My Husband's Feeling Sorry For My Bettaboy Building His Many Nests

[wendyngd]

I asked him if he wanted to breed bettas--and that stopped him cold!

My betta's been building lots of beautiful bubble nests after I do a water change--but they don't always last very long--probably because I have a small filter on the tank.

Wasn't there some substance someone mentioned that might help keep his nests intact longer---almond leaf or some such thing?
Regards, Wendy

 

[alessasavoca]

I asked him if he wanted to breed bettas--and that stopped him cold!

My betta's been building lots of beautiful bubble nests after I do a water change--but they don't always last very long--probably because I have a small filter on the tank.

Wasn't there some substance someone mentioned that might help keep his nests intact longer---almond leaf or some such thing?
Regards, Wendy

There is something you can buy that has had quite good reviews. As far as I'm aware it contains almond leaf extract, it makes his bubblenest more sticky and should darken the water (helps with breeding).

I'll try and find it for you hold on a sec...



P.S is that your boy in your avatar?

 

[alessasavoca]

http/www.bluebettausa.com/almondleafextract.htm

have a look at this

 

[wendyngd]

http/www.bluebettausa.com/almondleafextract.htm

have a look at this

Thanks so much. That is so cool. I'm sure I can find it at my lfs or mail order it! BUt, no breeding here--we've only had molly fry! I'm not up to breeding bettas--though I just love them so much!

That avatar is not my guy, but it's funny, it looks like him. I haven't taken a picture of him yet. Still getting over losing my last betta a couple of months ago--such a warm sweetie. Had his avatar up there for a while and had to take a generic one, 'cause it ws just too sad to see him.

Thanks for asking, though!

-Wendy

 

[alessasavoca]

Good luck breeding your broody boy ! If I wasn't in the UK I'd ask for babies hehe.

How long have you had betta's for ?

 

[wendyngd]

I guess a couple of years. My husband brought one home--set up a tank--and I gave it no mind--having grown up with dogs and cats--thought fish were just boring. And then one day, I noticed this betta getting all excited and friendly when I came over to the tank--And I was hooked! This is my fourth in a couple of years. Otherwise, we have a couple of mollies and a very silly, fat orange catfish. These mollies were part of a brood? born here last summer--with about 30 others!

But, it's hard for me to be so attached to fish. They are so delicate and die so easily. I grieve every one of them--my own and the members' fishies I read about on this forum!

How about you? What's your fish history? And where in the UK are you?

-Wendy

 

[wendyngd]

I guess a couple of years. My husband brought one home--set up a tank--and I gave it no mind--having grown up with dogs and cats--thought fish were just boring. And then one day, I noticed this betta getting all excited and friendly when I came over to the tank--And I was hooked! This is my fourth in a couple of years. Otherwise, we have a couple of mollies and a very silly, fat orange catfish. These mollies were part of a brood? born here last summer--with about 30 others!

But, it's hard for me to be so attached to fish. They are so delicate and die so easily. I grieve every one of them--my own and the members' fishies I read about on this forum!

How about you? What's your fish history? And where in the UK are you?

-Wendy

I'm signing off--have to get some sleep--work in the am-

thanks for the support-
-Wendy

 

[alessasavoca]

I just realised I wrote 'betta's' no apostrophe needed, bah it's too early in the morning and I've been at work for over an hour already .

I have kept fish on and off for the past 5 years, and when I moved in with my boyfriend in our flat, we both knew we couldn't have any animals (both love dogs and cats-had to leave them at home!) so we invested in a 120l tank to keep tropicals in.

Had our first betta, he was a gorgeous blue boy, in with our danios and bottom dwellers. He got on really well 'til some idiot man reccommended rummy nose tetras to keep with him (should have known better I know but I trusted this bloke- needless to say not anymore) who ripped his fins to shreds. I tried so hard to save him but he died.

Left it a couple of months and we were in Pets@Home (a chain pet store - only go there for dry supplies) and I saw this gorgeous pinky betta with light blue fins. He came over to us and was looking at us as if to say 'Buy me!' so we did. He's getting on really well, had him 3 weeks now. He loves all the space and when I come home from work he swims up to say hello!

His fins are a bit tatty from being in a tank with numerous other fish at the pet store but they are slowly getting better.

Oh, and I'm from Dorset, in England. Don't know if you know it?

P.S I know what you mean about fish deaths, but to me every animal is special and I get upset when mine/others fish die too.

 

[wendyngd]

Hi-

Sorry it took me a couple of days to get back to you. Worked late a couple of nights and not only do I 'conk' out when I get home--but my husband usually "hogs" the laptop which I could us while in bed.

So sad about your first blue betta. Such a terrible loss! I lost a beloved one about a month ago. I still miss him as this new guy has a different kind of personality and is more aloof. I always said that my bettaboy was like a puppy--coming to the edge of the tank (like yours does) to say hello-when I was around. I loved hearing about your guys. It is amazing how attached we can become to these little fish.

Re Dorset. Have to admit I google mapped it. I think my old flatmate may have been from there ---I lived in London's West End in 1975 for the summer--when I was 20-now I'm 52. I traveled a little bit on my own that summer--went south on the train--through Tunbridge Wells and stayed over in Hastings. I grew up at a beach on Long Island in New York and wanted to see what your beaches looked like--beautiful, though no sand!!

I love England--still have some old family friends there who I hear from sometimes at Xmas. Haven't been there since 1985--wow--a long time ago. Since I met my honey 13 years ago and got married 7 yrs ago, most of our vacations are down to Southeastern U.s.--Florida--as that is where my (step) son--now 21--has been living. (I'm not complaining =we usually go to this warm clime during the cold winter.) I hope to return to England again one day and travel around a bit more.

Whoops, pardon to the forum if I've strayed from the fish.

Warmly,
Wendy

 

[alessasavoca]

Hope I've been of some help to you, it's a small world as my boyfriend is originally from Hastings! We have sandy beaches over Dorset way in Bournemouth and Poole it's a lovely place to live but I would like to visit America one day. How you getting on with your broody boy?

Alessa

 

[wendyngd]

Hope I've been of some help to you, it's a small world as my boyfriend is originally from Hastings! We have sandy beaches over Dorset way in Bournemouth and Poole it's a lovely place to live but I would like to visit America one day. How you getting on with your broody boy?

Alessa

Hi-

That's a coincidence--about Hastings! My broody boy is his usual aloof self unless I walk near the tank--then he looks at me for food. When I give him flakes in the morning, instead of dried worms, I always get the feeling that he's probably thinking,"Okay, mom, Now where''s my REAL FOOD?"

I am suddenly getting a lot of brown algae in his tank--but, reading up, I think it might be due to this being a fairly new tank.

I would love to meet you some day if and when you visit America--especially New York, where I am. Just let me know.

I'm pretty bummed out tonight because I'm losing another molly (in another tank) to swim bladder disorder!! She's been fighting it off for a week or so quite gallantly as I tried to get her to eat peas, etc. It's sad because she and her brother are the last of the mollies left in that tank that were born there in the last year--and he looks forlorn--he kept nudging her and chasing her today so she couldn't get any peace--(probably kept her alive longer). Now, she looks spent and on her way out. The only other company in that 10 gallon tank is a fat, funny orange catfish...We'll probably get more soon.

This is the part about raising fish that I hate the most--all of the loss and grieving!!

Take care. -wendy