Crazy betta

[Cheart99]

Ok we have a rain storm today and my betta is going crazy in his tank. I have never seen him swiming so much and so fast. He is all over the place. (I love watching him ) Also he has had a bubble nest going for pretty much this whole week now and it is not falling appart . Before he was not swimming much and not blowing a bubble nest so i thought it was becuase he was old. Is it possible that i really bought a big sized young betta and he is only now getting into his reproductive stage?
Also as an update he is no longer afraid of his shadow and reflection, He will flair at the mirror. Wow has anyone else noticed that their betta act different when there is a big rain storm. I bought my betta over chirstmas so i have no idea if this is new activity or if all betta do this.

[amanichen]

Basically, he's sensing the change in pressure, and to him it means get busy breeding.

Storms are usually associated with lower-pressure air, which in turn slightly changes the hydrostatic pressure in water. Humans can't detect this w/o scientific equipment, but fish can easily detect it. Frequent water changes also simulate the chemistry change due to lots of rainfall, and can be another trigger of a breeding instinct.

The reason it triggers a breeding instinct is that a rain storm usually means a temporary spike (by temporary we're talking a few weeks) in the number of insects in/around bodies of water, which means more food for bettas.

[twoluvcats]

yes, bettas are good weather predictors. Some will only build a bubble nest preceeding storms.

[Hannah]

That's how my guy is. A day or two before a rain or snow storm he'll build a bubble nest. Then once the storm comes, he destroys it unless there's another one coming. Kind of cool having my own personal weather man .