What just happened?

I have the 2 Betta tanks together on a desk, and had a pillow case separating the view of the fish from within. I had to buy a new floor lamp this evening, since my other one blew up!!! I took the pillow case down, to put up a piece of cardboard between the 2 tanks. The male Betta went ballistic and flared, dove nose first into the glass, and Opal was equaly upset. I put the cardboard in between the tanks, and immediately, the male began building a bubble nest..
Will I have to keep the cardboard up forever? Or are these 2 going to eventually live in harmony side by side?

What I've seen with my jarred juveniles is that if they are left to see each other continually they eventually calm down and only flare at each other occasionally. However, once jarred and separated without others around they never learn to get along. Your fish have probably being separated for a long time and so may never get along. I've had a male exhaust himself and die just from flaring at his neighbour when I forgot to replace the cardboard between them.

Try letting them see one another for 30 minutes a couPle of times a day. This may help calm them down.

Sam

I think my sister is going to bring me backgrounds for my tanks, and I think she is bringing enough to wrap around the one side, and the back of these 2 tanks, which will block the view of each other, and allow for the removal of the cardboard between the tanks. Otherwise, I will deal with the issues as they arrise..

I took the cardboard down to show a friend what the male Betta looks like when he flares at the female. He did his dance, and she did her dance, and then they both went about normal activities like within 5 minutes. Should I still block the view, or can I leave the cardboard off, and let them "see" each other?

My next question: if she decides to "make" eggs.. will I be forced to breed her? I am not equipped to breed Bettas.. I don't want her to get egg bound if she will die or decline in health, if not bred with the male.

Looks like one continuous tank...