My Betta’s Tank has a Bunch of Bubbles! Is my Betta Okay!?

I’m sure you’ve rushed here in a panic thinking that your betta fish is sick or something is wrong with your tank. 

Take a breath. It’s okay. Your betta is fine.

I remember the first time my betta fish blew bubbles, I freaked out and thought that I had killed him. For us, our betta started blowing bubbles the second day that we had him and I thought that there was an issue with the fish tank we got him.

I was quickly relieved to learn that bubbles are very common occurrences in male betta tanks and that they are something that should make you feel happy.

So let’s break it down, why does my betta’s tank have so many bubbles and is my betta fish okay?

WHAT ARE THESE BUBBLES?

Well, I’m glad you asked! We like to call them Bubble Nests! They actually mean your little one is ready to mate and is good and healthy!

DOES EVERY BETTA BLOW BUBBLES?

No, not all bettas fish blow bubble nests.

Bubble nests are only created by male bettas and even at that, not all male bettas will blow bubbles.

For us, Blub blows nests while Flub doesn’t. Most commonly Blub blows his nests whenever we change the water in his tank, which definitely makes sense!

SO WHY BUBBLES?

Also glad you asked! Bettas mate externally.

The male Betta will blow bubbles while the female secures the eggs in these nests.

Since most wild Bettas live in shallow water there isn’t much oxygen, so the Bubbles ensure a nice clean oxygen-filled space for the little ones to thrive! Male Bettas are actually the keepers of the eggs and help protect them from danger! (Isn’t that pretty cool?)

HOW TO GUARANTEE BUBBLE NESTS

Well, yes and no. Again, not all Bettas are going to blow bubbles. Some quick tips would be:

Make sure to clean water regularly. I usually recommend 1/3 water changes once a week. If your tank sides start to get dirty, definitely do a 100% water change, but Betta’s can sometimes get shocked or stressed when you completely change the water. (Make sure you are always using conditioner. This is a must!)

Use a waterfall filter! A lot of tanks have pretty awesome settings. I recommend setting the waterfall to gentle!

Use a heater if your tank is 3 gallons or more. Bettas like to live in 78-82 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to keep your tank away from open windows (as that can drastically change the water temperature.)

Make your Betta’s living space comfy! If you need a list of things we use in our tank check out this article we posted. It’s pretty thorough and there’s plenty of articles out there in case you need a helping hand!

SHOULD YOU TRY TO MAKE YOUR BETTA BLOW BUBBLES?

Nah, it shouldn’t be your top priority.

Honestly, bubbles are mostly for folks who are trying to breed Bettas. As long as you’re keeping your Bettas tank clean and you’re feeding them regularly you’re all set!