The Bubble Nest: A Betta’s Masterpiece
Why my betta fish is blowing bubbles in the aquarium? This question should be answered for the new owner of the betta fish. In keeping the betta fish, the new owner of the betta fish will face the betta fish blowing bubbles and making bubble nests when it is appropriate for the time of the betta fish cycle.
When the time for proliferating comes, the betta fish that are placed in the tank will show many signs for the owner in order to mate the betta fish with the other betta fish. In order to fulfill the betta fish needs, the owner should prepare many kinds of stuff that can support the betta fish in the way of breeding, one of which should be a large tank that can accommodate two betta fish within it. It is usually the tank that has a large size with 10 gallons of water that can fulfill the tank.
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What is a Bubble nest?
One day you wake up and see a grouping of tiny bubbles at the surface of the water in your betta’s tank. It may be along the tank wall, right in the middle, on the edge of a plant leaf, or another special place in your betta’s tank. What are all of these little clear bubbles you may wonder?
The purpose of a bubble nest
While it’s just fun for us to observe our betta building and tending to his bubble nest, the nest itself actually serves a very important purpose in the spawning process between males and females. A male betta builds a bubble nest as a means of attracting a female to mate. Once the nest and male get the approval of a female and a spawn occurs, the male will place and tend to the fertilized eggs in the nest where they will later hatch.
The building of a bubble nest
If you’re lucky enough to catch your betta blowing bubbles for his nest, which usually takes place in the dark at night, it’s quite an interesting procedure. The male will take in air at the surface, then swim to the area beneath where the nest is being made and release a small bubble or two. The betta will continue this method back and forth until a nest of many bubbles is formed as they build up beneath each other. The actual bubbles are produced with mucous and you will notice they stick well to each other and any surrounding surfaces, which serves as a means to keeping eggs safe in the nest.
The sizes of betta fish’s bubble nests vary among different individuals. This means that one nest may look very different from another. Some bubble nests are very large, spreading further outwards; meanwhile, others remain localized and small. Some are thick, possibly up to one inch thick; while others are just a thin layer of bubbles across the water surface.
Maintaining the bubble nest
Some males will be very determined to maintain their bubble nests every day, while others may lose interest a day or two after the initial building of the nest. Changes in water chemistry can trigger males to build bubble nests, so it’s not uncommon for your betta to make one after a water change or if you’ve just recently brought him home. Don’t worry about removing the bubble nest from the tank during water changes, as the betta is likely to make many more in his time with you.
In nature, it is common for fish to breed around the time of storms when there is a drop in barometric pressure, causing a change in relative water pressure. Therefore due to their instincts, your bettas can often serve as a good predictor of the weather to come in the near future. If you’re expecting rain or snowstorm in a day or two, it’s likely that your betta will greet this with a nice bubble nest.
What if my betta doesn’t blow a bubble nest?
While it can be said that a male blowing a bubble nest on a regular basis is a sign of good health, this is not necessarily the case. Sometimes a sick betta will still blow bubble nests, while a perfectly healthy betta may not. There may be something causing your betta to not blow a bubble nest – are the water conditions less than ideal, is there currently in your tank from a filter, is the water being kept at the proper temperature? Sometimes even with all factors considered a healthy male betta just won’t build a bubble nest. It has also been reported from time to time that some female bettas blow bubble nests, although it is not as common.
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