Betta eating silicone...?

Hello,

Today, for quite some time, I've been watching my new (yet-unnamed) betta attacking the silicone in the corner of the tank. There is a tiny nubbin sticking up, maybe a millimeter long. He'll swim up, stare it it for quite awhile, then try and take a chomp. From what I've seen, he hasn't actually consumed any. He'll then swim over to the other corner, like he's looking for more siliconey-goodness to go after.

I'll try and remove the chunk, but being that it's in the corner, I'm not sure I'll be able to without actually draining the tank, but I'll do my best to at least break the appendage off.

My question is, do you think this is an indication of something? Should I be feeding him more? I feed maybe 4-5 "small fish" NLS pellets daily (0.5"). Do you think he's bored? I'm pretty sure he can see his reflection in the glass, though I've only ever seen him flare once (when I pointed at his tank with a pencil). I'm not sure why he's so insistent; you'd think after he got a little taste he'd realize it isn't delicious. But he's been visiting that corner every few minutes, all day long..

Thanks for your input!

 

Fish use their mouth to explore their world.

This is nothing to worry about if he cannot pull it free.

 

Good to know, thanks for the information! I guess it just seems strange how very interested in it he seems. Also, I know bettas have teeth, so I was worried about him actually nipping some of it off. However it isn't a very narrow piece (just an extra smudge on the glass) so I doubt he'll be able to remove any.

Just being a worrywart, as usual..

 

Better to be a worrywart, than to not care at all.

 

Maybe he thinks its mosquito larvae since that's what they eat in the wild????

Yes, I would try and break the piece off so he doesn't eat it by accident!

My barbs explore everything like that - they eat all of my decorations, fake plants and they even pick the gravel when bored......

 

Maybe he thinks its mosquito larvae since that's what they eat in the wild????

Yes, I would try and break the piece off so he doesn't eat it by accident!

My barbs explore everything like that - they eat all of my decorations, fake plants and they even pick the gravel when bored......

I figure even if he wouldn't be able to remove it, better safe than sorry; I'd hate for it to become an intestinal blockage.

Oh my! That must be fun to watch. My platys peck at everything, but I figure they're nibbling bits of algae off of things.

He seems to be paying less attention to it, though I'm still always surprised how active he is. I got used to my last betta, who must have been ill longer than I suspected, because he would sit in the exact same spot all day. I can barely take pictures of this betta, because he never sits still! He's always swimming around. Hopefully he doesn't think the tank is too small (5.5 gallons) or he isn't bored. He spends a lot of time on the side of the tank next to me, so I like to think he's hanging out with me.

 

I was going to say something smart alecish when I read your title, "Silly, don't feed your betta silicone, feed him fish food".

I wouldn't worry about Betta at all, it is just a new "toy" for him at the moment and will eventually get bored. Next he'll probably be biting on something else like your new Yellow Shrimps that you are going to introduce

 

I was going to say something smart alecish when I read your title, "Silly, don't feed your betta silicone, feed him fish food".

I wouldn't worry about Betta at all, it is just a new "toy" for him at the moment and will eventually get bored. Next he'll probably be biting on something else like your new Yellow Shrimps that you are going to introduce

I hope not!! I still think they would look nice in there. Besides trying to eat the silicone, he hasn't been very aggressive; my last betta flared at the wall all the time but this one never does. We'll see..

 

; my last betta flared at the wall all the time but this one never does.

One of mine used to flare at snails, never did figure that one out!

 

Mine is still a white belt..... Never flares at anyone, anything... My barbs on the other hand, are 6th degree black belts!!!!

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My mom's betta still doesn't like her nerite I got her a few months ago. Whenever he climbs up on the wall, the betta flares at him and sort of rubs against him. My last betta didn't even notice my snail was a living creature, though.