Betta channoides

A reverse trio (2M 1F) was set up in a two foot tank. Temperature 24-25 degrees Celcius, pH 6.8. A very small internal power filter is positioned in one corner. For shelter and to offer a suitable spawning site 2 large and 5 small terracotta pots are placed in the tank. Plant are Java fern and Bolbitis, and a very thin layer of gravel covers the floor of the tank partially.

This tank also houses around 30 to 40 2cm long guppy (Poecilia reticulata) fry.

Spawning first observed about midnight 30 July 2005. At the time temperature was 25 degrees. The alpha male and the female were in the left large terracotta pot.

By 12:35am 31 July 2005 6+ spawning embraces were observed but no eggs produced.

12:37am male does a yawning display, as if trying to show the female how big his mouth/pouch is to carry many eggs.

Prior to this at about 12:30am the alpha male chased the other male that came close to the terracotta pots entrance.

The pair hover within the pot. As they hover side bu side sometimes their bodies touch. Female has intense colours fins similar colouring to the male. The body is barred.

The males colours are also very intense and dark. The embrace is initiated by the female.

At 12:40am the male leaves the pot. He swims around the tank, as if investigating his territory. At this stage the second male is behind a pot so he is not sighted. After a stroll the male returnes to the pot to find the female where he left and keen to continue.

At 12:45am female initiates another embrace which lasts for about 4 seconds. No eggs.

12:46am another embrace. This time a bit shorter in duration. The male breaks the embrace.

The other male is now behind the pot the couple is embracing. He is very close to the outside wall of the pot.

12:49am female initiates another embrace. The male breaks it off after 2 seconds.

12:50am another embrace. This time as they start the embrace they wind themselves up to the 'roof' of the pot. Hang there in the embrace a moment and then slowly start sinking to the bottom. After they break this embrace, the female appears to be looking for eggs. No eggs were produced. The male puffs his mouth!

12:57am this time male initiates the embrace, though it is short lived.

12:58 female initiated embrace.

1:02am embrace

1:07am two rapid embraces one after another.

8 embraces were observed at 1:17am, 1:20am, 1:23am, 1:26am, 1:29am, 1:32am, 1:33am, 1:36am. Every time male seems to break the embrace. I start to think he does not know what he needs to do!

1:38am another embrace. After which female & male appear to be looking for eggs.

4 embraces at 1:39am, 1:43am, 1:44am and 1:48am.

This observer gets really tired and decides to go to bed! I leave the lights on hoping by morning there will be eggs.

At 9:18 in the morning the pair is still in the same pot, with intense colouring. There seems to be no eggs as the males mouth and gill area do not look extended. Observer reluctantly leaves to attend other matters.

12:08pm 31 July 2005, the female is still barred and she is in the pot with the male.

12:09pm an embrace is observed. No eggs seen.

12:13pm two embraces in succesion. The female has one (or more, but only one visible) egg in her mouth. She spits it out but before male can get to it she catches it again. She does this a number of times. Each time the male makes an attempt to catch the egg, but she does not let him.

She is teasing!!!

Egg is white in colour and quite large.

12:20pm embrace

12:21pm she is still spitting and catching the same egg! Observer goes for a walk. Don't know the male but I am getting very frustrated. Are they ever going to spawn properly and produce some eggs?

1:15pm male is out of the cave. He is still very colourful. 1:56pm they are in the pot again.

1:57pm embrace observed. It lasted for over 7 seconds, though no eggs observed.

2:49pm still in the pot. The tank is 24 degrees.

The female is observed spitting and catching an egg.

2:51pm embrace observed.

Had to reluctantly leave.

6:42pm they are still going!!! An embrace is observed and finally male was seen grabbing an egg! PARTY TIME ;o)

6:45pm embrace. During this embrace the spawning sequence photos seen on this page were taken. 12+ eggs were observed.

6:51pm embrace & egg tossing observed.

7:02pm egg tossing

7:25pm spawning still continuing. Egg tossing.

7:43pm egg tossing.

8:10pm other male was seen sparring with the male who now has mouthful off eggs. Although this is interesting to observe, I do not wish the male to loose the eggs as a consequence of this fight. The other male is caught and put into a guppy breeding tank. It seems they started fighting after the spawning finished or spawning finished as a consequence of this fight. Either way, male with the mouthfull of eggs is not looking for the female.

Although I thought about it, I decided to leave the female and the guppies in the tank. The other male is also in the tank in a clear plastic guppy breeding trap.

Male continues to incubate the eggs. He keeps moving around the tank. Sometimes he is in the terracotta pot caves, sometimes he is resting under broad leaves of java fern. He seems to prefer to have a roof over his head when incubating.

Obviously he was not observed eating.

DAY 5-6, 5th August 2005 at almost midnight the brooding male was removed and safely relocated in his own tank.