Betta fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are a type of freshwater fish that belong to the Osphronemidae family. Betta fish are known for their vibrant colors and large fins and are a popular species among fish enthusiasts.
Since most fishes lay eggs, bettas can never give live birth. These fish are oviparous which means they lay eggs that hatch outside of the mother’s body.
Betta fish reproduce by producing eggs. To lure a female betta into laying her eggs in its bubble-filled nest, male bettas will first construct a nest consisting of bubbles at the water’s surface. Once the eggs are laid, the male betta fertilizes them and takes care of the eggs until they hatch. Fry (baby fish) will emerge from the eggs after a few days.
How Does A Betta Lay Eggs?
After the completion of the mating ritual, betta fish lay eggs. An egg spot is a location on the female betta fish where the eggs are produced. A female betta can lay up to 40 eggs at once. The eggs have a salt-grain appearance. After female bettas release the eggs, the males grab eggs in their mouths and place them in bubble nests. The female betta leaves after laying the eggs which are further fertilized by the males.
How To Tell If The Betta Eggs Are Fertilized?
It’s great news if you observed the indications listed below because it signifies the eggs were successfully fertilized. Most eggs inside the bubble nest will exhibit these characteristics. Some might even manage to survive at the bottom or on various things.
- The eggs turn from white to bright yellow.
- The eggs will slightly grow.
- You will notice two black dots, which are the fry’s eyes.
- The male betta will consistently care for the eggs.
- After three days, fertilized eggs are supposed to hatch.
How Many Eggs Do Betta Fish Lay?
Every few weeks, betta fish typically lay between 30 and 40 eggs. About 70% of the eggs’ total number hatch into healthy, alive fry. Although these occurrences are rather uncommon, some bettas can lay as many as 500 eggs.
If you intend to breed betta fish, I advise you to think about obtaining a rather sizable tank. Betta fish are unusual and may quickly fill up your tank. Even though not all eggs hatch, the amount is still significant.
How Long Does It Take For Betta Eggs To Hatch?
Betta fish eggs typically hatch within 24 to 72 hours. Given the optimal water conditions, which include a temperature of 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, a pH of 7.0 to 7.2, and a hardness of 5 to 20 DH, which is the time frame that should be anticipated (70-300 ppm).
You can probably throw away part of your betta fish’s eggs after 72 hours have passed and they haven’t hatched. Likely, the eggs weren’t fertilized at all.
Why Do Betta Eggs Not Hatch?
Betta fish rarely hatch since they were not fertilized during the initial place. That may be secondary to young, sterile, or agitated male betta fish. Additionally, if the female betta releases a high number of eggs, some of the eggs will inevitably fail to fertilize.
If it appears that your betta’s eggs are not hatching, see if 72 hours have elapsed first. It’s possible that the fry didn’t have enough time to develop because it’s simply too early. The likelihood that the eggs will hatch after three days is quite low. It’s possible at this moment that the male’s sperm never made it to the egg or that an infection occurred. Usually, infected eggs seem fuzzy.
In either case, I advise you to take the eggs out after 72 hours. Since the male betta can distinguish between fertile and unfertilized eggs, the male will sometimes devour them. However, there is no guarantee of that, because rotting eggs will begin to release poisons.
Is It Possible For Betta Fish To Lay Eggs Without A Mate? Will They Hatch?
Betta fish females are able to lay eggs on their own, however, the eggs won’t be fertilized. The eggs will eventually decay and probably get a fungal infection. In other words, even if the eggs can be placed without a partner, they need the male’s sperm to hatch.
Furthermore, if your female betta fish laid eggs without a male, don’t expect them to hatch. However, it is not very common because typically a female must be introduced to a male to produce eggs. Some aquarists separate the two for a few days in separate tanks. That will persuade the female to lay eggs. Some females, nevertheless, will conceal them on their own. In this instance, remove the eggs before they go bad.
How To Take Care Of Your Betta Fish Eggs?
Under the correct conditions, male bettas can lay hundreds of eggs. However, this is insufficient for the fish to produce eggs. So, betta breeding is unsuccessful unless the eggs hatch. Hatching isn’t a guarantee, though. The eggs need to receive the proper attention. It will rust and die if not. So, remember the following:
Choose The Proper Breeding Pairs
Have you ever observed how a doctor emphasizes a mother’s health before giving birth? They are aware of the strong correlation between the mother’s health and the baby’s.
The eggs of fish are identical. Before a betta’s eggs are even produced, you must begin taking care of them. This entails acquiring a strong and healthy betta pair that can lay eggs that are similarly strong and healthy.
You should provide the finest start you can for the betta fry. Genetic anomalies in sick bettas cause them to create defective, perhaps sterile eggs that are unlikely to hatch. Many merchants are not looking to sell unhealthy bettas. Instead, they maintain the animals in subpar circumstances that eventually harm their health.
As a result, you should carefully choose the breeding pairs you purchase. Watch out for the following:
- If at all possible, purchase your bettas from reputable breeders rather than haphazard merchants. You can rely on trustworthy breeders to choose excellent fish for your aquarium. Breeders are used by people to engage in selective breeding, in which they improve some features in their fish while eradicating others.
- Verify if the bettas are all the same size. The age must not be too low. To stay on the safe side, aim for bettas that are 4 to 12 months old. The larger fish may bully the other due to their different sizes. After all, bettas tend toward aggression.
- Have you examined the fins? Are they in decent shape? Your retailer will likely attribute betta fish hostility to damaged fins. You don’t have to believe them, though. Torn fins should always be taken as an indication of disease. Avoid taking any chances. Give active fish priority. Bettas who appear lethargic are most likely ill.
Condition Your Bettas For Breeding
You wouldn’t anticipate conditioning to have an impact on the eggs’ health. In actuality, it doesn’t—at least not directly. However, conditioning has an impact on your overall success because it determines how many eggs your bettas will lay. You’ll start losing eggs. There is a guarantee in this. Some eggs will perish as a result of the male betta’s failure to fertilize them. Others will become prey to predators, parasites, fungi, and the like.
Even once the eggs hatch, not all of the fry will likely survive. Due to this, egg production is important. You can afford to lose fewer eggs the more eggs the female betta produces. As a result, you have much more space to move around and experiment with the tank’s settings without risking the loss of your entire batch of eggs.
The physical condition of the female betta is crucial. Several times a day, you must give her high-protein live food. If the mother and father bettas share a tank, make a partition that keeps them apart while letting the bettas see one another.
If you purchase the bettas from breeders, request that they provide you with fish that have experience in breeding. Breeding often fails because the parents lack experience. Particularly problematic fish are the males. Because males may not always know what to do, the young ones are more likely to abandon their responsibilities, resulting in the female’s eggs not being fertilized. An experienced breeding couple can fill the tank with a large number of robust, healthy eggs if you condition them. Those eggs have a higher chance of hatching as well.
Adjust The Tank Parameters
Monitor the pH and the temperature. Regularly take measurements. You require 80 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures, a pH of 7, and a hardness range of 5 to 20 DH (70-300 ppm). However, it is insufficient to keep the proper parameters in place.
You must avoid extreme fluctuations. The male bettas will become stressed as a result of changing settings, and agitated male bettas are more prone to devour their eggs. That also holds if your tank’s current water parameters are different from those suggested above. While your bettas are breeding, it is more necessary to maintain them stable than to alter them.
It is unquestionably necessary to add a filter, but you shouldn’t overpower the current. I advise using a sponge filter because you don’t want to wash the eggs away or suck them up.
To keep the ammonia concentration from increasing, the water should be changed regularly.
The new water source is also important. Toxins like chlorine and lead will kill the eggs before they hatch if you introduce them. The new water can be treated with conditioners before being added to the tank.
Additionally, the tank’s size is important because numerous fries will hatch from the eggs. Therefore, I advise you to get a breeding tank that is at least 20 gallons in size.
Take The Adult Bettas Out On Time
Eggs are fragile. They are unable to swim away from danger. As a result, you ought to maintain them in a different tank. The mother will consume the eggs without hesitation. You have to return her to the community tank once she releases all the eggs.
The female betta must physically exert herself during mating because the male betta must squeeze the eggs out of her body. Keep her in a hospital aquarium for a few days if she is still too frail to return to the community tank. Treat any injuries she may have gotten during mating with products like MarOxy. She can’t stay with the eggs in either case. Don’t be fooled by her sluggish demeanor.
For the first three days, the father is safe. Unfertilized eggs may decay and release ammonia, therefore it’s a good thing that the majority of male bettas will consume them. The majority of male bettas, meanwhile, are sufficiently restrained to leave the fertilized eggs alone. Tanks with stressed fathers due to changing conditions and unclean water are the only ones where you find exceptions.
The male betta will act properly until the eggs hatch in the perfect situation. At that point, he will pose a threat to the fry. So, he ought to be transferred to the neighborhood tank. However, since he has already completed his task, and you are now in a position to take over, this is not a problem.
FAQ
Can Female Betta Take Care Of The Eggs?
The female betta can take care of the eggs, indeed. The eggs, however, won’t develop into young fish because a male fish hasn’t fertilized the eggs. Females constantly produce eggs, and usually, they will reabsorb the eggs rather than throw them out. However, female fish will occasionally lay eggs even though no male fish is present.
Why Is My Male Betta Not Taking Care Of the Eggs?
It’s possible that the betta eggs aren’t alive. In general, male bettas don’t care about unfertilized or dead eggs. The unfertilized eggs will very certainly be eaten by the male betta, but occasionally they will leave the eggs alone to sit on the bottom of the tank for a while.
Conclusion
As we have known that betta reproduces by laying eggs, it is also essential to know how a betta really lays eggs, how the eggs are fertilized, and how the offspring are nurtured.
It’s important to note that if you want to breed betta, it is important to keep the males and females separate until breeding time, as betta are also known for their aggression, and males will attack each other, and also females if they are not in the mood of breeding.