What can you do to encourage your male Betta to build a better nest if he has a small nest in the morning but by the end of the day it will be gone?

Answer 1

Well, this only works sometimes. I don't know why you would want to encourage a betta to build a bubble nest but since it does no harm I guess it really doesn't matter! There is no true way I know of to "make" a betta fish build a bubble nest but if you put a medication called Melafix in the tank (properly measured of course) it makes bubbles if there is an air stone or water movement. It made my betta fish make a bubble nest when I used it but the medication will soon not make bubbles. If you use this method, follow the water change guidelines on the bottle so you do not over medicate the tank. This method will also cost you money because Melfix is not that cheap! This is the only way I know of to "make" your betta build a bubble nest for a short period of time.

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The moron who has answered you above here hasn't got a clue....

You would want to have him build a bubble nest so he is ready for the spawning female to be introduced.

You do NOT mess with the water once you have PH correct. Just every second day change ONLY and eighth of the water, ensuring you have added the water ager to eliminate chlorine and other harmful chemicals.

Ensure temp is kept at 26 - 27C or 80 - 82F and do not alter the heater settings. He, the male Siamese Fighter, must be able to see the female but NOT get to her. You need to have them in a tank with no other fish and a clear divider between the 2. After several days they will begin a mating dance, flaring at each other. She will show stripes and her belly will look swollen. The are not ready to put together until he has blown a bubble nest which should be at least the size of his body. Some floating plants will assist in stabalising the nest. Turn off your filter system for 2 reasons, 1 it will disrupt the nest and 2 the fry do not like totally clean water. Now do not change any more water as you've done a few times every couple of days...... NO MORE DISRUPTIONS once his bubble nest is present. Now introduce her to him. They will fight, nip each others fins and get very rough. Expect that you may lose her in this spawning process. Don't take pitty on her and separate them again until he has squeezed the eggs out of her. He will float above her and sort of wrap himself around her. He might look like he's killing her.... leave them alone. Don't touch the tank. Once he has the eggs, which he fertilizes with his sperm as she releases them, he will suck them up and spit them up into the bubble nest. When he is doing this and tending to the nest and eggs and she is looking half dead, take her out and put her back into your main aquarium into a breeding net for a couple of days so she is not attacked and can regain her strength. Keep feeding her good food like blood worms and mosquito larva. He will tend to the nest and does not need her. In fact he will kill her if she's left with him and her eggs. In 2 days the eggs will hatch. He will continue to look after them, putting them into his mouth to clean them and turn them, etc. In another 2 days the fry will begin to free swim. Once they can do this you need to remove him. Put him into your main aquarium if you don't have any other males or if you do have another, give him away to an aquarium store. You have to by liquid fry food. The babies cannot eat flake or anything else for a couple of weeks. Liquifry is the best. Good luck. If you get them to live, in a couple of months you must separate the males, give or sell them to the aquarium store along with any females you don't want to keep.