# Have you ever seen a betta make a bubble nest?????



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

well now I have! I'm sitting on my couch watching my big boy Ronnie make a bubble nest as I type this. I managed to get a crappy video and I posted it on instagram. I got as close as I could but everything I tried to go closer he would swim away. 

Check out the video  (oh and follow me for cute fish photos if you want). 

http://instagram.com/p/wUhb5GH1PY/


----------



## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

That's so neat! I never get to see them made they just magically appear when I get home from work. It's so weird but I'm always proud of my little plakat when he makes one. I wish there was a way to tape it my refrigerator.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

He's still building it too. I tried to take a peak to see how big it was but he is building it underneath a couple of leaves at the surface. He definitely doesn't like when I get close to the tank. He starts flaring like crazy. He's very protective of his nest.


----------



## aselvarial (Feb 21, 2014)

I have 5 bettas, 4 of which make nests, and I've only seen them actually building it 2-3 times in the last year. The first time I just sat down next to the tank and watched him build it for like half an hour. Fascinating isn't it?!


----------



## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

VivianKJean said:


> He's very protective of his nest.


Mine is the same way! He won't even eat if he has a nest going. I could seriously pull up a chair and watch it all day. I hope I get to see it in person at least once.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

aselvarial said:


> I have 5 bettas, 4 of which make nests, and I've only seen them actually building it 2-3 times in the last year. The first time I just sat down next to the tank and watched him build it for like half an hour. Fascinating isn't it?!


It is amazing. I glanced over and saw Ronnie does this weird thing in the corner of this tank and I walked over to see if something was wrong and as I got closer I realized what he was doing and immediately went to find my phone to get a video of it!



MikeG14 said:


> Mine is the same way! He won't even eat if he has a nest going. I could seriously pull up a chair and watch it all day. I hope I get to see it in person at least once.


It really is worth seeing. I'm still watching him out of the corner of my eye. I don't want to scare him.


----------



## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

My VT was in a 5g on my desk and he was obsessive about making and maintaining his nests, he didn't care if I watched unless I stuck my face near the glass. Got a video of it but I'll have to wait till I got access to better internet. 

When I finally had to remove the real leaf it was under, he started tail ripping and hasn't stopped since. I put another leaf in for him but he wouldn't nest again >.<


----------



## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

Cute video!

Yes I have seen my little VT boy Button make a few bubblenests.He hardly makes them anymore but he used to all the time.He would make them under his IAL and when I had to replace his leaf during water changes he would be starting on his new one before I had even finished cleaning up,lol.He was always busy making them,so cute.I think he has lost interest now as he is getting a little older and he likes to relax more these days.


----------



## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Awesome videos! My guys/girls are to sneaky about it. Like seriously. They don't like me watching them to build a nest, it's really annoying haha. They build it in the morning. And I'm not a morning person, or in the night when I'm going to bed, well atleast those are the times I predict lol.


----------



## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

I love listening to them make bubbles - a little soft metallic "plink" that you can catch if you listen very closely, then they look at their bubble carefully, and reconsider: "well, maybe it would be better over here ... *plink*" The funny thing is that when they see you watching them, they stop and give you a stink eye and only return to their masterpieces once you turn the light off


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Well my big boy definitely didn't like when i tired to take a video. He would swim off and wouldn't come back to building until it "seemed" like I wasn't watching. if he was more comfortable I would have pulled out my digital camera and recorded it (here comes the photographer in me) and got proper lighting on the tank.


----------



## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

I've been able to watch Grievous work on a nest a few times. It's fascinating to watch the little bubbles pop out of their mouth!


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I actually got to watch my boy, Xerxes, build one for a bit just a little while ago. I showed him my short shiny metallic dark blue pen, he flared and dance and went off in the corner.. starting a nest! I think he saw the pen as a sexy betta girl. He got mad at me for taking pictures and I think he's stopped building for now (might work on it more during lights out?).


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I just did a water change and had to wreak the bubble nest. I sit back down on the couch and look over to see Ronnie reconstructing it!


----------



## Bettalovinmomma (May 28, 2014)

It's very neat to watch them build a nest. My first guy never even attempted to build a nest until I put an IAL leaf in his tank. Now he always has one going around the leaf. I've never seen him make it though.

My second guy makes them all the time, even more so now that he has the IALs too. I catch him building the bubbles, but if I try to photograph him or video, he stops.


----------



## countyrd419 (Apr 6, 2013)

Patriot one time built a bubble nest partially inside his betta tube and then the rest extended outside into the upper right hand corner. His latest bubble nest is right near where his tank lid (dum dum) doesn't he know that is where his food gets dropped for feeding? Yes, I have watched him decide where to place the bubbles. He sometimes glances and looks maybe this spot or that. They do have a mind of their own our fishes. Has anyone decorated their tanks for Christmas. I know I have posted my tank picture already.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I won't be decorating in the tank but I bought a poinsettia I might set up in front of cookie jar and bubble bowl.


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Mishi doesn't mind an audience when he builds his, he built one the very first week with me. I pulled up a chair once infront his tank not 6 inches away from the glass, he came over to wiggle and sit with me for a few minutes, then over to the back of the tank to work on his bubble nest like I wasn't even there. But don't pull out the camera, otherwise construction grinds to a screeching halt.

He also built one under the IAL I had in his tank, I didn't realize it was there when I stuck my finger in his tank to see what he would do (mind you, he eats bloodworms off my fingers), and what do I see, FLARE and he chases my finger around the tank. He got in a pretty good nip too when I slowed down so I wouldn't pull up the plant and didn't make the turn fast enough.

Edit: Bought a 12 inch tree for just outside his tank, now to find some miniature lights to decorate it.


----------



## EBT (Jul 13, 2014)

I love reading everyone's reply's......since "Buddy" is my first Betta...(or fish for that matter).....I love his behavior. He builds a nest at least once a week, different sizes and I always praise him (I know....nuts). He looks like he's knitting bubbles, usually in the same corner. To me Betta are fascinating.


----------



## BettaStarter24 (Mar 24, 2014)

I've watched Jasper making his. sammy always catches me watching. from where I sit at school I can only see jasper and sammy's tanks so I haven't seen the others working on theirs but all five of my boys have nests. Jasper only builds his over his purple plant. I moved the plant around last WC and he built it over that plant. If I move it to the other side he'll build there. He also sleeps in his purple plant.


----------



## countyrd419 (Apr 6, 2013)

Here is a very short video of Patriot taking care of his bubble nest which he made last week. Unfortunately, he is going to get a water change real soon and thus the nest will be destroyed. Hope he won't get upset but it is all for his health. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kphodd/15377854824/


----------



## Magickarp05 (Nov 26, 2014)

Alpha made his first one today. He built it around the heater in his tank.


----------



## jewelqueen17 (Dec 18, 2014)

My DTHM always builds his bubble nests behind the filter, but the outflow eventually gets to them and they tend to disappear overnight. Usually they're not there in the morning, then I come back from classes and poof! there's this huge bubble nest stretching the length of the area behind the filter. Like magic.


----------



## averyecho (May 2, 2014)

Yes. Several times, actually.
Smaug used to make 'em all the time, right in front of me. It was so cool to watch. Unfortunately, he's gotten much older (he's somewhere around 5 as I write this) and I haven't seen him even try to make one in 2 years.
My two girls had a bubblenesting contest once- yes, my girls- but they both stopped after they noticed I was watching. I haven't seen them make one since then, although I have found some stray bubbles on Sapphire's side of the tank.
Pi made a really huge one, but I only got to see the last few bubbles.
The last time I saw it was with Patriot a few days ago, but he only half-built it, flared at it, and tried to eat it (yeah, he's that weird).


----------

