# Bubble nest questions



## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Hi, all. I finally set up a spawn tank for Courtland (my avatar male) and my DT green girl. I put in both a piece of bubble wrap and an Indian Almond Leaf, because I didn't know what Courtland might prefer.

As it turns out, he's made his nest mostly under the almond leaf, but extending (or escaping, I'm not sure) to under part of the bubble wrap too (they touch).

Should I cut off the portion of the bubble wrap under which he doesn't have his nest? I'm wondering if it will confuse the female.


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## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

No, don't worry about it. When he picks up the eggs he'll know where to put them.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

^ I usually put an IAL leaf on top of bubblewrap for my males. They don't really need it, but sometimes it helps  But agree, just leave it be.. once you remove the father after the fry are free swimming, you can remove the bubblewrap (leave the leaf in).


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Thank you both. 

This is hard to watch! He keeps chasing her off when she gets near the bubble nest, and he has struck her hard several times. She is now hanging in some java moss with her mouth out of the water breathing hard. :-/ Is this normal, or should I separate them?


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Normal.. a lot of males (and sometimes females) will be aggressive right up until they start to breed.. a lot of times the males need to "beat" the females into submission to breed with them. Has he shown any interest in her, such as going up to her and swimming around her, showing her his fins?

Right now keep an eye on them, let them do their thing.. it can take days for them to breed. Expect nips to fins, scales missing.. common and normal. But if EVERY TIME he sees her he tries to fight her (not just chase her) then you may want to put her in a cup/chimney in the tank near the nest so she is safe, he can work on the nest with her watching and he can start associating her with breeding, etc.


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Yeah, he has done that. The strikes just alarmed me (and her, it seemed). I will keep an eye on them. It is just hard to watch her get beat up and seem frightened!


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Well, they seem to be making progress. She is at least going toward him now and again, though she runs off when he approaches her. Here they are contemplating each other in the spawn tank.


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

LOL. Well, she is finally acting ready, but she is waiting under the bubble wrap, while he seems to want her under the IAL where the main part of his nest is. I guess I confused them by offering them both. :-/ We'll see how it goes!


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

lol They will figure it out.. good luck!


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Sigh. So now the IAL that had his bubble nest in it has sunk, because they're taking so long, and it destroyed his bubble nest in the process.

He still has bubbles absolutely everywhere, so I'll give them a while.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Try placing a piece of bubble wrap under an IAL leaf - it's what I usually do.. I'll have it like that and a spare IAL leaf floating on it's own just in case he chooses that. I just break a large IAL in half to do this.


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