Friends are sourcing some new females for me (possibly among other things ;)), so I need to have the environment ready for their arrival. The problem with Betta breeding is the small(ish) window we have.
Betta are sold around the 5 or 6 month mark. They are good for the spawning tank up to around 18 months. Breeding during winter is a hit and miss proposition, leaving 1...maybe 2...shots at getting something in the spawn tank, and so, doing everything we can to get a successful spawn is paramount.
All girls came out of the spawn tanks on Sunday night and into their sorority environment. Some fighting followed, but a hierarchy was quickly established and they all seem to be doing well now. Damaged fins are already beginning to repair.
The boys went back into the barracks except for William, who is showing signs of some fin rot I'd not noticed before. He'd been looking a little ragged since his five week stint as daddy to his first spawn. I thought he needed some sun to straighten out his rays, but it seems it may be a little more than that. So, into a quarantine (QT) tank he goes with elevated levels of IAL, and aquarium salt, and prescribed levels of Kanamycin with 50% water change every second day. This will continue at least until this weekend.
As for prep work for spawning - I will be looking to use a couple of old non-heated or filtered Betta bowls as introductory bays. They were are first purchase some months ago in an effort to get a couple of VT's into bigger accommodations but then learned they needed to be heated. As I now heat the room, they will work as homes for the intended male and female on a short term basis. They will be positioned next to each other to allow the pair to get used to each other before closer introductions in the spawning tank.
As for something new...my family gifted me, for Father's Day, this set of license plates for my car:
Very happy :)
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