Emerald betta
(Betta smaragdina)

The reproduction of Betta smaragdina can be done with a good preparation. Spawning is fairly easy to obtain. It is more the breeding of the young that can be a problem.

If you don't particularly want to breed, let nature do it and let the breeding take place in your main aquarium. Note that if your aquarium is mature and well planted, some young will survive because they hide and eat microfauna. If, on the contrary, you want to keep as many fry as possible, you can either delicately remove them (without taking them out of the water) from the main aquarium to place them in a breeding aquarium, or prepare a breeding aquarium adapted to the species:
- 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.

Introduce your breeding Betta in this aquarium. After a more or less long adaptation period, the male will make a nest of bubbles among the surface plants. Once finished, he will move on to the love parade. This consists of showing off his beautiful colours, swimming very quickly to see how lively he is and "dancing" by wriggling his fins.

If all goes well, the male and female will position themselves under the nest to mate. During spawning, the eggs are released in the open water. The eggs sink and settle to the ground. The male will then retrieve the eggs one by one and place them in the bubble nest. He will also start to monitor and ventilate them from that moment on. For the female, there are two possibilities: either the male accepts his help, or he will chase her away sometimes violently. If you find the male too aggressive, remove the female to preserve her.

Once the eggs are placed in the bubble nest, it becomes opaque and white. At birth, the fry are very small (a few millimetres) and swim below the surface.

The young Betta's meals will be distributed several times a day in small quantities. Feeding the fry:
- tubifex
- daphnia
- microvers
- artemia nauplia (beware of the latter as they are salty and can cause digestion problems. Distribute with caution)

After the first 5 or 6 months, the young fish will be able to adopt the same diet as their parents.

As with all Osphronemidae, the critical moment in the growth of the Smaragdina is the formation of their labyrinth, the secondary breathing organ. To limit losses due to this critical moment, cover their aquarium well and close it as tightly as possible from the start. This will limit draughts and the temperature of the ambient air will approach that of the water. Once this is done, and without major maintenance, the youngsters are saved. Well done!