anyone know how to encourage a male to nest?

[Layman]

I know the textbook "how to" on the setting of a spawn tank, but does anyone have any little tricks I could try to encourage the making of a bubble nest? Place a male outside the spawn tank in view to make him want to entice a female because of male encroachment into his territory? Cover everything so no outside traffic spooks him? Thoughts, ideas?

[Bolder]

I can only say what I do, I put the female near his tank for 2 days so they can see one another, then I put her in his tank for 5 minutes only, my boy did not like the Styrofoam cup, so I used a piece of plastic cut into a square with a hole cut in the middle for easy air.

After the quick visit, my male started blowing bubbles, the next day I put her back in with him and watched, if he chased and only managed a nip here and there I would leave her in there, I watch the whole time.
If he is still to feisty I take her out for a few hours then later return her, by that time he is well on the way to making his nest. I watch right up until she braves it to go and look at the nest and rub on the male, then she flits off, she waits until he goes to her and does his little dance, that is when I leave them do their own thing.

Got to the point they lived together in the same tank just fine, not trying to nest, but as soon as I put the piece of plastic in, they started nesting straight away.

[Bambi]

1.Let him see the female(move her tank next to his or put her in a vase in the spawn tank).
2.IAL or IAL/blaclwater extract, this helps set the mood and keeps the bubbenest from falling apart.
3. If the above two don't help do a 50% water change and set a male nest to his tank(or in a vase in the spawn tank) for a minute of flare time. He'll think he's got competition for the girly.
4. something to bubblenest on/under. Be it half a styofoam cup, an IAL, bubble wrap, or plants that reach/flat atop the water.

I hang a blanket over the area I have my spawn tank at so I can keep a light on when i have to and not have it keep me up at night, so that might help them, i don't know. xD Mine never spawn when i'm looking, always while I'm away. >.>

[indjo]

To encourage a reluctant male to get into breeding mode, you can flare him for a longer time .... I'm not talking about building a nest, but making him want to breed. For some reason I find that rivalry drives them to breed.

I don't completely open the dividers, I just lift it about 1" or so (depending on fish size) and let them flare for an hour or so. They will not flare the whole time because they must meet at the bottom (they usually surface when fighting). But they will be on "alert" the whole time.

The above suggestions can also work. But sometimes the female might become stressed when placed for too long next to a male, specially if she's in fighting mode. I find it better to flare each with the same sex. Or flare to a "breeding mode" betta (any sex).