Is Something Wrong?

[FishHobbyist1564]

Hi everyone i have benn breeding bettas for many years, but i just recently came up with a problem. The male i have always bred isnt building a bubble nest at all. So after a few days i put the female in a floating jar in his tank. He flared for a little while, but then stopped, and still no bubble nest was made. So then i thought he might be too old because i have had him for about a year or maybe more (and he was HUGE when i bought him).

So now i tried my other male betta and he is doing the same thing. this one is younger than the other male, but he isnt flaring a the female as much. He will only flare when i put her jar in, and then maybe only a little bit once in a while. But he isnt building a bubble nest either.

Why wont they build the nest? Are there certain circumstances that need to be reached in order for them to build the nest?

 

[nemosworld]

have you been conditioning him? try cutting a styrofoam cup longitudinally and putting it in the tank as a base for his nest. otherwise, i just transfer the bubble nest from another male's tank and let him add to it

 

[FishHobbyist1564]

i have the styrofoam cup already, but he had no nest from his original tank . So hes been flaring at the female and hes always staying near the styrofoam cup (thats a good sign! ). But i just wanted to know if there are any things that get him in the mood to build the nest.

 

[FishHobbyist1564]

hello? is anyone there lol. Please read the post above, i need help fast!

 

[mommyof2bettas]

How long have you left the female in the tank?

 

[FishHobbyist1564]

She has been in there for about 4 days and is VERY ripe with eggs lol.

Im just wondering.. is it possible to have one male build the bubble nest, and then have another male take over the nest and breed with the female?

 

[mommyof2bettas]

Yes, but the other male needs to take care of the nest and not let it fall apart.

 

[FishHobbyist1564]

Thanks so much Mommyof2bettas!

but im just wondering why there is no nest yet! what should i do to make him build?

 

[mommyof2bettas]

Maybe you could let the female out for a few seconds and then put her back, it might make him exciteed and wanting to build one.
You could also add bettaspa or IAL's

 

[FishHobbyist1564]

thanks ill try that

The thing that makes me aggravated is that he is trying to get to the female and is wanting to breed with her, and he is near the styrofoam cup and he looks like he's blowing bubbles, but when i go to look there is not even one bubble in sight!

Do you think that he really is making bubbles but they just arent able to survive?

 

[mommyof2bettas]

Maybe... Do you have a lid on the tank? A filter?
I find my male prefers building on a piece of styrofoam rather than the cup (but I don't breed, just place the female next to him every now and then). Maybe you could try that.

 

[FishHobbyist1564]

yes i have a lid and a filter and a styrofoam cup and floating plants in the tank.

He looks like hes blowing bubbles in the styrofoam cup but then i go over there and there are no bubbles