Not Building

[K.J.]

My male betta, whom I was going to breed, is being a little wierdo. He builds, small nests if he can see a female but then forgets about them! He's almost five months old, is he too young? He's in a lowered-water level 10 gallon tank. The female has been in a chimney for the last couple days. I've had them for two weeks and they're conditioned. The female is eggy.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

If you've only had them two weeks they most probably aren't ready. Even if the female looks eggy and willing doesn't mean the male is. No, 5 months isn't too young but his own inexperience and the stress of only recently joining your home are negative factors. Take the female away, fill his tank up and give him some r&r for a few weeks. Let him settle in for longer and when he seems utterly at home, building nests without the presence of a female, then give him a try. I wouldn't lower the water level either. I've bred in a tank smaller then that with the tank filled to the top as normal. He turned out to be the best Daddy I've yet had. Good luck with him..
P.

 

[K.J.]

Should I move him to a 2 1/2 gallon? The only thing I worry about with water at full level is he'll get tired and not want to retrieve his eggs, seems to me he's the type of fish that doesn't want much to do with anything involving "effort."

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Naw, let him stay in the bigger tank. It's Max's actual home that he bred in. When my boys are still young but moved to their seperate homes I use a light filter to help them get strong as adults. All my girls live in a tank with a pretty strong current and all cope well with it. So givng him a reason to be lazy might not help. If he does appear to be struggling a great deal, or looks stressed then move him to the smaller tank. But I reckon he probably just needs to get a little fitter. Just ensure he's got a floating plant to sit in when he feels the need.
P.

 

[K.J.]

Should he see the female regularly, or not? It seems he only bubblenests when the female is in the chimney.

 

[nemosworld]

i usually just cut a styrofoam cup in half and my fish will use that as a base and let my fish see the female for about an hour a day. i'll usually wake up to find a bubble nest made overnight

 

[K.J.]

He has a styrofoam cup. It's not that he's not building... he is, they're just about quarter-sized and then he forgets about them??