6 Reasons Your Betta Eggs Are On The Bottom Of The Tank
Hey there fellow fish keepers! Are you worried about your little betta fish eggs sinking down to the bottom of the tank? Wondering why this might be happening and what to do about it? Well, do not worry, you are in the right place. We will tell you all you need to know about how to tend to betta fish eggs present in the bottom tank. So keep on reading and hopefully, you will find an easy solution to help with your problem.
Usually betta fish lay their eggs at the top of the fish tank in bubble nests. So if your eggs have sunk down to the bottom of the tank it most certainly means that the water conditions in your tank are less than ideal and should be monitored carefully.
Betta Eggs in Normal Conditions
Betta fish eggs are generally present at the top of the tank in bubble nests formed by the male betta fish parent. They are oval in shape and about 1 mm in diameter. Mostly betta fish eggs are transparent. But the color might range from completely transparent to a more yellowish hue. Fertilized betta fish eggs are ever so slightly bigger and as they grow a greyish to black embryo can be seen growing in the middle.
Why your Betta Fish Eggs are Sinking to the Bottom of your Tank?
There are several reasons why your betta fish eggs might be sinking down to the bottom instead of being in their usual place, at the top of the tank in the bubble nest. We will discuss some of them below:
1. Bad Water Conditions
The most likely reason behind your betta fish eggs being on the bottom of the tank is unclean and poor water conditions. Unclean tank conditions including fish waste buildup, dust present in the water, increased ammonium and nitrate levels, etc. can cause the betta fish eggs to be unable to breed properly. The betta fish eggs might become hollow from the inside and therefore sink to the bottom of the tank.
It may also be that the male parent betta fish is stressed due to the water conditions and is unable to retrieve the eggs and deposit them to the bubble nest and the eggs therefore have no other option but to sink to the bottom of the tank.
2. Violent Betta Fish
It is recommended that during breeding season betta fish be isolated. Since betta fish have a violent nature being known as the Siamese fighting fish, their fighting might lead to damaging the bubble nest. If the bubbles pop, the betta fish eggs have nowhere to rest and they sink down to the bottom.
3. Unfertilized or Dead Betta Fish Eggs
Eggs that are dead or are unfertilized are usually eaten by the male or female betta fish parent, and male betta fish in particular do not care for them. But if not eaten, they are left alone at the bottom of the tank.
4. Strong Currents
Usually in a tank that has strong currents male betta fish do not make a bubble nest. But if they do go through the whole process of breeding, the strong current may eventually damage the bubble nest leading to the betta fish eggs sinking to the bottom of the tank. Make sure that the aerator in your tank is not too powerful.
5. The Temperature of the Tank
The optimum temperature conditions of a betta fish tank in which betta fish thrive are about 78 ° F – 80 ° F (25.5 ° C – 26.5 ° C), slightly higher than room temperature. If the water is too hot or too cold, the male betta fish will not make the bubble nest. And if breeding does occur, the eggs will be left to sink to the bottom of the betta fish tank.
6. pH Range
The optimum pH of a betta fish water tank should be about 7.0 to 7.5. Any higher or lower could lead to similar problems as mentioned above and could lead to betta fish eggs sinking to the bottom.
It is important to note that if the betta fish eggs that have sunk to the bottom are in fact fertilized it is not impossible for them to hatch. It just becomes very difficult and is not ideal for the betta fish fry to hatch out of the eggs on the betta fish tank floor.
What to do to make sure that your Betta Fish Eggs Stay at the Top of the Tank in their Bubble Nests?
There are some things that you can make sure of to ensure that your betta fish eggs are looked after properly and remain in their bubble nests. Some of them are enlisted here:
- Maintain good water conditions by regularly cleaning the tank and no ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites are present.
- Maintain the appropriate temperature of the water
- Ensure the optimum pH of the tank
- Do not keep aggressive fish together
- Remove unfertilized eggs from the tank if the male betta fish does not eat them
- Place a gentle aerator in your tank
- Install a filter if water conditions can not otherwise be maintained.
Conclusion
So if your betta fish eggs keep on sinking to the floor of your betta fish water tank, you might need to check your water conditions. There is always a reason behind an anomaly, you just have to find it. And we have tried our best to help you with it. So until next time folks, Happy fish keeping!
