So you want to have a go at breeding your betta splendens and aren't quite sure how to go about it? It's actually fairly straight forward and simple providing you do a little planning in advance.

Before I go into that however, I'd like to point out that there are as many differing ideas on how to breed your fish as there are hobbyists. This particular guide is intended to be a very basic introduction to breeding for those just starting out and is based on a very simple method that works for me.

The first thing you are going to need are your fish obviously. Make sure they are both healthy, active and well conditioned. Conditioning is important for egg production in the female, but just as important for the male who needs to be in top shape for spawning and his stint at tending the nest and fry - especially when you consider some males will refuse to eat during that stage. When we talk about conditioning we simply mean feeding them up (I do 3 feeds per day) on high protein foods such as frozen blood worms or live foods like mosquito larvae or blackworms. Usually I would do this for about 10 - 14 days.

The next thing you need to think about is your spawning tank. Size can vary, but personally I don't like to spawn in anything under 20L. My personal preference is to spawn in a much larger tank that will double as a grow out and avoid the need to transfer the fry at a later date. Bare bottomed glass tanks, acrylic tanks or even the plastic storage containers all work. In any case, regardless of which tank size or type you choose, place approx 3 inches of aged dechlorinated water in the bottom, add some Java Moss or other low light requiring live plant, a heater (I set to 30C - I find a degree or two higher than what they are normally kept at helps to trigger spawning) and either half a styrofoam cup, a piece of bubblewrap, an Indian Almond Leaf or floating plastic (whichever you prefer) to provide a nesting site for your male. It's also a good idea to make sure you keep the nest site away from the heater to prevent falling fry from landing on it. Keeping the tank covered with either lids or glad/plastic wrap is a good way to ensure the air above the water remains warm, moist and approximately the same temperature as the water in the tank. This helps with maintaining the bubble nest (*hint if using plastic wrap try using a Styrofoam cup for the nest site as it will help protect the nest from condensation) and also with the development of the labyrinth in the fry.

You are now ready to add your male, remembering to float him in a cup or something before releasing him so he can acclimatize to the new temperature. I like to leave the male in the new tank for at least a couple of days to allow him to establish a territory and build a bubblenest.

Floating your female in the spawning tank is your next step. For this you can use a chimney (most popular being a coke bottle with the bottom cut off), a jar, a breeding net, or as I prefer a large disposable clear plastic cup. Betta splendens are very aggressive towards their own species, and will fight unless both male and female are ready to spawn. There are a few things you can look out for that can help you to determine when that may be and it is safe to release the female. In the female, signs that she may be ready to spawn are vertical stripes (not normally seen on light bodied fish unfortunately), a subservient 'head down, tail up' posture. The male will usually alternate between tending his nest and trying to lure the female under it. He will swim towards her, flaring and posturing with a shimmying type motion and try to entice her to follow him back to the nest. I would release the female at this point, and if you have used a cup it is likely the female will simply jump in the tank on her own.