Betta fish rarely consume their babies (young hatchlings) unless anything is wrong with the father. This only occurs most frequently when you have a male betta who is unfit to care for the young. Since male bettas usually parent their young, if you have a terrible one, he might consume his fries when they’re still a few days old. Why do betta fish eat their babies?
Male betta fish typically display aggression by eating the babies. Thus, if the males (fathers) lack strong instincts or are poorly conditioned, it may not be beneficial for the babies. Therefore, it could be wise to discontinue using that male for spawning if you discover this is happening.
There is yet another, extremely unlikely circumstance in which the babies might be consumed by other bettas; nonetheless, the parent bettas are not responsible. The baby that develops more quickly and powerfully than their siblings may attack and perhaps even consume the smaller babies in the tank in more aggressive betta species. This is a significant factor in the necessity of dividing young bettas according to size and rate of growth.
Reasons Why Betta Fish Eat Their Babies
Here are a few causes for betta fish to consume their younger ones. We’ll go over some of the causes of this as well as the situations in which it occurs most frequently when breeding betta fish in captivity down below.
A Poor Male Parent
It might appear strange to categorize betta parents as “good” or “bad,” given that they are essentially just fish. However, betta fish lose some of the natural surroundings that would ordinarily direct them in the spawning processes when people start breeding them in captivity. Because of this, a male betta father fish that has only ever lived in a tank would not be well-trained to care for his young (babies) and may even eat the babies out of hostility rather than raise them.
Breeding With a First-Time Father
This problem is comparable to what occurs when parents of male betta fish are unhealthy. The male betta that is used to spawn may fail or become confused about the normal order of spawning if he is going through the process for the first time. As a result, whether or not the eggs are fertilized properly, some may wind up being eaten during the process.
Females Are Kept Too Long With The Eggs
Many people are unaware that they also need to consider the female betta because the males are responsible for growing the fertilized eggs and babies.
When the eggs arrive for the male betta to nurture, it is time for the female (mother) to depart the surroundings naturally, or she may build her own nest to care for some of the eggs. This is dangerous because if you keep female bettas close to their eggs after spawning, they might eat them.
Uncertainty During Spawning
When there is misunderstanding during breeding, that is another reason why bettas consume their babies. As was already noted, spawning in an unnatural setting might cause issues, such as improper fertilization of eggs, misunderstanding during mating, etc. When this happens, the father and mother bettas may get upset and start eating the babies out of resentment or aggressiveness.
Dealing with Mouthbrooder Betta Fish
If you breed a mouthbrooder (a freshwater fish that carries its eggs and, in some cases, young in its mouth to protect them) bettas, you can encounter a scenario in which the male bettas become anxious and start to eat their young.
In addition to the fact that this kind of betta fish tends to and stores the eggs inside of its mouth, this is also because it is not accustomed to domesticated conditions. As a result, there is a higher probability that the father will devour the eggs and babies.
Competition Among The Young
Another frequent occurrence of betta fish fighting and eating each other is among the various babies themselves. This happens when the younger bettas in the same tank that have developed faster and stronger than their siblings become aggressive in search of food and attack.
They then eat the smaller, weaker baby bettas. Even while that’s not always the scenario, it’s an issue to take seriously if you plan to raise the entire offspring in the same tank.
Insufficient Food Supply
The simplest explanation for your Betta devouring its young is the insufficient supply of food. When there isn’t enough food available, the Betta may be forced to devour their young. Other fish may also prey on the young fish out of pure hunger. Therefore, a hungry Betta will consume its young to survive. Although they adore their children, they cherish life more.
Tank’s Environment
The betta is an extremely delicate fish that cares deeply about its ecology. Many Betta owners struggle with the task of keeping them content and stress-free. Stress and aggression are two of the main factors that cause Betta to start eating their young. There are a variety of reasons why a betta could become violent.
The Betta’s mood is directly impacted by the tank’s surroundings. Uncomfortable surroundings result in an aggressive or anxious Betta. We’ll discuss a few elements that have an impact on the tank and cause the betta to become uneasy and aggressive. All of these elements have the potential to intensify Betta’s homicidal tendencies.
Overcrowded Tank
An overloaded aquarium stresses out all of the tankmates. The bettas may become aggressive as a result of the stress and begin to attack and even consume one another.
Dirty Tank
Betta experiences the same anxiety from a dirty tank as our parents do from an untidy room. Therefore, one of the main causes of Betta and other fish being violent is a filthy tank which may lead to the devouring of their babies.
Temperature
Betta survives most effectively in temperatures around 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The Betta can become uncomfortable at any temperature that falls or rises above this range. Uneasiness creates stress and aggression, which drives the Betta to consume their young.
Unsuitable pH Levels
Betta generally grows in a pH value ranging from 6.5 to 8. A pH beyond this range might also make the Betta aggressive and anxious and may lead to eating their babies.
Higher Levels Of Ammonia And Nitrates
Due to the waste in the tank, higher amounts of ammonia and nitrates develop. These may also stress the Betta, making it aggressive and causing betta to feed over the offspring.
How To Prevent Bettas From Eating Their Babies?
Now that you are aware of the circumstances in which and the reasons why betta fish might consume their babies or eggs during the spawning process, let’s look at the steps that you can try to avoid this from happening. To avoid babies from being eaten in a home tank, you might need to take additional precautions, such as having additional tanks, separating babies, and more.
Create A Less Stressful Environment
To prevent the bettas from eating their eggs, eliminating stressful environmental variables is essential because stressed-out betta fish tend to make mistakes while 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. This may help your bettas stay calmer (especially the male) while the eggs are being fertilized and raised.
Finding A Better Male Betta
It may be essential to just be patient and wait until the fourth or fifth attempt for better results because male betta fish naturally make mistakes during the initial few attempts at spawning.
At that point, the male betta will likely have learned its lesson and no longer be eating the eggs. Alternately, suppose you desire to completely avoid male betta fish with little to no reproductive experience. In that case, it is advised to look for a male betta fish with a history of successful spawning.
Feed Your Betta Fish Properly
If your betta fish is starving or undernourished, it may devour its young (eggs or babies). Unfortunately, your betta might resort to consuming its younger ones to survive.
Even while this is quite uncommon in adult betta fish, it happens more frequently when baby bettas are devouring one another. You may prevent this by following a tight and correct feeding schedule each day.
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Separate The Female Betta After She Lays Eggs
Since female betta parent fish frequently devour the eggs after producing them, separating the females from their offspring is a simple approach to avoid this situation.
You can safely transfer the female betta fish to her tank or aquarium as the male betta fish are the ones who raise the eggs the majority of the time, anyhow. This will allow the fresh eggs to receive the care they require without turning into food.
Provide More Tank Coverage
Lack of protection over the breeding habitat is one of the environmental elements that could upset your betta fish. The male betta fish may turn to eat his offspring if there is insufficient protection, such as leaves or aquatic plants. This is because the male betta feels uncomfortable or uneasy in its poorly protected environment, and the stress causes it to devour the eggs it should be caring for.
Keep The Water At the Correct Temperature
Having the water at the improper temperature is one of the environmental issues that could stress out betta fish and cause them to eat eggs. Betta fish breeding tanks should typically be kept at a temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit on average. A variation in this temperature increases the likelihood that your fish will become confused, stressed, or likely to devour their young.
Not To Check On Your Betta Fish Often
Betta fish that are in the process of spawning experience stress when they feel intruded upon. During this procedure, you really only need to check on the aquarium when it’s time to feed the fish or clean the tank. Avoid walking by the tank too frequently or making yourself too noticeable to the betta fish because doing so could stress them out and cause them to start eating the eggs in their nest.
Avoid Overcrowding
The Betta’s parents may experience stress if the tank is overloaded. Parents that are aggressive and stressed out can harm their children. You must avoid packing the tank too full to maintain the parents’ composure.
Keep The Tank Clean
A dirty tank also makes the bettas uncomfortable. You should regularly clean the tank and replace the water every week to prevent this. Make sure the water is always pure and that the filters are operating properly.
Maintain The pH level
The tank water’s pH level needs to be closely monitored and maintained between 6.5 and 8. This is because the pH value out of this range will make the Betta uncomfortable, which could trigger them to devour their young. Therefore, the pH must be preserved.
Maintain The Levels Of Ammonia And Nitrates
The increase in the levels of ammonia and nitrates results in making the betta more stressful and aggressive. And because of this, the betta might devour its babies. So the correct levels for ammonia and nitrates should be maintained at 0 ppm and <20 ppm, respectively. Since the amount of wastage increases the levels of ammonia and nitrates levels, it should be filtered out or gathered outside the tank.
Do Betta Fish Eat Other Fish?
The betta fish will try to eat other fish which are smaller enough. Since the betta has a smaller mouth, only the baby fish and nano fish are in danger of being eaten.
Some Of The Fishes That A Betta Will Try To Eat
Here are some fishes betta might eat:
Chili Rasbora
Some of the tiniest aquarium fish you may possess are chili rasboras. These micro fish can be found in the Indonesian blackwater marshes of Borneo. You might believe these fishes would make the best betta fish tank companions because they thrive in warm, tropical climates and soft, acidic environments.
However, the little fish are extremely thin and attract a betta to eat them. They can outrun an adult betta fish because its lengthy fins will slow it down. However, a hungry betta fish may consume a few of these species.
Common Guppy
Guppies are little fish that fit in practically any community aquarium. They usually keep to themselves because they are such calm animals. Sadly, betta fish frequently have other ambitions. Other fish with long, sweeping fins and vibrant colors tend to arouse aggressiveness more frequently in a betta’s tank than any other species. Both of these characteristics apply to male guppies.
If your tank isn’t large enough, a betta fish will chase a guppy nonstop. It is because the betta fish regards it as a competing male betta. Even worse, if cornered, it might bite a guppy.
Even male adult guppies are too big for betta fish to devour. But young guppy fish are a different matter. Because guppies may produce hundreds of live young at once, these are sometimes referred to as “million fish.”
Adult betta fish prefer eating baby fish above other types of prey. To save some of them, ensure your tank has enough hiding places. In this manner, some of the baby guppies will live to become adults.
Female Bettas
Female bettas are a unique kind of tank companion. After all, a male betta won’t intentionally eat a possible mate. All animals must identify their breed and kind. Because male bettas are bigger and more aggressive than female bettas, this situation is problematic. If the female betta is not ready to mate, the attempts of the male betta to court her will be stressful.
In the wild, the female betta would just float away from the male’s domain. But she can’t avoid his gaze in an aquarium. If the male betta feels ignored, it may become angry and bite or try to drive her away. She will fall victim to the attacks, and your male betta fish might devour the body.
If you want to keep both sexes, don’t put only one female betta fish in the male betta tank. Include two or three females. In this manner, each female betta will receive some of the male’s attention.
Since female betta fish don’t fight as male betta fish do, groups of them can coexist in harmony. If you don’t want any male bettas, you can even form a female-only betta sorority.
FAQ
How Many Newborn Bettas Survive?
Since 90% of Betta Fries survive, it’s unusual for them to die in your tank. Having said that, if you’re struggling to maintain your Bettas alive, you must be doing something incorrectly. Therefore, you should investigate further for potential solutions.
How Many Babies Do Betta Fish Have?
Betta fish are considered completely grown at about 7 months of age. However, they can grow larger depending on their surroundings and care. Bettas acquired from a pet store are usually between 6 months and 1 year old.
Conclusion
You may now have a better understanding of why your betta is eating the babies by reading this article. Even if this doesn’t happen very often, one should always be ready. The preventive steps are, fortunately, fairly simple for everyone to implement. The secret is to always maintain the Parent Betta’s and everyone else’s tankmates’ happiness and calmness.
Aggression brought on by stress results in violence in the tank. So long as you remember the advice in this article, you’ll be good to go, and this won’t be a problem for you. So may your Baby Betta live a long life and remain unharmed by its parents and other tank mates.
