Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Status of Pairing
Male and female bettas are sharing a 10 gallon (40 L) tank ..and are in no hurry to mate. This blogger not being a more involved breeder of Betta Splendans (ie. a forced match of a specific pair), beyond a casual mating option has no hurry.
Behavior: the male has pursued the female - who is not wholly ready - though large enugh for egg-bearing -almost his size. She evades and alternately swims and hides about the tank. He occasionally nudges her when she is along-side as if pushing or readying his embrace of her - but does not attack her.
He has built no bubble nest .but has favored a grouping of surface plants and green begonia leaves in the tank's almost stilled surface corner away from the filter -an easy bubble store when he is motivated.
Both are being fed freeze-dried bloodworms a few (a portion of two or three per fish twice a day). When necessary -most days - the female is separately finger fed (placed atop the water by head) the worms to make sure that she eats minimally. She would otherwise share a feeding ring with the worms with the male.
Her evasion is classic and so is her socializing - sometimes the male searches for her and cannot discern her motionless on the otherside of aplant leaf. As she is receiving no bites nor attacks nor harm other than pursuit in free chase and swimming .. she will stay in the large full tank with the male betta. One assumes that the association shall induce her egg production and his nest-building.
The male occasionally flares his gills and fins as if bulling - not bullying her - as he might toward his own reflection or an onset of another male.
The male betta - more 'free roaming' - also folows the shrimp and catfish along the bottom to see as if to share whatever they are eating - but does not consume.
The side by side evasion of the male by the female is almost ludicrous at times .. but effective for her and rests her.
Their tank is shared by the aforementioned Corydoras Aeneus albino catfish for bottom cleaning; and joined, yesterday, by two 'Ghost Shrimp' as freshwater scavengers. Their tank mate -the Otocinculus catfish was removed; as he proved female with signs of eggs and roe (a crimson Cupid lipped ovipositor) and was returned to another tank with two males.
Behavior: the male has pursued the female - who is not wholly ready - though large enugh for egg-bearing -almost his size. She evades and alternately swims and hides about the tank. He occasionally nudges her when she is along-side as if pushing or readying his embrace of her - but does not attack her.
He has built no bubble nest .but has favored a grouping of surface plants and green begonia leaves in the tank's almost stilled surface corner away from the filter -an easy bubble store when he is motivated.
Both are being fed freeze-dried bloodworms a few (a portion of two or three per fish twice a day). When necessary -most days - the female is separately finger fed (placed atop the water by head) the worms to make sure that she eats minimally. She would otherwise share a feeding ring with the worms with the male.
Her evasion is classic and so is her socializing - sometimes the male searches for her and cannot discern her motionless on the otherside of aplant leaf. As she is receiving no bites nor attacks nor harm other than pursuit in free chase and swimming .. she will stay in the large full tank with the male betta. One assumes that the association shall induce her egg production and his nest-building.
The male occasionally flares his gills and fins as if bulling - not bullying her - as he might toward his own reflection or an onset of another male.
The male betta - more 'free roaming' - also folows the shrimp and catfish along the bottom to see as if to share whatever they are eating - but does not consume.
The side by side evasion of the male by the female is almost ludicrous at times .. but effective for her and rests her.
Their tank is shared by the aforementioned Corydoras Aeneus albino catfish for bottom cleaning; and joined, yesterday, by two 'Ghost Shrimp' as freshwater scavengers. Their tank mate -the Otocinculus catfish was removed; as he proved female with signs of eggs and roe (a crimson Cupid lipped ovipositor) and was returned to another tank with two males.
// posted by scotty of course @ 11:23 AM 
