The male betta makes them, when they breed the eggs are picked up and blown into the bubble nest. They are not bad and if there is no female in the tank it just means the male betta is feeling good about his surroundings.

I get what almost looks like a bubble nest in any tanks that do not have much surface agitation. Especially when they are on the newer side. I also have well water. It could be protein or calcium. Either way removeing it will do no harm unless breeding.

Nope, no breeding here! (How do people do that anyways with bettas??). I'm glad that they like their tanks!

Its common knowledge bettas will make a bubble nest with or without a female to breed.....its their nature, and has nothing to do with proteins or calcium in the water......Some build elaborate bubbble nests others skimpy bubble nests, just like a human they all take different views on what they consider satisfactory to meet their needs or goals.

Breeding bettas is easy, but it can be a chore......Big problem around this part is finding decent females as most stores do not carry females. I personally like the females and numerous females can be kept in the same tank and some have very nice colorations, but lack long finnage......I have pairs of bettas that I keep outdoors from April to NOvember here, in half barrel water garden setups and do not bother to remove females after breeding, nor remove male after fry are free swimming and have sucessfully raised hundred of betta fry to the stage you can sex them all without any intervention by me......Much easier than in a breeder tank, but come winter or cooler weather, I continue breeding them indoors........

Can I keep female bettas in a community tank with other tropicals? Or do they need the slow moving water like the males?

Yes, female bettas may be kept in a community tanks with other fish. However, they do fight. When in tanks together females will fight to form a hierarchy, a pecking order, and then life will be peaceful until one female dies.

Sometimes there are females who are just too aggressive, and life is better for them by themselves.

Only brought up the protien/calcium thing because of mention of a well water. I also have well water. I sometimes get a build up around the filter return if it builds too much.The grouping of bubbles is almost identical to a bettas bubble nest. This is in tanks with no bettas or fish even. Not all male bettas are bubblenest builders. Ones that are, sometimes never will build one.

I think I'll lay off the female bettas...

Have you tested your water woeisme?

I am slightly over due for an annual evaluation of the well water quality. I plan on having it tested next month by a professional, as reccomended by the DEP (I will be home alot then). The first year I moved in (this was the 1st time I experienced owning a private well) I noticed that the plumbing fixtures would discolor with a lime green hue. The house is +30yrs. old. Then I noticed that the faucets where slightly pitted. I was in the basement one day and noticed a hissing sound. I finally found the source, a pinhole in the copper water supply piping. I repaired it and a month later found another one. I have had about 5 others since. I did a little research and had a water specialist evaluate the situation. It turned out that I had highly acidic water, it was oxidizing the copper pipes causing the green discoloration and pinholes. I installed an treatment system to neutralize the water but the system mad the water slightly hard so a softener was needed also. The system made the water 7.0 pH. The whole thing confused me because I thought that the water was drawn from a limestone/dolostone spring deep in the bedrock (which it is) and the water should be hard and more on the base side. So I researched again and found out that deep wells in limestone or other high calcium rock will produce carbonic acid (CO2) because of lack of Oxygen (O2). When it aerated it would release the CO2 and swing to the base side, about 8.2ppm pH. The surface agitation from the filter return would aerate the acidic water letting it go back to more carbon state and would create a thick bubble nest looking foam. The calcium is harmless in small quanities and is easily removed buy more surface agitation.Reef tanks usually have protien skimmers that remove it. Reef tanks (along with rift lake cichlid and brakish) usually have alot of calcium carbonate because of the aragonite sand, live rock etc. The only time the film or bubbles is a problem is if it builds too much and completly covers the surface. It blocks O2.

That's some pretty complicated stuff. It sounds like you learned what you needed to know though.

We have a filter but I dunno about the ph levels of our water. I think it's okay b/c I drink it, the pets drink it and the plants drink it and the fish and turtle swim in it and all seem to be very healthy.

pH matters little or drinking water or plants. If your well hasn't been tested recently it might be a good idea to have it done min. bi-anually. Filters will reduce organics and sediment and the activated carbon ones will improve taste to a degree, but they dont remove bacteria(tasteless most times) and excess nutrients. Not so much or ishkeeping purposes but for yours and families health.