Betta livida : … excessive reproduction.

The pair broke the norms of 20-70 eggs per spawn. They went through a frenzy of non-stop reproduction dec20 – jan21. I kept taking the pair out to another breeding tank once the fry able to swim freely and put a halt after the 5th spawn.

While doing 100% water change recently, I scoped out one by one and did exact counting.

23.12.20 spawn 1 – 94

28.12.20 spawn 2 – 90

03.01.21 spawn 3 - 171

09.01.21 spawn 4 - 115

15.01.21 spawn 5 – 91

TOTAL: 561 babies

THE PAIR: LM2si x LF5tm

Spawn 3 with 171 babies could be due to consecutive spawning over 2 days. I did notice how Dad raced all over the tank picking free swimming babies back to the nest. There could be another set that wasn’t ready to swim yet. I think Dad like to let go both sets to roam the tank simultaneously.

I asked fellow breeders about this. Most agree that the pair must be very healthy, Mom with belly full of eggs, Dad energetic and attractive. Cool rainy season of Dec-Jan months could also spur this excessive breeding mood.

Pic 1 : handsome Dad, I call him LM2si)

- Seri Iskandar PERAK, Malaysia

betta livida giveaways, continuity of livida seri iskandar bloodlines

Giveaways will lighten one's load. For betta livida, that would translate into a lesser bunch to feed and do water change. The first giveaways from the first batch of betta livida breeding goes to a friend. He got two pairs. One male having spot at the side, while the other has clean body. Since the juvenile comes from spawns of two different pairs...., a female and a male from each spawn and he has to make sure that the pair comes from different spawn. Its just our raw understanding about danger of inbreeding.

betta livida breeding: a matured pair.

 Every living thing will grow and finally die. A cycle of life. Somewhere in between being young and old, is a stage known as maturity. Always the term refers to maturity in reproduction. Sexually matured.

For betta livida, after 3 months of age, the female will begin to show the egg spot or ovipositor. Its a tube that extends out of the body for releasing eggs during spawning activities. Then slowly the belly portion around the egg spot turns whiter. That would probably be the sign of accumulation of eggs. The female would be ready for breeding at this stage.  Four months of age would be the starting point of being sexually matured. Young pairs will spawn, but there is a danger of them getting too stressful and finally die. I will put five months of age as being a safe age for successful breeding.

Age is tough to guess, unless its a fish that we breed. Wild caught fish is tough to guess. Purchased fish that comes with birth certificate is a rare occurrence. Then size would be a parameter worth looking at. But to measure the length of fish is quite a skill.

bangchik
seri iskandar Perak.

LM2si, a longer flare

 

LM2si, the flare

 

wild caught betta livida LM2si: January 2021 first set of pictures

 LM2si has matured over the months...

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bangchik

seri iskandar, Perak