You might be wondering how your beta fish reproduces. Well, the female betta can easily lay eggs every two weeks through an opening called the ‘egg hole.’ Interestingly, with or without the help of a male betta fish, your betta can still lay eggs.
Betta fish lay eggs after mating. The eggs come from a place on the fish called an egg spot. The female betta lays between 30 to 40 eggs at a time. The eggs look like a grain of salt. Betta eggs are dropped by females. The males catch them in their mouths and put them into a bubble nests.
If you intend to expand your aquarium, and you want your female bettas in the right condition for this, then read on. Or if you are worried about what would happen to the unfertilized eggs in your tank, then you are in luck. Keep reading for more info.
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Can Betta Fish Lay Eggs?
The female betta fish can lay eggs with the help of their male betta counterparts. Naturally, the female would love it if you placed them in the same aquarium as your other female Betta. But, if you need your female betta to give you some betta babies, then you would need them together.
The female Betta fish lays its eggs via an opening called an “egg spot.” Once the eggs are laid, the male will fertilize them and then create a bubble home for them to thrive in.
Also, you should realize that the betta babies are often called a ‘fry.’
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If you own an aquarium with no male bettas, you could also have some little betta eggs. Your female betta doesn’t need the male to lay eggs as they hardly live in the same aquarium. But, if you hardly notice any eggs, then your fish might be eating up their eggs.
So, yes! Your betta fish can lay eggs, but the real question is if you are noticing them.
Betta Fish Eggs
A betta fish egg is a small, white ball about one millimeter in diameter. They are not completely round; they are oval and irregular in shape, too.
The mouthbrooder Betta fish’s eggs are much larger, measuring roughly 2 and 3 mm, and they take longer to hatch. The eggs turn yellow as they develop.
How Many Eggs do Betta Fish Lay?
Your Bettas can lay bout 30 – 40 eggs during each spawn. If you’re in luck, some of your bettas can lay up to 500 eggs at once. Well, I am guessing that you might find that hard to believe, as you hardly see that many fries in your aquarium after every fertilization period.
As I mentioned earlier, female betta does eat up some of their eggs after having them laid. You might experience this if you didn’t provide a male for them. The male betta must release a substance called a ‘milt,’ which helps to fertilize the laid eggs.
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So, the eggs you have left in your aquarium might simply be leftovers, and you shouldn’t use that to gauge the number of eggs your betta lays at a time. Your betta might have just eaten up a large number of the eggs.
Since you would probably place your male and female bettas in different tanks, you might also want some information on when your bettas are ready to mate.
How To Tell If Betta Eggs Are Fertilized
- Fertilized eggs get bigger each day
- They have a gray spot in the middle, which indicates fertilization.
- Baby Bettas pop out of fertilized eggs
- Unfertilized eggs are white
- Unfertilized eggs will not grow
- Baby Bettas are called fry
How Many Babies Do Betta Fish Have
Betta fish typically lay 40 to 50 eggs each. It varies greatly from fish to fish. Some Betta fish can lay up to 500 eggs, according to experienced breeders.
When the female is done laying eggs, males release “milt”. Eggs can then be fertilized externally.
There are a lot of factors that determine how many eggs survive.
- Eggs are not properly cared for by male
- The eggs become rotten and catch fungus
- Babies can become trapped in fungus and die
- Bubbles’ nest dissolves and the eggs fall
- Male and female might eat the eggs
Do Male Betta Fish Lay Eggs
The female lays the eggs, and the male fertilizes them. The male will create a bubble nest for the eggs. It takes 3 days for the eggs to hatch. The male betta fish watches and remains under the bubble nest as the eggs hatch.
How do I Know When my Male Betta is Ready to Mate?
When your male betta is ready to breed, he will indicate this by creating bubble nests for your prospective fry. You will notice the bubble nests floating at the top of your tank or aquarium. The bubble nest would appear like a cluster of regular small bubbles in the fish house.
With the bubble nests made, your male betta fish would often stay under the bubble nest in anticipation. So, once your male betta starts acting this way, I would say your betta is in the mood to fertilize some eggs.
You can either bring the female betta in at this point or let it move in with your female betta.
How do I Know When my Female Betta is Ready to Mate?
In the case of your female betta, her colors would tell if she is ready for the mating process. Your female betta is normally characterized by her dull colors, while your male betta is more elaborate.
If you notice that the already dull color of your female betta has begun taking a darker tone, that’s your cue.
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She would also begin displaying a barring pattern that is peculiar to her. You should see this as a vertical stripe that shows along her mid-area. If you see her egg hole more evidently during this period, then your female is ready for the mating process as well.
How Many Times Can a Betta Fish Lay Eggs?
If your betta just laid a set of eggs, you might be concerned about when next you would get another set. The good news, your betta can lay eggs every couple of weeks. You might not know it, but your bettas are highly productive beings.
Still, things might not go just as I laid out. If you have a worn-out betta, it might take her a bit longer to fill up your aquarium with more baby bettas. Your male betta also needs to be strong enough to fertilize the eggs.
Can Female Betta Fish Lay Eggs Without A Male
Yes, they can. Because they haven’t been fertilized by a male fish, the eggs will not hatch into baby fish. Female fish continuously produce eggs, and they resorb the eggs instead of wasting them if they are not fertilized.
What is the Best age you can Breed a Betta fish?
If you intend to spread out your aquarium with more baby bettas, then the age at which you start breeding matters. I would suggest that you get your betta fish while they are still within the age range of 4–12 months.
At this age, your betta fish is possibly at their breeding peak. I do not mean that your older pair is incapable of producing eggs. But, if you are new to breeding betta, you would have a better chance if you got younger pairs.
Tips on Breeding a Betta Fish
You might get yourself a tank and other necessary equipment needed to breed a betta. You might also think you have the perfect pair, but that isn’t enough.
Before and during your breeding process, there are things you should consider:
- Get your betta from a reputable breeder. You might think it is easier to purchase one from a pet shop, but a breeder would over you better information. You can easily gain access to the betta’s biological history.
- You should place your bettas separately, depending on their genders.
- I would advise you waited for the bubble nests to appear before you introduced your female for breeding.
- If you notice that your male betta fish is becoming excessively violent, then you should take out the female betta.
- During their fertilization process, you should cover the tank with a plastic wrap. The heat that the wrap produces aids the hatching of your new baby bettas.
- Once your fry is hatched, leave them with your male bettas for the next 24-32 hours. Your male betta would take better care of your fry.
- You should also place your breeding tank away from distractions. Your bettas would appreciate some privacy.
- You could introduce almond leaf into your breeding tank. Your bettas would feel a lot more comfortable with that.
- Your female betta may not need the almond leaf, but your male would need it since his tank is bigger.
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Conclusion
So, Can a better fish lay eggs? Well, your female betta fish can lays eggs in their numbers. Still, they might not all be able to fertilize their eggs if there is no male counterpart for this job.
However, even in a case where there is a male betta fish, it still depends on whether they are ready to mate. In all, your betta fish can reproduce and supply you with extra betta babies or fry.
