Female Betta Behavior

Question
Female in 1/2 gal tank with pebbles and some toy plastic bottle she sleeps in.  I've read that females blow or "lay" bubbles for mating. She began this again last night 7/24. There is no male in the house to fertilize, and today 7/25 she seems "colorless" and very sad. She is lying on top of the rocks near a small opening under the bottle.  My daughter swears she saw little "brown round things" under there that she thinks the fish is guarding.  Any enlightenment would be appreciate about female behavior.  I'm kind of worried.

Answer
Hi Gena;

Male bettas are the ones with the long fins and make bubble nests. The females have shorter fins and don't do any 'parenting' at all. They lay the eggs and the male takes them after he fertilizes them and spits them out into the floating bubble nest. He then cares for the babies even after they hatch. It's really cool.

If your betta has lost it's color and seems faded and listless it may be from decaying waste or food on the bottom. That may be what your daughter is seeing on the bottom. Clean the tank and he/she will probably feel better. Even if it is a female and she laid eggs they will decay and foul the water like waste or food does. It is very common to see decaying waste and think it is eggs. Decaying things start to look bigger and fuzzy or just slimy looking with a gel-like coating, kind of like a fish egg.  

Betta tank water should be changed once a week in tanks that are 1/2 gallon or larger. (Change the water twice a week if the tank is less than 1/2 gallon.) Be sure to use a water conditioner. The new water needs to be the same temperature as the old water. Tap water is just fine to use. It isn't necessary to use bottled water of any kind. Many stores selling bettas these days are telling customers to use only bottled water and you just don't have to do that. Sometimes it can even be harmful. Bottled water can have antibacterial additives and other things. Distilled water is a definite "no-no". It lacks important minerals your fish needs. If your water from your tap is safe for you, it is safe for your betta too. I've been doing that for 30 years and it works just fine.

Here are some sites to learn more about bettas to help you further;

http://www.healthybetta.com/
http://www.bettatalk.com/

Hope your little friend feels better soon....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins