by Jen Harley

Created on: July 18, 2008

The first time I ever owned a betta, I was surprised to find a large mass of bubbles in the corner of his fish tank one morning. I was unaware that bettas were bubble nest builders, meaning that when they reproduce they place the eggs in the mass of bubbles. I read up the subject and was amazed by the mating process of the betta. I was surprised to find that the females are not the nest makers or even the care givers of the babies. This job goes completely to the male.

When the male is ready for a mate he makes a bubble nest along the side or corner of his cage, or along the underside of the leaves of plants in the tank. He does this by forming saliva bubbles in his mouth and repeatedly spitting them in a pile to form a large whitish mass. When the female is introduced to his personal space he will begin to swim around her occasionally brushing against her in an attempt to coax her into releasing her eggs. When she is finally ready to mate, the male will swim tighter around her causing her to release eggs. As she releases her eggs, the male will release sperm as the eggs float to the tank floor. Afterward he will pick them up gently in his mouth and deposit them into his nest. This process will continue until all of the eggs are released, fertilized and placed in the nest. Once the process is complete, the male takes on a defensive role and quickly chases the female from his nest. The female's role in the reproduction process is now over.

Now the male betta will care for the eggs, making sure the bubble nest is in tact and no eggs have fallen out of the nest. He is a very protective father, chasing away any intruders who get too close to his nest. Male bettas will flare out their gills and extend their fins in a defensive mode in order to make themselves look more threatening.

If you are a serious betta breeder, it is best to breed bettas in their own tank to avoid the stress and harm caused from tank mates. The female betta should be removed from the nursery tank once mating is complete since the father will even fight with his mate.

Although male bettas are hardy fish and can stand some less than favorable tank conditions, it is best to always keep them in clean fresh water. Feed them the proper food and keep their tanks clear from other pets that may possibly get a little too interested in them.

I was once shocked when I found a bubble nest on top of my betta's tank, but when I see one now I know that my little fish is a happy healthy creature.

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