So you want to breed bettas. But first, you have to learn the Heimlich maneuver. If you don’t know the Heimlich maneuver, don’t worry, you are going to become a top expert within the next few months. But in a few words, this is how it works: Your local fish store salesman stands behind you, gets you in a death grip by wrapping both his greedy arms around your submissive, frail body and *HUH* squeezes all the dough right out of you. You will come out of this experience a little light headed and light walleted too ;). Cleansed. I guess what I am trying to say is that if you want to breed bettas or keep tropical fish for that matter, you must be prepared to spend some serious dough. Hence, if you don’t have any money, you should reconsider. OK. Last call for the poor and the stingy. Bettas have no time for you :). They are royal creatures that will not condescend to be offered anything less than the very best. Still with us? OK, here is the shopping list. On your marks? Set? GOOOOOOOOO! The following shopping list and “must have” list is the BARE minimum you will need to spawn one pair of bettas. I have put some approximate prices just to give you a rough idea of what you are getting into :). These prices will vary greatly depending on where you live and who you buy the stuff from. The breeding pair: 1)- One pair of younger bettas from a good breeder. Pick a strain easy to work with and not too expensive to start with. $20 to $30 for the bettas and $20 for Express mail shipping costs. Please do not try to save a few bucks by having your pair priority mailed. Priority mail is not guarantied to not go in the unpressurized cargo area of the planes. Many bettas shipped priority mail have EXPLODED while on the planes!!! Please don’t jeopardize your bettas lives and spend the extra $10 to get them there safely. 2)- Two one gallon glass jars to house each of your bettas. $15 3)- Water conditioners and additives as follow: Amquel ($9) Novaqua ($9) Aquarisol ($3) PH down—in most cases—($4) aquarium salt ($5) 4)- First aid must have medications: Maroxy ($3), Methylene Blue ($5), Tetracycline and a few other antibiotics ($5 each) 5)- Food to feed the little critters: freeze dried brine shrimp ($10), or frozen foods or live brown worms ($1 a portion—you will need many portions over the next months) 6)- Two fish nets ($2 each) Subtotal = $130 The spawning tank: 1)- 10 gal or 5 gal spawning tank (same price $20 with cover and light) 2)- Mini penplax corner filter ($5) 3)- Small airpump to run the above filter ($10) 4)- Tubing and valve for above ($4) 5)- SUBMERSIBLE (and submersible only) heater 25W to 50W no more or you will cook you fish! ($15) 6)- One stirofoam cup (free… Woaw that’s a new concept!) 7)- One piece of scotch tape 8)- One chimney glass (from your local hardware store) ($4) 9)- One or two very thick bushy plastic plants ($6 each) 10)- a pack of small plant weights ($3) 11)- a mini tank cleaner (vacuum) ($7) Subtotal = $74 The fry related purchases: 1)- One microworm cultureto be purchased about 3 weeks before attempting the spawning. ($10) 2)- Brine shrimp eggs ($6) extra valve and T connector to send some of your air pump’s air to the brine shrimp’s hatchery. ($1). Also a 1/2 gal jar with lid to hatch the shrimp in ($1.50) 3)- About 50 to 100 jars for the males to be jarred when they grow and start fighting ($1 each) 4)- preferably another larger tank (40 gal) to move them to when they grow, with cover, light, filter, plants and heater (used $100) Subtotal = $171.00     GRAND TOTAL you will be coughing up after the Heimlich maneuver :): About $380.00 Aoutch. This initial investment is the bare minimum to spawn one pair of bettas, that is of course if you want the pair and their fry to live. If you don’t care if they live or not, then you could cut the cost down. (Boooooooo!). In all honesty, trying to skip any of the above items will probably cause you to fail in your endeavor. If you try to keep 200 fry in a 5 gal or a 10 gal, they will die of bacterial disease or nitrite poisoning. You must provide them with ROOM to grow and survive. Remember: Bettas may lay as many as 500 eggs! Hence the need for a grow out tank and many jars. Hmmmm… You look pale. Are you OK? :)))) Ah, what the heck, it is only money, and believe me, the enjoyment you will get out of breeding bettas is well worth it. Have fun shopping, and don’t let that fish store salesman anywhere behind your back!!! Face him at all time! (hehehe I can already picture you walking backwards out of the store!! LOL)