Jarring

What is Jarring?

Jarring refers to the practice of placing bettas into jars, typically as they become too aggressive to remain in the grow-out tanks. Jars are generally a minimum of 1/2 a gallon, though larger containers are also used. When done properly, it is the most ethical and cost-effective way to house multiple bettas. For jarring to be successful, lots of care and effort must go into maintaining them for the health of the bettas.

Ethics of Jarring

Jarring bettas is often a heated topic between betta lovers and betta breeders. There is a ton of information geared towards first time betta owners that states bettas need a minimum of 2.5 gallons, a heater, a filter, and can never live in jars. While this is the ideal minimum long term set up for a pet betta, it is near impossible for breeders to meet that standard do to the sheer volume of bettas.

Spawning usually produces dozens of fry, and when done well can even create hundreds. (Highest number I've heard of is over 800 fry in one spawn) Eventually a good percentage of fry need to be housed separately so they don't fight. 2.5 gallon fish tanks start at around $13 per unit. Multiply that by 10, 50, or 100+ fry needing to be separated and the costs need to house them gets high pretty quickly. Additionally, the space needed for that is extreme. Not everyone has a room dedicated strictly to betta breeding, and even if they do, 30 2.5 gallon fish tanks take up roughly 200 square feet of space.

Now, with all of this being said, I don't think bettas should be housed in jars long term. Other breeders may disagree with me, but I do see the quality of life benefit from getting a little more breathing room, space to explore, and a few shrimp or snails to harass.

Jarred Betta Care

Jar Sizes
"Beanies" (beanie baby display cases) are one of the more common jars that breeders use. They are 1/2 gallons which is a typical size for many breeders though others may choose larger sizes. Personally I prefer 1 gallon Uline containers and 2 gallon trash cans that I found at Dollar Tree.

Water Changes
Water changes must be performed multiple times a week. This helps keep the water fresh for the fry, but also promotes growth.

Cleaning Jars
I clean my jars once a week by wiping them with a paper towel.

Exercise and Enrichment

Life in a jar can be boring. Mirrors from the dollar store can be used to add enrichment to their life, as well as live foods to chase. If your jars are clear, you can also set 2 bettas next to each other to flare.

When to Jar

Generally, you want to wait as long as possible before jarring your fry. The main reason for this is because it is much easier to take care of one large grow out tank then 30+ individual jars. That being said, there are instances where you'll want to jar fry early.

Aggression
As betta fry begin to mature you will start to see some picking on others. Both males and females can behave this way and will need to be jarred. There is no exact age where this will begin, so being vigilant and observing your spawn is the best way to find bullies and fin nippers.

Coloration or Identification
Sometimes a unique fry will come through that you want to keep an eye on. It is ok to begin jarring your favorites when you feel like it. Just understand that in order for them to continue growing they'll need extra work. However, you can keep a close eye on them and watch them transform.

Fin Growth

Jarring a male betta will cause them to start feeling territorial, which appears to accelerate fin growth. When a male stays in the pond longer their fins stay shorter during this time. Once jarred they transform! (see example)

Sickness
If you spot a fry you suspect of being sick, it is best to separate from the tank to prevent anything from spreading to your other fish.

Pond vs Jarred - Same betta 1 month apart.

In the summer of 2023 I had over 100 bettas at once! I had to create a system that allowed me to care for each one to the best of my abilities without getting overwhelmed.

Before any needed to be removed from the growout pond, I set up 25 containers and filled them with dechorinated water, snails, and lots of plants from my pond. This allowed them to get a jump start on building beneficial bacteria.

Once the bettas reached 2.5 months old, I started pulled a few of my largest males from the pond and placed them in jars. This caused the males to grow their fins out faster and get to a point where I could start selling them at 3 months of age.

Over the summer I only had 15-25 bettas jarred at a time which was much easier to handle then having all 50 males at once!

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