Bettas are famed for the bubblenests
they build and some males will blow nests to their hearts content. Massive
ones which can cover a huge area of the surface of the water. They normally
blow bubble nests for breeding purposes and their eggs are kept safely in
the nest as are the newly hatched fry. Many males will simply blow a nest
without the presence of a female but it is usually the stimulus of the female
which causes the them to start building the nest. Once a female is spotted,
the male will studiously build a nest in order to court the female underneath
to spawn with her. He will wrap himself around her, turn her upside down and
the eggs will be expelled from the female. The male will then pick them up
in his mouth coat them with a bubble and place them in the safety of the nest.
Often males will build their nest in amongst plants that float on the surface.
Plants like cabomba which has reached the surface or duckweed as these also
offer cover for the newly hatched fry. Many breeders use styrofoam cups cut
in half and floated in the tank for the males to build under.When a male builds
a nest the temperature needs to be monitored carefully as the nest will break
up if the water is too cold or too hot. a temperature of between 78-81 is
fine. When males build their nests they can be really small from an inch square
up to a massive 6" x 6" it just depends upon the male that you have.
Sometimes the male wont even build a nest until he spawns. Some nests can
be really thick and can lift a styro cup off the surface of the water. The
bubbles are formed when the male takes in air from the surface and coats the
air with saliva blowing it out as a bubble.
