Artificial Hatching

[Samuel Phan]

There are times when we have to resort to artificial hatching of the eggs. Starting this thread for discussions.

In my personal experience ... the hatch rates varies. There are times when I can get at least 70% hatch rate. But on occasions of fungus attack ... it drop to a miserable 0%.

But IMPO ... it is a feasible way to ensure that you get at least some fries from a spawn. a good way to eliminate the risk of the eggs being eaten by irresponsible betta parents.

Any good method to share?
Any tricks?
Water level?
Medication?
Hatch rates?

[Myron Tay]

Keep the water level low (less than an inch) and keep the water clean. If the tank is in the open (under the sun), do provide it with loads of shade. Otherwise, you might have fried caviar. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

[Samuel Phan]

1 inch? How about lower than that?
I used 1cm or lesser.

Agree on the shade portion as due to the small volume of water ... it gets heated pretty fast.

One question to all ... will eggs drop from the bubblenest and to the bottom of tank still hatch and survive?

quote:
Keep the water level low (less than an inch) and keep the water clean. If the tank is in the open (under the sun), do provide it with loads of shade. Otherwise, you might have fried caviar. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

[Myron Tay]

I did say less than an inch. :)

But I had to balance that with the raising temperature in the tank as my tank in outside under the sun. I have managed to hatch fry with 2-3 inches of water before, but got only a small spawn of 30 fry. So they are commando trained. <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle> Your choice actually...

[Samuel Phan]

Oops ... sorry. =P Yes ... less than 1 inch.

But is it a must that we gather the eggs to be place on the bubblenest or we can just leave them in the water?

Can anyone confirm that as long as the eggs can somehow breath ... regardless of whether they are in the nest or in the water ... they will somehow survive.

[Foo Hong]

I tell what guys. I brought a apir of bettas with me on an overseas trip, complete with breeding container, styro cup etc, spawned them the day before I left for singapore...in the hotel! Cos this pair of jokers was so expensive it has to be spawned...soonest!

Collected all teh eggs and bagged them. return home in 4 hrs and released bag of water +eggs into a tray...yes tray...not tank...shallow enuf only for daphnia to swim.

and eggs are not afraid of height fright or air-sicknesses.

25% hatched! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

[Chris Yew]

So the secret lies in the tray!!! Is the tray from the plane - those they serve you with the food? LOL!


quote:
I tell what guys. I brought a apir of bettas with me on an overseas trip, complete with breeding container, styro cup etc, spawned them the day before I left for singapore...in the hotel! Cos this pair of jokers was so expensive it has to be spawned...soonest!

Collected all teh eggs and bagged them. return home in 4 hrs and released bag of water +eggs into a tray...yes tray...not tank...shallow enuf only for daphnia to swim.

and eggs are not afraid of height fright or air-sicknesses.

25% hatched! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>




Chris Yew

[Samuel Phan]

Hotel is probably the last place that cross my mind for betta breeding ... high class fish huh? =)

[Foo Hong]

actually it was an old dinner plate!

I feel that the oxygen supply is quite important in daddy betta s absence. not sure if strong bubbling [prior to hatching] helps in success rate, like marine fishes. of cos you would turn the darn air pump off as they hatch!

[Melissa Arpin]

I had a pair spawn yesterday. I noticed the male eating the eggs today. They are still floating at the top of the water, although there are not many bubbles left. Does it make a difference in the hatch rate if they are still floating? Should I lower the water level anyway? Also, should I turn up the heater (the water is 80 degrees right now) to speed up hatching? Thank you for your time.

Melissa

[Myron Tay]

Melissa

If the male is showing signs of tending from the eggs, I say leave him be. Sometimes, the male eats up the unfertilised eggs. If you have taken the male out already, I would say lower the water level till it is water just about covers the eggs. 80 degrees sounds about right.

[Melissa Arpin]

Hello again. When I went to check on the male that morning, he was extremely bloated from eating eggs (he hadn't been fed in 2 days), and he had also eaten a previous spawn, so I decided that removing him would probably be the best option. Especially after I saw him devour an entire mouthful of eggs (I watched for a few minutes to see if he spat them back out). I did lower the water, and I have a few fry that hatched, though most of the eggs did fungus. I hope I have more than I could find (I could only find 6). Thanks for your advice.

Melissa

[Myron Tay]

Sorry to hear that Melissa. Spawn another pair perhaps?

[Jodi Lea]

I have raised a couple of spawns from eggs by using the old stocking trick.
Cut a styro cup in half cross-wise - that is, the opposite way you would to make a nest cup. (in other words, cut the bum off the cup!) Get a pair of clean panty hose and cut a small section out. Lightly stretch this across the bottom of the cut cup. Attach using tape. When the cup sits in the water the panty hose sits just under the water surface. I then transfer any eggs that are sitting on the bottom of the tank into this cup. I don't bother lowering the water. I have also pulled a male out early (just after the fry hatched - he was an ideal Dad - but so expensive I couldn't risk the first spawn!!) and placed a clean glass lid at an angle under the nest. As the bubs dropped down, they clung to the slope of the glass.
Cheers, J

[leongks]

Dear Jodi,

Did not quite follow what you are saying. Is it possible to take pictures of your setup?
thanks

[Myron Tay]

More on artificial hatching on the following thread:

http://www.bettaclub.org.sg/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13

[Jodi Lea]

as requested!

http://www.bettaclub.org.sg/forum/uploaded/Jodi Lea/20048117718_cup1.jpg

http://www.bettaclub.org.sg/forum/uploaded/Jodi Lea/20048117758_cup2.jpg

[sylwester]

Jodi: So fry doens't fall trough the panty hose?

[Jodi Lea]

no, mesh is too fine. Fungused eggs tend to stick to the nylon, while the healthy eggs hatch and the fry lift up. J

[leongks]

Dear Jodi,
Thanks for the pictures.

[Lynn Tan]

Must the panty hose be black, Jodi? [eb]
Just kidding. ;)

[Jodi Lea]

well hey, I just use what's available! (and the black fish nets let the fry fall through!)
J : )