Betta fish are one of the most popular types of freshwater aquarium fish. They are known for their beautiful colors, but there is more to it than just that. Bettas have a lot of personalities and can be quite interactive with their owners. The only downside is they only live about two years on average in captivity, which makes them expensive pets. This blog post will cover how long betta fish are pregnant, so you know what to expect when you buy one.
How Can You Tell When a Betta Fish is Pregnant?
It can be difficult to tell when betta fish are pregnant, which is why it’s important to know the signs. But, If you want to buy a pregnant betta fish, there are many online shops who keep this kind of betta fish for sale.
The female usually becomes plumper in her belly before she gives birth. She may develop an orange tint on her stomach and become more aggressive towards other females that might get near her babies or take them away once they hatch out of their eggs. Males also bump around where his sex organs are located but won’t look nearly as big because he doesn’t carry the young inside him as females do.
If you decide to put your betta in with other betta fishes, wait until after birthing takes place, so no one tries eating any of the fry (infant bettas). Even males will eat baby bettas, so be careful.
The gestation period for betta fish is usually two to three months long. You can tell if your female has given birth by looking in the tank where she lives at night when lights are off and seeing if there are any fry (baby bettas) swimming around since they will need their mommy’s protection. If you’re not sure what kind of sex your beta is, that makes it even more difficult to know whether or not a pregnant one might be in with them. Betta fish cannot breed unless they have male and female organs, but sometimes these don’t fully develop, which means hermaphrodites exist. This doesn’t necessarily mean all males who look like females are carrying babies, though, because not all of them are.
How Long is a Betta Fish Pregnant for?
It should take about three to four weeks after eggs have been laid before they hatch and become fry (infant bettas). Once the fry grows up, it shouldn’t be any longer than another two months until you see your betta fish’s belly full again with yet another batch of babies.
Bettas can give birth as often as every few days if their environment has enough food and shelter for them to survive in. This means that more than one might happen within such a short time period once the birthing season starts. Don’t worry, though; this isn’t unusual behavior since these kinds of fish do well in groups and enjoy the company of other beta fish.
There is no set time for how long betta fish are pregnant since it depends on their breeding schedule, but you can expect your little one’s pregnancy to last anywhere from two months (three months max) up to six months.
Try not to worry if yours takes a bit longer than that; her body knows when she needs more time before giving birth, so don’t rush things by taking her out or anything like that. Just make sure you give them both lots of food and clean water daily because they get through this stage much faster than humans do in terms of gestation periods. They will need plenty of nutrients during all three trimesters, so be sure their environment has ample supply.
