Bubble Nest Where Some Fish Lay Eggs

A bubble nest sounds weird but it’s vital for some fish. Have you ever seen hundreds if not thousands of tiny bubbles on the surface of your tank? Certain fish like some catfish and Gouramies along with betta fish. Who is the more famous for doing this like building bubble nests?

Let’s look at what these nests are for and why they make them.

What Are Bubble Nests

Bubble nests are nests made by males to give somewhere safe for females to spawn their eggs these nests keep the eggs from predators and allow the parents to guard them until they hatch.

Who Builds These Bubble Nests

Most of the time males build the bubble nest. They start to build these nests once they are ready to mate. They normally have a female in mind when building the nests.

The reason they build these bubble nests is for the eggs to be somewhere safe as it’s them that will be looking after the eggs.

What Happens After The Bubble Nest Is Ready

The males usually entice the female over to the nest. This may be done in a number of ways either via a display of color or dance. In the case of some betta, there will be a coupling where they wrap themselves around each other and he squeezes her until she releases her eggs. Then he catches those eggs on his tail and fertilizes them then carries the eggs to the nest.

Do They Protect The Nest

Yes, indeed the males usually protect the eggs and the nest from predators. They will stand guard until the eggs have hatched in some cases up to a week or so. Although most species of nest builders will hatch their eggs in a few days.

Do Males Build These Bubble Nests With No Females

Males will build bubble nests even if on their own. This is nothing to worry about and signifies that he’s happy. They would only build a nest if they are content with their surroundings so take it as a complement. You must be doing something right to have a happy healthy fish.

How Often Do Fish Make Bubble Nests

Fish tend to make bubble nests once they are ready to mate. This can vary greatly even for the same species of fish. In general, they do this every few days up till very few months so quite a gap between fish. It all depends on that particular fish and how they feel.

How Old Are Fish When They Start Making Bubble Nests

Fish will start making nests once they are mature enough. They have to be ready to mate and fertilize the eggs in order to make bubble nests. The ages range from 8-12 weeks of age this is when they are normally ready for nest building.

Should You Destroy A Bubble Nest

It can stress a fish if they spent time making a nest. Only for you to come along and destroy it so leave the nest. At least for a few days before removing that way the fish should be ok and you can clean the tank.

Do All The Eggs Stay In The Nest

All the eggs are usually placed there by the parents. The male is normally guarding the nest and the eggs so they should remain in the nest. If an egg does fall out more often than not the male will catch the rogue egg and return it to the nest.

If An Egg Falls Out Of The Bubble Nest And Is Not Returned

Although this is possible an egg can fall out undetected it’s rare that it’s not seen and returned if it’s been left it may well be infertile or rotten.

Do Fish Eat Eggs From The Bubble Nest

Fish will eat eggs from the bubble nest. These eggs are most probably unfertilized eggs as most fish will eat unfertilized eggs and leave the fertilized eggs to be hatched.

How To Encourage Fish To Build A Bubble Nest

The best thing to do is make sure the fish is happy and healthy. Feeding them a good carried diet is always good. Making sure the water parameters are correct for your fish is vital too. If you have done these and your fish seems happy and still doesn’t want to make a bubble nest.

Try putting a female in the tank with him to give him some extra incentive.

How Long Does It Take To Make A Bubble Nest

Most fish will make a nest in a few hours. There are plenty of hobbyists that have seen fish make a bubble nest in an hour. Some fish take a good few hours even a whole day to prepare the nest.

People like to say it depends on how much he likes her as to how quickly the nest gets built.

Bubble Nests Conclusion

Bubble nests are an ingenious way for fish to mate fertilize and store their eggs until it’s time for them to hatch. They also give somewhere for the parents to guard making survival rates better for those eggs. They come in all shapes and sizes as well as being built in different ways and time frames.

Fish can also build them for fun even when not mating or looking after eggs. They show the fish is happy and healthy on the whole.

I hope you enjoyed the read and feel free to look around the site ill leave you with some great articles from the do fish series of posts.