So, I have heard of ya'll using things like IAL and Betta Spa when preparing to spawn bettas... Here's my question:
What if your pH is 6.2-6.4 out of the tap (The city uses RO/DI desalinized water)? I know that these products have other qualities as well as lowering pH... but if my tap water is that low... why would I use it? Couldn't I just use Melafix or something like that for disease prevention?
Do you use salt during spawning???
I am going to start putting together my set up this weekend... even though we are not attempting babies for a few weeks. I want Plato to get cozy in "His" new territory before we bring in the girlie from Wild... Hey Wild... what's her name???

Also, what temp. do we need for good strong beebees?
At what point can the babies handle outdoors in a pond experience till they mature??? I live in SC... I think we are done with cold for the year.
I live in a townhouse... no room for 100 babies inside. I've seen the pond thing done by someone online and thought to try it.

I think it is safe to say, you can name your new fish yourself, lol.
With pH that low, I don't know that you would NEED to add anything to it... Lucky you. I don't think that adding either product would actually lower the pH any more, due to buffering, but I could be wrong.
I think as long as you have a heater in the outside growout, you'd be OK, but honestly, I haven't done that myself.. YET.

Well, I think I need to know what Sherry's been calling her. LOL... at least I can name her something close so she comes when called.

LOL!
Yeah, I'm nuts.

Hey, at what age do you think they should go to the outdoor grow out? I'm thinking of setting it up in the corner like a little pond on the back porch. Maybe a really gentle waterfall (start them swimming young.)

Hey, I need pics of peoples spawning and beebee tanks. Need some set up ideas.

Probably something like, Hey pretty pretty fishy, lolol.

I think they can go out when they are about a month/month and half.. I know if I could, it were warmer, the growout I have right now, they would be outside right now, lol.

When Yeeves gets on, I know he has done outside set ups.. Also MO and Ruth as well.. I think.
They could tell you better than I could.

Wild and Bella -
Her name will be Diotima.
http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/phil/philo/phils/diotima.html

She was the teacher of Socrates and revered by Plato.
A strong woman thought to be the creator of the "eros" (Eros is love) concepts of Socrates.

I would get some betta spa or IAl Not so much for PH but i feel it really helps Induce spawning it simulates there natural environment and has other good qualities for the beebees , plus it helps the female with torn fins while she is in the spawnig tank and after Just my two scents :D

I just wouldn't want it to drop my pH any lower.

i don't think it will Like bella said it just Buffers the water , but i would Just set up a bowl of water and add betta spa and see what happens. I think you will Liek IAL it comes in handy for many things.

With all of our spawns RC and I have used IAL and betta spa, a pinch of salt, and we keep the temperature of the tank at 80-82.

Personally, I think that the IAL, the spa, and the salt help replicate their natural enviroments better. Their enviroment was full of minerals, plants, and stuff floating, so we are putting in the materials (salt and spa), the plants (lots of java fern in there), and stuff floating (the IAL tucked in the back of the tank so they can't make a nest on it as they can sink, and a styrofoam cup so hopefully they make their nest there!).

The idea.

Spawning tank:
10 gal. with 6 inches of water
lots of baby java ferns that I'm getting my my angel tank. They need to grow some anyways.
Styrofoam cup and a Fluval internal that I cycled on a pre-existing tank for 3 weeks at it's lowest setting turned on low.
Salt.
I'm still twisting on the IAL and bettaspa bc no one can promise me it won't drop the pH any lower...
At 6.2, any lower would nearly be vinegar.

Grow-out tank/ pond:
30 gal. baby pool... I am going to paint this with Krylon fusion in a smokey grey color to make babies easier to see... if they are black and red like I'm assuming... knowing my luck, they'll be light babies.
200W Stealth heater
This pond will be filled with moneywort and duckweed from a trusted source that has been cleaned and run in a bucket with daily WC's for 3 weeks.
There will also be a lot of java fern and a few bog plants. And some parrot feather in ther water.
The Fluval internal will be run on here with a 2nd Internal filter that has been cycled.
I'm still contemplating whether I will put a sand substrate with MTS in this pond.
The pool will be surrounded by Windsor bricks from HD... and will have a piece of carpet under it to keep cold from seeping through the slab underneath.
I'm thinking of a few water lillies and some bamboo plants too...
Going to surround it with tropical plants for aethestic reasons... make it a lil pond.
Since it's on my patio and all that.

Like the gansta paradise song... but more like a betta paradise... that's the goal anyways.

Oh, and I have a 50 watt Hydor heater that will go on the spawning tank... why I forgot that, I dunno.