because it’s only normal for male Betta fish to make mistakes on their initial few attempts at spawning. They probably won’t be eating their eggs at that time since they will have changed for the better.
Or, you might choose to look for a male Betta fish who has expertise in the spawning process from the beginning if you want to completely avoid inexperienced male Betta fish.
Avoid Overcrowding The Tank
The parents of the Betta may become anxious in a crowded aquarium. Parents that are tense and violent might injure their children as a result. You must avoid overflowing the tank in order to maintain the parents’ composure.
Keep The Tank Clean
The parents become hostile when the tank is dirty. You should regularly clean the tank and replace the water every week to prevent this. Always check to see whether the water is pure and that the filters are functioning.
Maintain The Water Temperature
In order to maintain the temperature in the Betta tank between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the tank has to contain a thermometer. Nobody wants the parents and other fish to become violent since it would be bad for the offspring. The out-of-range temperature will also make the fish more aggressive.
- Fluval E200 Advanced Electronic Heater, 100-Watt Heater for Aquariums up to 65 Gal., A773
- Fluval M200 Submersible Heater, 200-Watt Heater for Aquariums up to 65 Gal., A784
Place The Tank Properly
The location of the stored tank is also crucial. Keep the tank away from areas where it will receive direct sunlight. In order to prevent aggressive behavior from the parents and other children, make sure the posture is as comfortable as you can.
Ph And Other Water Properly
Maintaining the pH of the tank water within the range of 6.5 to 8 requires constant monitoring. This is so that the Betta won’t feel uncomfortable, which may drive them to consume their young if the pH is out of line. Thus, it is necessary to maintain pH. In order to keep the Betta comfortable at all times, the levels of ammonia and nitrate must also be checked. Waste must not accumulate within the tank.
The main goal of most of these precautions is to maintain Betta’s tranquility and composure. The only thing you can do to prevent stress-related behavior in Betta is to ensure that they don’t consume their young out of aggression.
Conclusion
Fish will consume everything that fits in their jaws, including their own eggs. Betta fish are likewise covered by this law. But male bettas also look after the eggs. So it might surprise you to learn that some fish even eat their eggs. However, under pressure, these fish will be forced to act in that way.
There are other variations in pH and temperature, hunger, and a lack of cover. However, there is no cause for concern if your betta fish just consumed a few eggs. Unfertilized eggs are easier for male Bettas to recognize, and they will gravitate toward consuming them. That’s really for the best since rotting eggs would mess with the water’s chemistry.
You should be aware of a number of environmental and natural conditions when caring for and raising betta fish at home to prevent your fish from devouring your eggs or fries.
Eating fry babies isn’t very usual for Betta fish, but eating eggs is more frequent if they experience stress or confusion while spawning. So that you may preserve the health and well-being of as many newborn Bettas as you can, bear in mind our advice to prevent this problem.
The bottom line, once again, is that you should learn to keep an eye out for adult fish if you don’t know your fish very well.
FAQ
Should I Remove The Male Betta From The Tank?
I don’t think you ought to get rid of the Betta. This will do absolutely nothing to assist. This time around, just leave the male betta alone. Try to give it a good breeding habitat rather than remove the male Betta from the tank.
Can I Remove Male And Female Betta Fish After The Female Betta Lays Her Eggs?
You must remove the female Betta from the tank; otherwise, the male Betta fish will kill her. The female Betta must stay away from the bubble nest. You must make sure to leave the male to take care of the babies.
