Why won't my male betta build a bubble nest?

Jspigs

Jspigs

There is always more to learn
Aug 5, 2009
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Hi I have had my male betta (Fred) in a 2.5 gallon heated tank filtered by a Red Sea Deco Art Nano Filter on lowest flow and for at least two weeks the ammonia is between .50 and 1.0 (I know I should have cycled my tank before I added Fred but I did not know about cycling when I bought Fred+tank/supplies and Petco neglected to say anything about cycling when I bought every thing:mad: but I am doing every thing I can at the moment to keep Fred alive including adding more of my water conditioner that neutralizes ammonia , I will do a partial water change tonight) but back on topic, Fred wont build a bubble nest which I hear they do when they are happy and healthy (not just when there's a female nearby, I don't have a female) as I said before the filter is on the lowest flow setting so I don't think its because of water movement, any ideas on why Fred won't build a bubble nest? Please respond.
 
My Bettas have built bubblenests while they were temporarily in a gallon bowl (separately of course!) however once they got moved to a heated/filtered tank they quit?! It may be the surface movement even tho it is minimal.............:huh:
 
They won't do it even with a slight water movement, try raising the waer level a bit to decrease it and see. You will also have to really watch that ammonia, you should be doing daily water changes of at least 50% until it cycles.
 
It's not a necessity for them to build nests by any means. Some will build them all the time, some only once in a long while even in perfect conditions.
 
As many said before, just keep doing water changes as much as you can. Adding plants will keep Fred much happier and will soften the ammonia/nitrite spikes during cycling. (Anacharis is a safe bet... I think all other plants Petco sells are not true aquatic plants.)

A better way to tell if your betta is happy is by watching him swim. Bettas are very curious and like to explore nooks and crannies of your tank. They are actually very avid swimmers unlike the ones in the jars. I keep my filter on the highest setting and it doesn't bother him; just give him some safe zones with some pots or decorations on the bottom for when he sleeps. During the day he's always swimming/exploring. A weak betta will not be able to tolerate high currents...

Bettas only build nests when something has stimulated their breeding sense. A sudden change in water level, temperature, chemistry can sometimes induce a betta to build a nest even without a female. Some bettas are easily stimulated compared to others. Others are stimulated for no apparent reason at all...
 
They don't always build nests right away and they can be happy even though they aren't building a bubble nest. Betta's are usually thrilled (in my opinion) just to get out of those stupid little cups they keep them in at the petstores.

Also sometimes a Betta may not be in prime breeding condition when you first bring them home. Fred may need some good feed , good water and a little recovery time a chance to get to know his surroundings before he feels moved to build a bubble nest.

You didn't mention but sometimes a live plant or two that reaches the surface can give them something to anchor the bubbles too even in low current situations they can't be easy to build, right?

Keep us posted on how Fred is doing and keep up the water changes even after the tank is cycled those tanks are pretty small after all. Fred is lucky to be out of his cup and loved enough for you to care about him nesting.
 
I've kept bettas in very good conditions for years, and none have ever built a nest. I am wracked with shame. :cry:
 
Jspigs said:
Hi I have had my male betta (Fred) in a 2.5 gallon heated tank filtered by a Red Sea Deco Art Nano Filter on lowest flow and for at least two weeks the ammonia is between .50 and 1.0 (I know I should have cycled my tank before I added Fred but I did not know about cycling when I bought Fred+tank/supplies and Petco neglected to say anything about cycling when I bought every thing:mad: but I am doing every thing I can at the moment to keep Fred alive including adding more of my water conditioner that neutralizes ammonia , I will do a partial water change tonight) but back on topic, Fred wont build a bubble nest which I hear they do when they are happy and healthy (not just when there's a female nearby, I don't have a female) as I said before the filter is on the lowest flow setting so I don't think its because of water movement, any ideas on why Fred won't build a bubble nest? Please respond.
Click to expand...

Is Fred the betta in your avatar? Love the color!

As far as ammonia goes: do 50% water changes daily. If you have an established tank, rinse some bio-media from it in your betta tank, or introduce some substrate from it. Keep ammonia and nitrite down as low as possible (like below 0.25), but refrain from 100% water changes. Slowly decrease the amount of daily water change or switch to every other day. Bacteria multiply exponentially, so once a colony is established they'll quickly adapt to a higher waste-load (or smaller/sparser water changes.)
Apart from water changes, feed VERY sparingly while cycling.
 
There are alot of factors.
Personally, I used indian almond leaves in the tank... and they built great nests!
You should however, properly ready him for building it and breeding. condition him with the best food possible for maybe 2-3 weeks, then indian almons leaves and viola, he should do it. If not, tempt him with the female. lol
 
as others have said, they don't always do this. I've had bettas in the past that were unheated unfiltered bowls that built them like crazy, while the ones I have these days in 80F, filtered (low, no visible movement) heavily planted, 5G tanks refuse. another factor is the individualism of the fish. They're all unique in their 'fishialities' and sometimes are quite uninterested in much of anything. The male I have right now is GORGEOUS but you'd never know it because he just sits on the bottom all day long doing nothing, until he sees me with the food.
 
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