Hi, my name is Melissa, and years ago I used this site because I was into guppies, and because of all the help I got here, I was successfully able to breed more than 50 batches of guppies. Some I kept for myself and breeded them when they grew up, some I gave to good homes, and the majority I donated to school classrooms where teachers had tanks set up, many of them went to my Biology teacher in High School who gave me my first few guppies after an incident with my horse. He gave them to me out of his classroom tanks, and told me that as long as they didn't grow legs I would be ok. 
Anyway, I have moved from Arkansas to Cleveland, and I don't have the expenses really right now to buy a 20 gallon tank and set up all the stuff that it needs to run properly for guppies, and was not able to bring my equipment with me. My sister is the proud owner of them now and takes care of them with the passion just as I had. So I fell in love with a Betta I seen at the pet store. After I had him for a little while, I bought two females. I took them out of their tiny bowls though, and have moved them all into gallon size containers. One fish in each container. I have one male and two females. I've had them for a few weeks before I decided to mate them. And just recently I set up a new breeding tank and have it under a warm lamp with a thermometer and it stays in the 70 degree range. Between 70 and 75 normally. I put one female in her bowl beside of him for a few days so they could get acquainted with each other. Then after I gave them plenty of food, my male began working on his bubble nest. I very carefully put them together and watched them hour after hour after hour. When I went to bed, I took the female out and set her beside his bowl again and put them back together in the morning. That night I left them together all night long. When I woke up the next morning, his bubble nest was 3 times as big as it was when I went to bed the night before, and he was attacking her viciously. Luckily I got to her in time and scooped her out. Her appetite is fine, she's alert and not clamping fins or anything, just her fins are all ripped up. No bites or anything on her body either. So now I'm worried that maybe they did mate while I was asleep and I'm not able to tell if there are eggs because they are so tiny, would I be able to see them, and what do I look for? He is still maintaining the size of his little nest, and he is very protective of it. When I approach the tank to feed him he flares at me, where before he would just wag his little tail fin knowing I was fixing to talk to or feed him. I notice him nosing about the bubble nest quite often, so I am hoping that all these details point to that there are more than likely eggs in the nest. Also, how long before I would be able to see the little babies and know for sure? Maybe 3 days I think? Is that right? Please help, I am looking for alot of replies and opinions, even any bit of advice to make things a little more conceievable about these beautiful fish. Thanks in advance for all the help! I know people on this site are really good about being helpful.
One more thing, does anyone know of or have some good betta baby pictures, even a timeline of the growth of them with pictures? It would be nice. I'm trying to absorb everything I can about the breeding thing. And don't worry, I already have places for the babies to go. My friend accidently got a female thinking it was a young male at the store, and she admires my male, and I'm going to pass along a beautiful baby to her and some people I work with as well, I've got them all interested. Also, the pet shop owner, George, said that if I could breed them, he'd buy them back from me. I'm a regular at his place, LOL! Thanks again!
