Betta breeding troubles

Question
Hi :)
I'm having troubles getting my Male Betta to make a big enough bubble nest to breed. I have the female in a guppy breeding container and he shows interest but his bubble nest doesnt match up. Both Betta's are in good condition and the female is showing the "white tip" (which i was told was the thing to look out for in a female fighter). The tank is at 28'c and i lowered the water level. I was wondering if maybe the tank was too large for breeding as i have a 18L tank for him. Can you possibly give me any suggestions and clarify how big the bubble nest has to be before I let her out of the container? I love my Male fighter and don't want him to be harmed during this process if they are both not ready! Any suggestions would be wonderful, thankyou!

Answer
Hi Sarah,
Betta breeding troubles are very common. Almost never do things go as planned. It's more a trial and error project! :)

Make sure you have no water movement in the tank and try giving him a little place to build his bubble nest. Most fish breeders take a styrofoam cup and cut it in half from the top down. Like this-
http://petcareprovider.com/db4/00398/petcareprovider.com/_uimages/UnknownMA11641...

Give your little pair some time. Make sure you are feeding them with quality food and plenty of worms and brine shrimp frequently. Many times bettas need a few weeks to get in breeding condition. The male will soon has his bubblenest blown and be displaying for the female. When she's ready to spawn she will show vertical (not horizontal) stripes on her body and her belly will be filled with eggs.

You should look at this wonderful article on breeding bettas including lots and lots of pictures and step by step. It should help you a lot!
http://www.flippersandfins.net/bettabreedingarticle.htm

Best wishes and Happy fishkeeping!
Karen~