This is my first betta breeding experience.

I hope that by sharing some of the many joys and pains of a first time account, yours can be avoided. No pictures here bcoz I can't afford a digital camera with macro mode needed for the close-ups.

This hobby is really starting to grow on me. In fact it has grown so huge that I've decided against my better judgment to spawned my first pair of opaques (from Foo Hong of Betta Fantasy).

Information
Father:	Norman (3 Months)
Mother:	Betty (3 Months)
Tank Setup:	23 Liters approx. 6 U.S. Gallons Java Fern on Driftwood 1 Sponge Filter (1 bubble every second) 1/2 Styrofoam Cup taped to the side of the tank.
Water:	Dechlorinated Aged Water, 1 day 12 Liters approx. 3 U.S. Gallons pH 6.8
Medication:	MarOxy (3 Drops) - Egg Fungus Preventive InterPet No 8 (3 Drops) - Velvet Preventive Tetra AquaVital (1 Drop) TetraMedical General Tonic Tetra Black Water Extract (2.5ml) - Softens Water and Induces Spawning AquaMedi Dechlor (Herbal Formula)
FYI:	I kept feeding Norman his daily diet of bloodworms and the lights on throughout the entire period of spawning.

Day 1 - Failure
23 Feb 2001
I came home that day and saw that Betty had dropped some eggs (approx. 20) in her 1 gallon plastic tank and her belly was still quite pronounced. There and then, I decided to breed my pair of opaques even though I'd just got them not more than 2 weeks and they were still strangers in their new home. Prior to this, I'd conditioned by feeding them a diet of frozen bloodworms only and letting them check out each other by removing the partition between their one gallon.

I then proceeded to scoop Norman and Betty into the spawning tank. The moment I'd release Betty into the tank, Norman started to swim over and flared menacingly.

Confusion soon took over as Norman started nipping/tearing at Betty's fins and tail. Pretty soon, she's lost most of her anal fin, her caudal tore into two and she also lost quite a fair bit of scales (extremely heart wrenching).

FYI, the bubble nest wasn't that big.

Then I panicked, grabbed a net and scooped Betty out of the precarious situation and back into her safe haven, but still keeping Norman in sight.

3 hours to total darkness in my fishroom/bedroom.

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Day 2 - Tada!
24 Feb 2001
That day at work (Yes I work on Saturdays), I'd decided to give Betty, Norman and myself another chance.

When I got home, I noticed that the nest has significantly diminished.

Still I placed Betty back into the spawning tank in which Norman had remained since the day before. Surprisingly, she swam over to the nest and started blowing bubbles. Then Norman started to join in and while he was doing his bit, she consistently nudged Norman's side (near his gill area). The next thing I knew, TADA! Betty was wrapped in Norman's embrace and the eggs started falling.

Betty quickly swam down, picked up her eggs and placed the eggs into the nest. Norman was still pretty stunt, I believed. After three/four more embraces, Norman picked up on his fatherly duties and collect the eggs, whilst Betty was resting from her exhaustion.

This continued for another 10 minutes (slightly more) till they embraced one last time and no eggs were released. After picking up the eggs, Norman began to act defensively and started to chase Betty around the Java Fern in front of their porch.

Then I quickly scooped Betty out and into her own tank. More medication were added to prevent outbreaks of finrot and other bacteria diseases.

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Day 3 - Bubble Mania
25 Feb 2001
I spent my whole Sunday monitoring the breeding tank and Norman at work adding huge volumes to the previously small nest. Occasionally, he would move the eggs rotating around different areas of the nest.

Not much of eggs falling out of the nest. Norman is a fantastic father :).

Norman was impatiently pacing around the tank...at last glance.

Day 4 - Joy to the World
26 Feb 2001
That mid afternoon (ard 3pm) , I noticed a small movement in the nest and boy was I overjoyed!!! Some of the eggs had hatched! 46 hours!

Some of the youngens were having trouble behaving and kept bungee-ing into the depths of the spawning tank. Norman was patiently picking up the frys and sticking them back into the nest.

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Day 5 - Mass Bungee Frenzy
27 Feb 2001
All hell broke lose this morning before I left for work, nearly all of the fry were bungee-ing. Poor Norman was frantic, darting and diving about endlessly. Them helpless youngens were all over the tank. Some were sticking on the glass of the tank, some were stuck climbing the tree, but most were sleeping on the lawn.

Betty was starting to heal up as clear areas of the fins began patching up her torn whites.

It was utter madness by the time I got home, them fries were all over the place. Some were darting around, but most were just sinking. A handful were already free swimming chasing after grown-up dreams.

Day 6 - Fatherless
28 Feb 2001
Most of the fries are free swimming (i.e. swiming horizontally) now.

Feeding is done thrice a day. Once in the mornings, once in the afternoons and lastly in the evenings. Their diet consist of microworms (morning), brine shrimp (afternoon) and infurosia (evenings).

Norman is quite fidgetty, being five days without sleep. I took out Norman and place him into his tank prepared beforehand with aged water and medications. The tank is placed into a quiet and dark corner so Norman can get his beauty sleep.

1 am already. *YAWN*

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Day 7 - Bumming Around
1 Mar 2001
Norman has settled in. Norman and Betty are fed twice daily with slightly more than their usual share of frozen bloodworms and live brine shrimp to get their energy back.

The fries are still pretty minute. Don't I wish I have one of those growth hormones thingies.

Day 8 - Parents
2 Mar 2001
Betty's caudal has pretty much healed back. Her anal fin is still ragged though.

Norman has got his flamboyance back. I let him flare at Davy, a blue veiltail, this morning before I left for work. Nice, aggressive lil bugger.

Also, their white pigment is really started to cover their bodies. When I first got them, both were pretty much all pink. I'm gonna be let for work again.... *grumble*

Day 11 - Mystery
5 Mar 2001
When I woke up this morning, I discovered more than 20% of already small spawn lying at the bottom of the tank. Most of the fries laid on their sides, some were already decomposing. ARGHHH! This is so frustrating...

More to come....