Peaceful betta
(Betta imbellis)

Betta spawning is fairly easy to trigger. The growth of the fry is more delicate but remains accessible to passionate amateurs.

In case you don't especially want to keep all the fry, leave them in the main aquarium with the other fish. You will occasionally have a few young survivors if the aquarium is mature and densely planted. If, on the other hand, you want to keep as many young fish as possible, you can take them out of the main aquarium and put them in a breeding aquarium (without contact with the air). Another alternative is to have your fish laid in a breeding aquarium and remove them after hatching. To do this, prepare an aquarium as follows:
- no current
- fresh and acidic water
- many plants: will be used for the visual isolation of the couple
- surface plants: they will be used as supports for the bubble nest.

Choose a nice male and female. After a period of adaptation, the male ready to reproduce will build a nest of bubbles. Once this one is finished, the courtship ritual begins. The male will then show his beautiful colours to the female, swim at full speed to show his vitality and "dance" frantically around her.

Once things are over, the couple will position themselves under the nest to mate. The eggs are released in the open water during spawning, and the eggs will fall gently onto the substrate. The male will collect his eggs and place them in his bubble nest. It then becomes white and opaque, a sign that it contains an oviposition. The male usually takes care of the eggs alone by ventilating them, but exceptions occur depending on the character of the fish. Indeed, either the female is chased away immediately after mating (if the male is too violent with her, do not hesitate to remove her from the aquarium to preserve her), or she is accepted by the male to help him in his task.

After hatching, remove the parents. The newly born fry are very small, measuring only a few millimetres. You will find them swimming just below the surface of the water.

You will have to feed the Betta fry several times a day, in small quantities. You can give them chopped tubifex, daphnia, microworm or a little bit of artemia nauplia (be careful because they are salty and can cause digestion problems. To be used as a supplement, not as a basic diet). When youngsters are 5 or 6 months old, they can switch to the same diet as adults.

The formation of the Labyrinth (secondary breathing organ) is a critical time in the growth of all Osphronemidae, and the first breath of this type can be fatal. To limit mortality, close the rearing aquarium tightly and cover it well. This will prevent draughts and allow the ambient air to approach the water temperature, as it is ultimately the temperature difference that is dangerous for the young fish. After this critical moment, your fish are saved and you have just successfully reproduced!