Marine Bettas spawning pics

[mal]

My bettas have been spawning in my tank for several months now. The eggs have hatched twice, and I have not had any of the fry survive. I'm still working on that.
The last batch of eggs disappeared three days ago, no fry. I walked by the tank tonight about 730pm and saw them in the nest doing the dance. I called my buddy and he came over with his camera and took a few pics for me. Here they are, I hope this works......

 

[mal]

Another. Sorry, I don't know how to post multiple pics on one post.

 

[mal]

Another.
There are two sets of pectoral fins in the nest, right and left. The eggs can be seen between them. Kind of yellow looking blob.

 

[mal]

Another.
The female has completed laying eggs and is leaving the nest. I assume this is the female because it is the one that laid them. It is also bigger than the other. The smaller, I presume male, stays and gaurds the eggs and nest.
When they are in the process of spawning, their color changes from very black to light gray. Then when finished, they go back to black.
I'll try to keep the updates coming, and more pics.

 

[mal]

Another.

 

[mal]

Last one.

 

[nerdy]

Very interesting! You are very fortunate to have caught this going on, and even more fortunate to have photographed it! Awesome work!

 

[mal]

Thanks! I'll be the first to admit it is luck. It is so cool to see, and now to share with everyone.

 

[overanalyzer]

very cool!!! Good luck with the fry!

 

[dinhouse]

That is cool. Does anyone know of anyone that has successfully rasied the fry?
I wanted to get one but I was afraid my shrimp wouldn't make it in a tank with one!

 

[mal]

Din,
FWIW, I have had pepp. shrimp and cleaner shrimp with mine for some time. They don't seem to bother each other at all.

 

[dinhouse]

Really? I was told they are a memebr of the grouper family which love to snack on shrimp. SO did it take long before yours started coming out where you can see them? Also did you have a problem getting them to eat when you first got them? aslo is there a definate way to --- them?

 

[ozadars]

Hi,
Female MBs have bigger dots than males, usually males are smaller and have more beautiful colours, also if u put two males together in an aquarium, they fight like fresh water bettas

 

[mal]

Din,
It took some time for them to get used to the tank and so forth. The female comes out in the open much more than the male. Or at least that is the case with mine.
I feed them small pieces of big krill, chunks of squid and clam. Stuff they can eat, but the smaller fish can't.
I think they are a cousin of the grouper. They probably do / will eat shrimp, but I try to keep mine well fed and I don't have small shrimp they could fit in their mouth. I can stick feed both sometimes, it's pretty cool. They are by far my fav. fish.
Ozadars is right, it is risky to add two. If they are same --- they will fight. I didn't put mine together until I had the 140 up and running. The female was in my old 80, and the male was in a 40 by himself.
Hey Oz, that is the first I have heard of being able to visually --- them. Where did you find that info? Book? Web?