# My burrowing fish and his love of smaller tanks. What do you all think?



## StarSpun (Oct 19, 2010)

Hey all!

Ok, my betta 'Fishwish' (don't ask, lol!) loves to burrow. He started this behavior in his new 4 gallon Biorb and for anyone who knows Biorb media, well, it's pretty sharp. 

When I got Fishwish, he developed some fin rot which I successfully treated. Perhaps it wasn't all heeled up PERFECTLY yet because when he burrowed, well you can guess what happened! There went his beautiful tail and fins!

I have since covered all the rough media with smooth rocks and things were better for him, but I found his tail was not heeling, so I put him in his original tank (a 1/2 gallon) which he actually used to really love in the beginning. 

WELL! Not only is the medication working, but he is also blowing these insane bubble nests! As much as I think he really loves the Biorb, I couldn't understand why he never attempted a bubble nest in it. In the past all his nests happened in this 1/2 gallon one!

Does this mean he likes the smaller tank better?
Thanks guys!


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## danifacetastic (Nov 11, 2010)

Why don't you try getting something in between? Maybe a one or two gallon tank?

I would say if he acts happy in the smaller tanks let him stay in the smaller tanks. Just keep up the water changes and make sure it's heated and all that good stuff. I would at least upgrade to a one or two gallon though and see how that works out....they're much safer to heat as well.


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## StarSpun (Oct 19, 2010)

danifacetastic said:


> Why don't you try getting something in between? Maybe a one or two gallon tank?
> 
> I would say if he acts happy in the smaller tanks let him stay in the smaller tanks. Just keep up the water changes and make sure it's heated and all that good stuff. I would at least upgrade to a one or two gallon though and see how that works out....they're much safer to heat as well.




I may just try that. Thing is, he really did seem happy in the Biorb. Just no bubble nests like in the smaller one. So do the bubble nests in this guys case mean more happiness?


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Maybe the biorb had too much current for him to make a bubblenest?


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## StarSpun (Oct 19, 2010)

bettafish15 said:


> Maybe the biorb had too much current for him to make a bubblenest?



I thought that after the first day, so I turn the filter off and for a bit during the day I turn it on. However, I use one of those things that kinda tunes the bubbles down so there is barely a current at all....maybe I'll try leaving it off entirely for a few days to see what happens. 

For now, I am watching him build this nest even bigger in the small one, ha ha!


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

A 2.5 could work, but that is the smallest you want to go. Possibly the Biorb was so big, he didn't want to build bubblenests, just explore his tank.


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## StarSpun (Oct 19, 2010)

shinybetta said:


> A 2.5 could work, but that is the smallest you want to go. Possibly the Biorb was so big, he didn't want to build bubblenests, just explore his tank.



That could be, because he certainly LOVES to explore that tank. I have way too many things he can tunnel and hide in

I'll see how he does in it in the meantime. I'll give him a chance to make bubble nests in the small tank while I clean out the Biorb


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## nomoretickets (Sep 29, 2010)

My vt would blow bubble nests all day in the divided 10 gallon, but now that it is all to himself he would rather just swim around and explore.


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## Moldau (Sep 5, 2010)

From what I've read on this site, bubblenests aren't really a sign of happiness. It's more of an instinctive thing. So, the lack of a bubblenest in the bigger tank doesn't necessarily mean he's less happy there. Like others have said, he may have been too busy exploring in the bigger tank to build one. If in all other ways he acts happy in the bigger tank, he probably is.


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