How Do I Know If My Betta Fish Laid Eggs?

Knowing if your Betta fish laid eggs are crucial. After finding out that your betta has laid eggs you should stop changing the water of the aquarium to prevent draining them out. The newly laid eggs require proper care and the newly hatched eggs need nutritious food for proper growth.

This topic has been one of the most common concerns among Betta fish pet owners. As a result, in this article, I have tried to help you understand the ways to know that your betta has laid eggs.

You can know if your betta fish laid eggs if you detect small white dot-like substances inside the bubble nests. These small substances are basically the eggs and they will remain visible in the nest until they hatch. Male betta will also roam around the nest after the eggs are laid to protect them.

That being said, you will be able to see the eggs clearly and effortlessly if the bubbles of the nests are flat. The color gradient of the aquarium or the betta tank will also determine how easily you can see the eggs. If your Betta tank has a plain color texture then you can quite easily know if your fish has laid eggs.

How To Condition Your Betta To Lay Eggs?

Before looking for your Betta fish eggs, you will have to condition them to breed and lay eggs. The male Betta makes bubble nests to attract the female fish and they mate. Condition the male betta by feeding them very well so that they can breed properly. It will be best if you can feed them brine shrimp, earthworms, or freeze-dried bloodworms.

After conditioning the males, place your female betta into the fish tank. Make sure that they go well with each other and don’t fight. After they like each other, the male will do a mating dance and they will start creating bubble nests. After breeding, separate the male Betta from the females as the male Betta becomes aggressive.

How To Know If A Betta Fish Laid Eggs?

Once you have conditioned your Betta for breeding, you can start looking for eggs in the aquarium. Before looking for eggs make sure that the ornamental lights of the tank are off so that the eggs become properly visible.

1. Notice Color Change

First, look for color changes in the Betta fish’s body to know if they are ready to lay eggs. When your Betta fish pet is prepared to lay eggs, its body will show a striped pattern. Their ovipositor can be identified as a tiny spot that resembles a grain of salt below her ventral fins.

After noticing the pattern on the Bettas’ body, add them back with the male fish. Then your fish will release the eggs. The male will help the female betta to release the egg by wrapping her body. They might even force the eggs out of the female betta.

Male betta naturally build bubble nests without the help of females. After building the nests, they will naturally take care of them. After your female Betta lays eggs, their male partners will bring them to the bubble nest using their mouths where they will be incubated. Occasionally, the woman will assist.

2. Observe If The Males Are Watching The Nest

If you see your male Betta fish roaming and hovering below the bubble nest in the aquarium, then you should know that there are eggs in the nest. Naturally, the Male Betta fish takes care of the laid eggs and helps to incubate them. They even build the nest themselves without any help from the female to keep the eggs safe and help them develop properly.

The male betta fish is the primary protector of the eggs when they are placed in the bubble nest. However, When taking care of the nest, you need to be careful not to annoy your beta too much. This is due to the fact that Betta might devour a few eggs if he feels threatened.

3. Look For White Dots In The Nests

After the females lay the eggs, they are brought to the surface of the water by the males and placed in the bubble nests. You will be able to see the white eggs in the middle of the nest as the bubbles are see-through. You will be able to see the eggs clearly and easily if the bubble nest is flat and uniformly shaped.

Why Do Bettas Keep Their Eggs On Bubble Nests?

Bubble nests are created by male bettas due to their breeding behavior. To build the nests, the males will expel used air from their mouths using their labyrinth organ. They make bubble nests to give the eggs and fry a secure home. For added safety, they prefer building bubble nests under leaves or plants.

The male bettas will carry the eggs with their mouth after the female lays the eggs and place them on the bubble nests. They will protect and take care of the eggs and also the offspring when they hatch.

The natural habitat of bettas is shallow pools with oxygen arms. The tiny bubbles create a stable atmosphere with enough oxygen at the water’s surface to safeguard the eggs and the larvae during their most delicate development. This bubble nest also helps the newly hatched fries to float in the water without any difficulties.

How Long Does It Take For The Eggs To Hatch?

Generally, it takes almost three days for the betta eggs to latch after they are laid on the bubble nests. However, the eggs of the bettas that are carried using the male betta’s mouth take up to two weeks to hatch.

After hatching they need a couple of days to start swimming. It is very crucial to provide the required food so that they grow suitably. So, you should know when the eggs hatch. The hatching time of the betta fish’s eggs varies depending on numerous factors which include temperature, the species, and water quality.

1. Quality Of The Water

The quality of the water plays a crucial role in the hatching time of the betta eggs and the rate of hatching. If the water quality of your betta tank is very poor, the eggs might not be able to develop properly and hatch into larvae.

Ammonia levels will increase if your water has an excessive amount of natural waste, created by bacteria and fish feces. Ammonia is extremely toxic to fish. There are many additional hazardous materials and metals besides ammonia. Your eggs and fry may be harmed if your tank isn’t clean enough and if you haven’t changed the waters in a while.

To keep the water fresh and maintain good quality water, use high-quality filters. You can also cycle your tank by draining out 40 to 50 percent water and then adding new water to the tank.

Why Is My Betta Fish Obsessed With Filter

2. Temperature

The betta eggs require warm water to grow and hatch correctly and at the right time. This is because digestion goes faster and metabolism is higher in warm waters. If you can maintain an 80 degrees Fahrenheit temperature, then the betta eggs can latch in a single day after being laid. In slightly colder water, the eggs will take almost three days to hatch.

The best temperature for the betta fish eggs to develop and the fries to grow healthily is 79 degrees to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. However, do not keep your adult betta fish in this temperature, as they will overeat and might become sick in warm waters. So, before changing the temperature of the tank make sure to keep the adult bettas in a separate tank.

3. Species

The hatching time of different betta species is different. The bettas that lay their eggs on bubble nests usually hatch in 10 to 14 days. On the other hand, the Betta Macrostoma can take up to a month to hatch and for the fries to start swimming. A few other mouthbrooding species’ eggs can take even longer to hatch and even longer for the fries to free-swim.

Final Thoughts

Knowing that your betta fish has laid eggs is possible only when you are at your home and you can prepare accordingly. But you can be on a vacation when your betta lays eggs and they start hatching.

So, the next thing you should do is to know how to take care of your bettas while you are on vacation so that the fries don’t starve and remain healthy. Read my next article to understand the ways to care for your bettas while you are away from home.

How To Take Care Of Betta When You’re On Vacation?

How Do I Know If My Betta Fish Laid Eggs?

How To Condition Your Betta To Lay Eggs?