For people who love to have aquariums, Betta fish are a great choice as pets. Its beautiful colorful fins look both delicate and mesmerizing. But those who have already reared Betta fish will always give you advice which is more of a warning: never keep a male Betta fish with another male or female Betta fish. This makes an interesting question pop up in our mind: how do they breed if two Bettas can’t even stay with each other? Let’s find out in this OneHowTo article, how do Betta fish mate.
Why Betta always fight with each other?
Betta fish are also known as Siamese fighting fish. As the name suggests, Betta fish are highly territorial and can’t tolerate the smell of another Betta in their vicinity. If two male Betta fishes are kept together then they will fight with each other till one of them is dead. If two female Betta fishes are kept together then they will fight till one of them becomes dominant over the other. They will not kill each other but might severely hurt each other in the process. If a male Betta fish is kept with a female then he will chase her out of his territory or till she finds a place to hide.
When Betta fish is ready to mate
Since Betta fish like to be alone, you must keep an eye on them to know when they are ready to mate. When the female is ready, vertical stripes start to appear on her body. When the male is ready he will start building a bubble nest.
If you want to breed Betta fish at home then keep the male and female Betta fish in separate tanks kept beside each other. This will help them to see each other and prepare for mating. When they are ready to mate, transfer the female Betta into the tank of the male Betta.
Mating of Betta fish
At the times of mating when the male sense the presence of female, he will lead her to the bubble nest. Then the male will wrap his body around the female and squeeze her body. This will release the eggs from her body. After all the eggs are released the female escapes or is chased away by the male. Then he will herd the eggs toward the bubble nest and take care of it till the eggs hatch.
When the fry are ready to take care of their own, the male Betta leaves them. The fry can be kept together when they are young but as soon as they start fighting with each other, they must be transferred into separate tanks.
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