You may have noticed when looking at male bettas in the fish store that there is a cluster of tiny bubbles around the rim of their container. You may have even seen your own betta methodically blowing bubbles in your home aquarium. Well this isn’t because your betta is sick or bored. Your betta is doing what he does best. He’s preparing to care for his young. Several betta species are bubble nest builders including the most common, Betta splendens species. In nature, the males build the nest by clustering small bubbles on the surface of the water or under leaves or debris. When their nest is ready they coax a female underneath where they spawn. The females release the eggs, which are quickly collected by the males. The females do not participate in the protection of the eggs or the rearing of fry. Instead it is left entirely to the male who will closely guard the nest, warding off predators and collecting any eggs that may fall and returning them to the nest. After a few days the eggs hatch and the young fry continue to utilize the shelter of the bubble nest until they are ready to go on their own.

Some males will frequently blow bubbles and you may find new nests on a weekly or even daily basis. Others may only blow a few nests a year. Healthy males tend to blow nests more often so if you see one consider it a good sign that your betta is happy and healthy. (A good sign doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to monitor your water parameters closely. Keep up with those water changes!) On the other hand, a lack of bubble nests doesn’t necessarily mean that your betta isn’t healthy. As mentioned earlier, not all bettas build nests regularly. The slightest current in your tank can discourage bubble nests too. Many betta keepers opt to cycle a tank and keep a filter running to create a more stable and healthy environment but may see less nesting due to the filter current. If this is your situation you could try to add some floating plants, float a styrofoam cup cut in half (to build a nest under) or try an adjustable flow filter. Bubble nests are great to observe but aren’t a necessity unless you are trying to breed bettas so don’t worry if you don’t see one.

As Murphy’s Law would have it, males love to surprise their humans with a nest right on the morning of their water change. Upon finding such a gift, most of us procrastinate on cleaning the tank for fear it will upset the betta. Of course, this isn’t very good for our fish’s health so here are two good tips. It’s ok to destroy a bubble nest. 55 gallon fish tank terrariumHe’ll get over it and will build you a new one. 3 foot fish tank cabinetClean water is much more important. cheap 55 gallon fish tank hoodIgnore the barking and furious fin wag. custom fish tank hoods uk

You’re bigger then he is.Ok, you can scoop out the nest with a plastic cup or spoon and set it aside while you change the water and then ever so gently replace the bubbles back in the new tank. Rate this article: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) © 2017 All Rights Reserved Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Contact uscorner fish tank holbeachUnder Gravel or Undergravel Filterscheap custom made fish tanks Under gravel filters are any filters where the water is drawn through the gravel as the primaryThe portion of the filter you will purchase is a plastic grate that keeps the gravel off of the bottom of the tank, lift tubes to deliver water, and power heads or an air pump to move the water. Under gravel filters consist of a plastic grate or "filter plate" which lies under the gravel of the tank.

This plate allows water to flow freelyWater is drawn through the gravel (which acts as a mechanical and biological filter). water, you can use either power heads or air pumps. A power head will pump water out of the top of the lift tube and into the tank, and air pump will blow bubbles at the bottom of the lift tubes and the bubbles water up the lift tube and into the tank. As water is moved out of the lift tube, it is replaced with water from under the filter plate, which in turn pulls water through the gravel where it is cleaned. gravel it self provides mechanical filtration by catching large free-floating particles. as well as the filter plate, tank bottom, and lift tubes, provide a bed for the bacteria of a biological filter. filters primarily provide biological filtration. With an under gravel filter you neither have to nor want to changeHowever, you will need to clean the gravel regularly. way to do this is by using a gravel vacuum

and cleaning 1/4-1/3 of the gravel each time you do your weekly water change. This is necessary to prevent the gravel from "channeling," where the debris collecting in the gravel blocks some passages and forces the water through channels, resulting in decreased water flow and reduced exposure to the bacteria that clean theUnder gravel filters are generally the lowest maintenance filters and are the cheapest to keep running. Some under gravel filters come with carbon cartridges that fit the top of the lift tubes. These are unnecessary and can be dangerous. is not enough carbon in these cartridges to provide sufficient chemical filtration, if you are running your filter with an air pump, you are not moving enough water through the carbon to provide good chemical filtration, and the carbon will restrict (and may even stop) water flow through theAdditionally, when the carbon becomes saturated, it is possible for it to begin to release other toxins into your tank.

you do decide to use carbon cartridges with your under gravel filter, you should replace them at least three times a month. remove any carbon from the tank or filter before you medicate (if the carbon is working, it Also remember that water will follow the path of leastIf there is an area of the filter plate that is exposed (possibly by digging fish), or if you have a power head on one side and an air stone on the other, you may not have any filtration from your under gravel filter. Under gravel filters, when properly maintained, provide efficient would strongly recommend an under gravel filter for the first filter in a basic tank. You don't have to tear up your tank to clean your filter with an under gravel filter, because to clean it, all you have to do is siphon off the accumulated debris in the gravel when you do your regular water Though some people claim that under gravel filters are unreliable or even dangerous, these claims are