Acclimate your new Arrivals
Most of you have bought fish at the local fish store (LFS) and had some helpful employee remind you to float the bag for half an hour when you get home. There are some people that come out of the sauna and jump into an icy lake. And there are some that die from the shock to their system. Nothing makes more of an impression than when you mess up and you lose one of your precious lovelies! Some breeders keep their fish in RO water, some do not. Even if the breeder raised the fish in the local water supply, you should know that the local water supply in your location is more than likely a lot different from the local water supply where the shipment came from.Fish that have been netted, stuffed in a little bag, packed inside a dark box and not fed for a few days have suffered a lot of stress. Do your best to not add to a bad situation. Your water will be a different temperature, hardness, pH, etc.Prepare the water you will need 24 hours before the shipment arrives. Add all the things you normally use for a water change, a pinch of salt, a drop of aquasol, etc. When they arrive, unpack them carefully. Transfer your new prize and the water that came with it into a small clean empty container. Do this over an aquarium or a bucket of water, not over the toilet or garbage disposal. Accidents happen. I don't want to drop my new prize on the floor and I prefer not to hunt for them in the toilet or garbage disposal. Now is a good time to test and record the water from the shipment. If the breeder was successful with this water chemistry you might consider matching it. Remember, many shippers do not feed their fish for 24 hours before they pack and ship them. Now would be a good time to offer a small treat. It's easy to add more, it hard to take the excess out.Now, add your water. No mater how much water came in the shipment, add less than half of the amount that is in the jar. Pour it in slowly and let it slide down the side of the jar (like beer in a cold mug). Try not to disturb your prize. Wait at least an hour before you do it again, and again. When the little jar is full, carefully transfer the contents to the final destination and continue adding water every hour until you finally have the desired level in the desired container.Remember that stress relates to a chink in the body's armor, so pre-meds are a good idea, and a close daily exam is the rule.

Betta Splendens“That’s a Fighting Fish” any youngster can tell you. Bettas are the most colorful and well-known tropical fish in the World. Everyone recognizes the colorful Betta. You will run out of fingers and toes before you can count all the different colors and different types of fins currently available. The females have short fins and are a peaceful fish. A small collection of three to six will can provide a lot of color in a community tank. They get along fine with other peaceful fish like Tetras or Livebearers. They do not bother live plants and will even keep the snail population down. (They eat small snails) A single male is an especially flashy addition to most small tanks. They are peace loving and generally hover near the surface waiting for some insect that wants to become a Betta snack. Beware, this makes them a target for any tank bully who will sneak up from behind and nip the Bettas colorful fins. Bettas originate in Southeast Asia. Wild Bettas called Plakats live in shallow water. They have an organ similar to our lungs that allow them to breath air. Because he has lungs, no expensive pump and air stone or filter system is necessary. Male bettas are territorial. Like many wild animals the male will fight to keep other males out of his territory. In the wild, the looser will swim away but in captivity, when two males are placed in a small container, the looser cannot run away and hide so the fight usualy ends in the death. Males will also chase off females unless they are ready to spawn and make baby bettas.The perfect home for the adult male Betta is a clear container holding between one and three gallons of water. Although they prefer 80 to 84 degree temperatures, they do quite well at room temperature and no heater is required. Most Bettas enjoy a small potted or floating plant. Color accessories add a lot to a fish display, but you will find it easier to change the water if you put the decorations on the outside. I’m sure you’ve all seen a Betta in a flower vase. It looks great. But Bettas breathe air and they must have room at the surface to get it. If the surface is covered with plant roots and there is no place to get air, they will die. Some people believe that the Betta can exist by eating plant roots, but Bettas are Carnivores and hunt bugs not plant roots and if you don’t feed them, they will die. Bettas like live food like mosquito larva, snails, brine shrimp, daphnia and small worms. Most pet stores carry frozen food and freeze dried food as well as high protein pellets for bettas. Be careful not to feed your betta more than he can eat in 5 minutes. Excess food and fish poop will sink to the bottom and decompose in the water, poluting it and makeing the water turn cloudy. Without a filter system you will have to change the water in his home once a week, or sooner if it starts to get green or cloudy. Just remember to use de-chlorinated water, even though they have lungs and breath air, the chemicals we put in our drinking water can kill Bettas. If you don’t have a Betta, try one or two or three. They are addictive. They all have personality and no two are the same. Some will eat out of your fingers, some will bite your fingers and some will not go near your fingers. Enjoy!If you would like more information on keeping and breeding Bettas, contact the Houston Area Betta Breeders by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.

OVERVIEW
I use a 5 or 10 gallon Aquarium for a spawning tank. I fill the aquarium to 4 inches with aged de-chlorinated water.(see water quality) And add fungus stop to protect the eggsForeplay for Bettas includes chasing, and nipping, running and hiding. I use a fist full of Java moss for a hiding place, it gives the pursued a place to hide from the pursuer. It also provides some infusoria for the fry to eat.The Male Betta has been well fed for the last 2 weeks, he has been blowing bubbles and flaring his fins.I keep my fishroom at 82 deg, You will need to use a heater – after the bettas are in the tank, slowly raise the temperature to 80-82 deg F and verify with a thermometer I use 1/3 of a Styrofoam coffee cup as a nest protector. This provides a protected place for the male to build a bubble nest. (see bubble nests)After the pair spawn & I can see the eggs in the nest, I remove the female because the male may attack her to protect his nest / fry After the fry can swim back to the nest on their own, I remove the male,Add a small sponge filter set at minimum flow to keep the water clean, Cover the spawn tank to keep the humidity in and the drafts out. During the first week I add microscopic food (green water, infusorians, microworms)and a few daphnia to make babies for the baby bettas to eat.After 10 days I feed the baby bettas fresh hatched baby brine shrimp twice a day.GATHER SUPPLIES BEFORE YOU STARTBefore you spawn Bettas, you need the following supplies on hand:A Spawning Tank – any watertight container with 6” or higher walls, anything from 2 to 15 gallons (a dark bottom is preferred because the eggs show up better)A cover - The babies develop their labyrinth (lung) during the first weeks and require warm humid air at the surface. A draft across the top of the spawning tank can cause pneumonia and kill them. Glass,Plexiglas or even plastic wrap can be used to cover the top of the tank.A heater, lamp or heat pad - Bettas like 80 to 82 deg F A thermometer to monitor the tempA nest protector – A large leaf from one of your plants or 1/3 of a Styrofoam coffee cup or any similar floating object to build the nest under. (see bubble nests)A hiding place – Bettas can be aggressive when courting and after the spawn the Male is protective of the nest. Provide a bunch of plants, plastic or real for the female to hide in if the male gets too aggressive. (or vice versa)Food for your fry - I prefer a infusorians culture or micro-worms, Some breeders use Liquifry for egg layers or even the yoke of a hard boiled egg.Water conditioners & Medication - Maroxy or Methylne blueA small, short sponge filter,BETTA CONTDITIONINGSpawning drains a lot of energy from Bettas and therefore your breeders should be fat and healthy before attempting to spawn them.Isolate the Male and female (place index cards around their jars so that they cannot see other bettas) and feed them high protein food, as much and asoften as they will eat.Plan to condition them for 2 weeks but if they are in good shape and the Male starts to build a bubble nest, you can proceed to the next step.TANK SETUPClean the spawning tank, steralize with a bleach solution and rinse well. Use dechlor to remove any traces of bleach before you add fish.Fill with 4 inches of de-chlorinated water. Add water treatments, aquarium salt and Amquel+ as you would during water changes.To prevent egg fungus, add any fungus stop medication.Tape your bubble nest protector where you can watch everything.Put your heater and hiding place in the opposite corner from the nest protector.(If you do not have a submersible heater, fill a jar with water; place the heater in the jar and the jar in the spawning tank). Do not turn the heater on yet.Place your thermometer away from the nest anchor but in a position that you can readily see it.COURTINGPut your female in a jar in the center of the tankRelease the male in the tankGradually raise the temperature to 80 – 82 deg F.When they are ready, release the female.READY OR NOTTo tell if your Bettas are ready to spawn, look for the following things;The male has started to make bubble nest, He swims up to her jar and flashes his fins and retreats, inviting her to his nest.The female watches him circle her jar and sometimes positions herself in a head down (subservient) position. Her oviduct is protruding.(A short white tube below the stomach bulge). If she is dark colored, she will have vertical lines on her body.(see picture above)If they are ready, release the female but leave her jar in the tank.If not, return one or both to the conditioning area, and try again in a few weeks.SPAWNINGAfter you release the female, flaring, chasing, tail nipping and other acts of foreplay begin. This is why a hiding place is necessary. If one of the pair becomes severely damaged, remove it and provide medication. Better luck next time.24-48 - hrs the pair will spawn. The male will wrap himself around the female and squeeze. The female will release some eggs and swoon. The male will gather up the eggs and place them in the nest. When the female becomes active she will sometimes help and sometimes eat the eggs. After all the eggs have been placed in the nest, the pair will spawn again. This cycle is repeated many times until the female is out of eggs. Spawns with over 100 eggs are not uncommon. When finnished the male will begin to protect the nest and chase the female away. If you don’t see the spawn take place but the male is guarding the nest and the female is hiding, check the bottom of the nest with a flashlight and you should be able to see the eggs. Light colored bettas have light colored eggs and dark colored bettas have dark eggs. After you have confirmed the spawn remove the female . I replace the existing warm jar with a new jar of water and place the female in the jar of warm water while I medicate her wounds. The new jar does two things, it maintains the water level for the nest and it provides warm water for the male when I remove him. Now is the time to place the cover on the spawning tank to protect the developing eggs & fry. 36-48 hrs – During this time, some eggs will fall from the nest and sink to the bottom. The male will pick them up and return them to the nest. As the eggs hatch, the young fry will break free from the nest, try to swim but start to sink. Again papa will return them to the nest. Eventually, the fry will break free of the nest and start swimming. When the fry are able to make it back to the nest on their own, it is time to remove the male. The longer you wait, the greater the odds that papa will get totally frustrated trying to keep them all in the nest and eat the fry. Place the male in the jar that is in the tank to avoid temperature shock and add a little medication, just in case. After the male is removed, add a new jar of water to maintain the water level, insert a sponge filter and adjust the airflow rate to its minimum. Baby bettas do not like strong currents. The sponge filter will help to keep the water clean, provide a home for infusorians which the fry eat and keep any film from developing on the water surface which makes it hard for the baby bettas to get air. Continue to keep the tank covered to protect the fry as their lungs develop. 3 days old – The egg sack that fry are born with is gone and food is required. Add infusorians, green water, micro worms or other tiney food.1 week – Start feeding baby brine shrimp or small daphnia.Increase the water level in the tank a little each day until the tank is full.10 weeks – Larger males start nipping other siblings.Move the aggressive males to individual jars. Starting feeding adult brine shrimp, black worms or large daphnia.20 weeks – Next generation, Do it all again.

Gouami care and breeding varies slightly from species to species, but most Gourami have the same basic needs. If you are seriously considering spawning your Gourami, read the general info then check the profile for the species you are spawning to see if they have special needs (profile links are in the last section of this article) Aquarium Setup & TankmatesGouramis are relatively undemanding, and therefore are well suited to most community aquariums. Choose non-aggressive similar sized tankmates. Dwarf cichlids are suitable, as are charcins and other labyrinth fish. Because males may be rather territorial, it is wise to not keep more than one male Gourami in the same tank unless it is large enough to allow each to claim his own territory.
A fine to medium size neutral colored substrate is preferable. Optimum water temperature for most species is 74 - 79 F (24 - 26 C). The water should be neutral to slightly acidic and relatively soft. Plant the tank well with Cryptocoryne, or sturdy vegetation such as Java Fern and Vallisneria. DietGouramis will eat almost any food, however it's important to vary the diet to ensure balanced nutrition. A combination of dry as well frozen and fresh/live foods will provide a well-rounded diet. When conditioning prior to breeding fresh vegetables such as lettuce, cooked peas, and spinach, may also be offered as well as live foods such as black worms, brine shrimp, and glass worms. BreedingAll Gourami are egglayers and build bubblenests for spawning and raising their young. The water level in the breeding tank should be low - six inches is plenty. Lighting should be subdued, and the water temperature should be slowly increased for several days prior to spawning until it reaches the mid 80's. Water movement should be kept minimal so the bubblenest is not disturbed.

Description: Four tiger-like black vertical stripes on an orange-yellow body make it obvious where this member of the barb family got its common name. Red edged fins and nose add even more color to the popular Tiger Barb. In recent years, selective breeding has created several color variations that include green, black, red, and albino. Reaching an adult size of 21/2 to 3 inches, they are large enough to avoid being eaten by large fish, yet small enough to keep a school of them in a modest sized tank.
This colorful barb is frequently chosen for a community tank, unfortunately they are not an ideal choice for all aquariums. When kept singly or in groups of two three, they will terrorize almost any fish that is unfortunate enough to reside in the same tank. Yet if they are kept in groups of a half dozen or more, they will usually keep their quarrelling to themselves.
Regardless of the numbers kept, it is never advisable to keep Tigers in the same tank with docile, slow moving, or long finned fish such as Angelfish or Bettas. For a striking display, set up a species-specific tank with a half dozen of each color variation, complimented by live plants. When well cared for, Tiger Barbs have a life span of five to seven years.
Habitat/Care: Tigers tolerate a wide range of water conditions, but do best in soft, slightly acidic water. The ideal tank should have a large open area for swimming, with an abundance of live or artificial plants around the periphery of the tank. Temperature is not critical, and this fish can even be kept in an unheated tank. Provide good lighting, and a fine substrate to complete the setup.
Diet: Accepting of virtually any food, they should be given a variety of foods to maintain a healthy immune system. Include quality flake food as well as live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms and beef heart. They will quickly gobble up small aquatic invertebrates and even cooked vegetables.
Breeding: Egg-scatterers that provide no parental care, Tiger Barbs will eat their own eggs if they have the opportunity. Therefore, set up a separate breeding tank, which can double as a grow-out tank for the fry. Females have a broader more rounded belly, and are larger than the more highly colored males. To acquire a breeding pair, keep at least a half dozen and allow them to pair off. Condition the breeders with live foods, and once a pair has been established, move them to a separate breeding tank.
The breeding tank should have soft acidic water, fine-leaved plants, and a bare bottom. Some breeders use marbles for the bottom, which allow the eggs to drop safely out of the parents grasp. Keep in mind that if the bottom is bare, it is particularly critical to observe them and move the parents immediately after spawning, as they will consume the eggs. Spawning will take usually place in the morning. If the breeding pair does not spawn within a day or two, a partial water change with water that is a degree or two warmer than the tank will usually trigger spawning. The female will lay about 200 eggs transparent yellowish colored eggs, which the male will immediately fertilize. As soon as the eggs have been fertilized, the breeding pair should be removed from the tank. The eggs will hatch in approximately 36 hours, and the fry will be free swimming after five days. Feed the fry newly hatched brine shrimp until large enough to accept finely crushed flake food.

The brilliant coloration, and long flowing fins of the Betta make it one of the most well known of aquarium fish. Colors range from red to blue to white. Females are not as highly colored, and have much shorter fins. A well conditioned breeding female will often display horizontal stripes.
Habitat/Care: Bettas are one of the most recognized, most colorful, and often most controversial fish in the freshwater hobby. Debates rage about the appropriateness of keeping them in small bowls. To fully understand their needs it is important to become familiar with their native habitat.Bettas originate in the shallow waters in Thailand (formerly called Siam, hence their name), Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and parts of China. They proliferate rice paddies, shallow ponds, and even slow moving streams. Although many fish keepers are aware that Bettas come from shallow waters, what is often overlooked is the water temperature.The home countries of the Betta are tropical, which means the water temperature is quite warm, often into the 80's. Bettas thrive on heat, and will become increasingly listless when the water temperature falls below 75 degrees F. Water temperature is perhaps the biggest argument against keeping a betta in a tiny bowl (which cannot readily be heat controlled).Even though Bettas do well in waters low in dissolved oxygen, that does not mean they require less oxygen than other fish. Bettas have a special respiratory organ that allows them to breath air directly from the surface. In fact they inherently must do so. In experiments where the labyrinth organ was removed, the fish died from suffocation even though the water was saturated with oxygen. For this reason, Bettas must have access to the water surface to breath air directly from the atmosphere.Optimally the water for keeping healthy Bettas should be soft, warm, with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Water movement should be kept to a minimum, which means that power filters and powerheads are not suitable. Bettas may be kept in a community tank as long as the water conditions are met, and if no aggressive or fin-nipping fish are present. However, only one male may be kept in each aquarium, unless they are separated by a barrier. The use of plastic boxes that hang inside the aquarium are a suitable option for keeping more than one betta in a tank, or for keeping them in a tank with fish that might nip their fins. Females will generally not fight with each other, and may be kept in the same tank. NOTE: Selling a betta in a vase with a Peace Lily has become in vogue. However, a flower vase is not a suitable environment for the betta. For more information check the additional information links to the right.
Diet

In nature Bettas subsist almost exclusively on insects and insect larvae. They are built with an upturned mouth that is well suited to snatching any hapless insect that might fall into the water. Internally their digestive system is geared for meat, having a much shorter alimentary track than vegetarian fish. For this reason, live foods are the ideal diet for the betta, however they will adapt to eating flake foods and frozen and freeze dried foods.Brine shrimp, Daphnia, plankton, tubifex, glassworms, and beef heart, are all excellent options that may be found frozen or freeze dried. If flake food is fed, it should be supplemented with frozen and freeze-dried foods, and if possible live foods.

Breeding

In the world of fighting fish, it’s the father who takes care of the brood. The female will simply mate, lay eggs and swim off to resume her independent life.
The male will blow an elaborate bubble nest at the water surface when it’s ready to spawn. It secretes a mucus coating from its mouth to form a floating nest of bubbles. In the wild, the bubble nest is usually built under a floating leaf or object to prevent it from being destroyed by water currents or wind.
The Breeding Process
Introduce the male (usually more colorful, and with long flowing fins) into the spawning tank. Make sure the tank is devoid of any currents to prevent the bubble nest form being destroyed. Then put the female (usually more drab-looking with shorter fins) in a jar, and suspend the jar within the tank.
Upon seeing the female, the male may start building a nest and returning intermittently to display itself to the female, while the female will darken and display vertical bars on its body if it is ready to mate.
Once the nest is build (usually in a day), release the female into the tank. An initial round of chasing will ensure. As the male tends to be rather aggressive during this stage, it is a good idea to put plants such as java moss in the tank to provide hiding places for the female.
During mating, the male wraps itself over the female, while the female releases eggs to be fertilized by the male. The male will then pick up the eggs and place them into the bubble nest. This process will be repeated until the female has expelled all her eggs.
What’s Next After Mating?
Remove the female once mating has ceased, otherwise the male may harass it to death. Leave the male to tend to the eggs. It will take 36 to 48 hours for the eggs to hatch.
The hatching will cling onto the bubble nest. In a few days’ time, they will start to swim freely and look for food such as micro-organisms or newly hatched brine shrimp. Remove the male lest it starts eating up the hatchlings

DESCRIPTION
The betta splendens(siamese fighting fish) is a graceful and beautiful fish.It is sometimes called the "egg laying mammal".It is very social and will fight to death because of teritory and mate.The fighting fish can be found in many colurs and types.Look at the chart below.


Long-tail(veiled)-------leon(Japan),malaysian,thailand and amazon.This are used for breeding(red ones only) and show off
Short-tail----------------turkey(brazil),malaysian,thailand and indonesion(this is the rarest of all fishes which is totally in white)used for fighting.