1.Remove the divider. Once your male is ready to breed, he will build a large bubble nest. When this happens, turn off the filter and release the female into the tank, but be sure to keep an eye on the pair. The male will probably bully her some, nipping at fins and chasing her around. This is ok as long as neither fish's life is in danger. This courtship may last several hours or even days. Be sure there are plenty of hiding places for the female to escape the bullying, and check on the pair regularly to prevent serious injuries.2 Let nature take its course. The male will finally get the female under his bubble nest and they will embrace. It may take a few embraces to produce eggs. Then the female will go into a 'zombie-like' state while the white eggs fall to the ground from her little white ovipositor. The male will swim down and scoop them up, putting them one by one into the nest. Some females will help with this once they recover, but others will eat the eggs, so watch carefully and remove her if she is eating them. They may embrace many more times, but eventually the female will stop releasing eggs.
3. Remove the female betta. Once the female is done releasing eggs, the male will bully her again, and she will hide. Gently scoop her out and put her into her own tank. Treat her tank with Maroxy to help her fins heal. It is a good idea to treat the breeding tank with Maroxy too, to prevent fungus from killing the eggs.
4. Leave the male in the tank until the fry can swim around . This will be about three days after hatching. Some breeders will not feed the male at all during this time. This is supposed to reduce the risk of the male eating the eggs and fry. Other breeders will feed him a small amount of food every second day. If you choose to feed him, do not be alarmed if he does not eat right away, but continue to offer the food, and gently remove uneaten food with a turkey baster. Keep the filter off to prevent any current from disturbing the fry, but keep the tank light on day and night.
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