Betta Bubbles!

[Richard Parker]

Hello everyone! I am having a bit of a problem here... last Martin Luther King Jr. day I went out and got this beautiful Halfmoon Betta. He is blue, and the tips of his fins are a pretty violate color. I named him Richard Parker (Absolutely no Life of Pi reference there ). It has been about a week and a half, and I have cleaned his tank once. It is a small 1/2 gallon tank, but I am planning in getting a filtered 10 gallon tank. When I woke up this morning and went to feed him, I noticed a clump of bubbles in one corner (mostly one corner) and in other spots around the edge of the tank. I have been reading about this, and what I read said that it is either Ammonia and Nitrate build-up or he is making a bubble nest because he is ready to reproduce. I assume it is the second scenario, because it is thick and not really spread out around the tank, but, I don't know. I will post a picture of it for you guys (I use 'guys' as a plural to people of both genders. I am not trying to discriminate. ). Thank you!

[Richard Parker]

Sorry for the quality of the picture. I'll try to upload a better one.

[eatmice2010]

Don't worry its a bubble nest he'll be fine.

[Richard Parker]

Here are better pictures.

[Richard Parker]

Thank you very much! I really needed help.

[sainthogan]

Most definitely a bubble nest.

[Myates]

Means he has staked claim to the tank :) Or there is a storm brewing near you :)

[Richard Parker]

Yes, there was a storm near me... What does that mean, though? is it just a reflex, or something?
or
P.S I live in Florida, so there are storms a lot!

[Myates]

Unsure exactly why, but may have to do with the pressure and such with a storm.. in nature the monsoon season runs from about May to October, which in the middle is prime breeding time.

So I'm thinking instincts hit him, storm coming, pressure dropping.. mating comes to mind.. and out comes the nest "just in case". It's just an instinct, some bettas follow it more than others. Some do it to stake territory.. I'm thinking it's a mix of breeding (storm) and territory for you as he is brand new.

Some males are a bit pickier when it comes to nest building.. I had 3 males build nests night before last (none can see one another) when all those storms hit mid country with the tornados. So they really loved the rain and storms lol.. and I have another older male that will only build a nest if I place a leaf into his tank. No leaf = no nest with him lol

[Green4011]

My betta made his first bubble nest the day after I showed him a mirror and he got all feisty! It must be territorial for him =P I actually logged on just to check about the bubbles. I was hoping it meant that he was healthy and settling into his tank.