My Betta's behaviour...

[nuckfluckchuckbuck]

Hey everyone,

I have a beautiful crown-tail Betta called Mr Crankypants and this morning I noticed he had been building himself a bubble-nest next to the nursery net currently containing some sailfin molly babies...

There are no females in the tank, so he's not preparing to breed or anything..... is this normal for a Betta to do when he is without any female company?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

nuckfluckchuckbuck

 

[newfishies]

he's just a happy, content boy!!!

 

[SRC]

Yes it is very normal...that means he's happy and content.

 

[BettaMomma]

You are doing something right cuz he's very happy!
I have 7 betta boys, and right now only 2 of them build nests.

 

[nuckfluckchuckbuck]

Yay!

I thought so, but I just wasn't sure with the lack of female company....

I have a 100 gallon tank arriving next month, so he'll be going in there.... How many females should I add to keep him happy?

 

[newfishies]

i don't think you should add him to a 100 gal. i think that would be too big a tank. also you shouldn'e keep males and females together except when breeding/spawning, as they will fight and rip each other's fins...

 

[BettasRFriends]

100 gallon...you could keep a community of females but do not put a male along with a couple of females because he will attack them. And 100 gallon will be too big just for one male betta (and whatever fish you decide to put inside).

 

[nuckfluckchuckbuck]

i don't think you should add him to a 100 gal. i think that would be too big a tank. also you shouldn'e keep males and females together except when breeding/spawning, as they will fight and rip each other's fins...

Actually - I think you're right... especially in Mr Crankypants' case... he is very cranky sometimes I think females would just stress him out and make him flare like mad.....

Didn't know about the 100 gallon tank thing though... I was only going to keep small species in there (just as I do now in my 26 gallon) so assumed he would still be fine - just with a lot more room to swim around.... I honestly didn't think you could ever give them too much

Is it because of things like pressures within the water in a deeper tank? Is there a genuine reason for it?

 

[newfishies]

the 100 gal is a lot of territory for him to patrol and defend, which is what they like to do! it is probably fairly deep which also would mean a lot of work for him to get to the surface to breathe. he would probably get tired/stressed and maybe ill as a result!

edit i forgot to metion, i love his name!!!! i call my friends that when they are grumpy!!

 

[nuckfluckchuckbuck]

Of course - I forgot about their need to breath at the surface

It will be about 24 inch deep.... compared to my current 16 inch deep one, that's quite a difference

Oh well, I suppose I can still consider it..... he's still very young and very active..... there would be no harm in trying once the tank is fully ready, right?

As long as I kept a close eye to see if he was struggling when he went the surface... I could always just pop him back into the smaller tank if he looks like he is, couldn't I?

Then again.... as someone mentioned earlier, maybe I could use the space of a 100 gallon one to house several females, then I could keep him in the smaller tank and add them to his tank when he looks like he's building a nest again?

Ooh - baby crowntails......!!!

EDIT : That's 100 gallon, not 1000 gallon (I wish!)

 

[BettaMomma]

Oh well, I suppose I can still consider it..... he's still very young and very active..... there would be no harm in trying once the tank is fully ready, right?

As long as I kept a close eye to see if he was struggling when he went the surface... I could always just pop him back into the smaller tank if he looks like he is, couldn't I?

I wouldn't even consider risking it.
My only betta casualty to date has been one that I thought would be a good thing in transferring him to a larger tank.

If he's so happy in the tank he's in right now that he's making bubble nests, I would SERIOUSLY just leave him right where he is.

Besides, males and females should NEVER be put in together except when breeding.

 

[nuckfluckchuckbuck]

Oh well, I suppose I can still consider it..... he's still very young and very active..... there would be no harm in trying once the tank is fully ready, right?

As long as I kept a close eye to see if he was struggling when he went the surface... I could always just pop him back into the smaller tank if he looks like he is, couldn't I? 

I wouldn't even consider risking it.
My only betta casualty to date has been one that I thought would be a good thing in transferring him to a larger tank.

If he's so happy in the tank he's in right now that he's making bubble nests, I would SERIOUSLY just leave him right where he is.

Besides, males and females should NEVER be put in together except when breeding.

Hi BettaMomma....

I'm looking at the pictures of those Betta's of yours and I'm thinking "listen to BettaMomma"!! (they're beautiful!! )

Thanks for the advice.... again, the thought struck me that perhaps if I've made him so happy to build a bubble nest, he's best left right there!

I think I'll do what I mentioned above and just keep some females in the larger tank when it arrives... then perhaps slowly introduce one to him in his smaller tank when he builds a nest again....

I've been reading a little about breeding them, and the genetics is absolutely fascinating (if not rather - nay - RIDICULOUSLY hard to understand )

Having a large tank to house some females could be a good opportunity to try my hand at it. I my Betta's!!!

 

[purple_drazi]

I just had to jump in and say that I LOVE the name Mr Crankypants!

 

[nuckfluckchuckbuck]

heh heh

everyone likes his name

I really need to get a digital camera so I can take a picture.... he's a flame red colour, with white tips going round in a semi circle shape round all his tail/fins.... When he stretches out in an almost perfect crowntail shape, he gets stripes of iridescent blue across his white... kind of like a black light effect when you wear a white t-shirt under it...I love him to bits

 

[Bettaman]

Your name is a bit of a handle as well..... nuckfluckchuckbuck