Tail Biting Betta

So, I have absolutely ruled out fin rot as the reason my betta continues to lose his tail. Finally caught him in the act of biting it. Question is, how do I try to keep him from doing so? He has lost and regrown over 50% of his tail 3 times now. Tank params are 0,0,20, temperature is 79, and he is the only inhabitant in a 10 gal. Thoughts? Thanks in advance

 

Hello!
Unfortunately tail biting is an extremely difficult habit to discourage. I have a tail biter too and nothing I do seems to help. Does your Betta have a long tail? If so, he might be annoyed by the weight of his tail and there isn't much you can do in this case. If not, it's possible that he's doing it out of boredom and you can try to discourage this by adding/rearranging his decorations every once in a while or letting him flare in front of a mirror for a few minutes every day or so.
Good luck with him, having a tail biter is definitely frustrating!

 

Hello!
Unfortunately tail biting is an extremely difficult habit to discourage. I have a tail biter too and nothing I do seems to help. Does your Betta have a long tail? If so, he might be annoyed by the weight of his tail and there isn't much you can do in this case. If not, it's possible that he's doing it out of boredom and you can try to discourage this by adding/rearranging his decorations every once in a while or letting him flare in front of a mirror for a few minutes every day or so.
Good luck with him, having a tail biter is definitely frustrating!

I
Have pretty much no idea how to use this site, and I've been trying to make a post to ask about my betta. He's obviously a crow tail betta, but I'm not sure if he just has stringy fins naturally or if I bought him with fin rot. Granted his fins kind of curled a bit from some mild stress, but I just can't tell if he's supposed to be the way he is?

 

I
Have pretty much no idea how to use this site, and I've been trying to make a post to ask about my betta. He's obviously a crow tail betta, but I'm not sure if he just has stringy fins naturally or if I bought him with fin rot. Granted his fins kind of curled a bit from some mild stress, but I just can't tell if he's supposed to be the way he is?

To create a new post, click aquarium forum, select a forum, and then click post new thread. Your betta looks fine to me

 

My betta was chasing his reflection non stop and one weekend he lost like half his tail to tail biting... and then when I added his tank mates he chased his reflection less and his tail has grown back. I think having tank mates allows him to not be bored. Maybe it will help! He is in a 10 gallon too.

 

Thanks, ill try some rearranging. My betta is a delta so he does have a lot of finnage. Salt baths do help with healing correct? I have been water!changing every other day and giving him a salt bath on the days in between when he first had fin rot as I bought him.

Any recommendations on tankmates? He is extremely passive, he actually doesn't even flare at his reflection very much, I have tried that.

 

I would just add the salt directly to the tank, it may help a bit but nothing too significant.
As for tankmates, maybe 3 or so Endlers livebearers and a Nerite snail?

 

I personally have corydoras habrosus and he is fine with them after the first two days, but I only started this hobby 2 months ago so I'm no expert.

 

I have mine in with six exclamation point rasbora and a nerite snail. He never bothers them. I think it's the very bright and colorful fish, or the long tailed fish they usually have a problem with. It also has a lot to do with the betta. Some won't even allow a snail in their tank. Just make sure whatever you put in there likes warmer tempratures!

 

Sounds good. Any other specific recommendations?

 

Not really, training helps to relieve boredom as well!

 

I have a male delta tail betta that was a tail-biter for a little while; I saw less tail-biting when I gave him some daily-changing things outside his tank to look at. I have a couple colored rocks in front of his tank that I change the arrangement of each day (rows, a circle, a smiley face, etc.) and sometimes I'll leave out a picture book on the table surface too. I once heard about someone who put comic books in front of their fish and turned the page each day, and I thought I tried it.

I'll also check in on my fish more often if I notice he's shredding his tail--there was one time I forgot to plug in his heater after a water change, and I woke up the next morning to notice he'd taken a chunk out of his tail. It may also depend on the temperament of your betta (my crowntail loves attention, but isn't nearly as needy as the delta for some reason) to some degree?

(This is admittedly my first post on this forum, so apologies if I've botched the advice somehow.)

 

To create a new post, click aquarium forum, select a forum, and then click post new thread. Your betta looks fine to me

Agreed. Looks like a normal crowntail to me! Love his color- or lack thereof!

Re: tank mates, it really depends on the individual betta. I've kept several with dwarf aquatic frogs, small tetras(though one was making meals of small embers and neons, so not TOO small!), small rasboras, shrimps (though they may eat babies)...

 

Thanks again guys. I reworked the tank and added a fair amount of light bubblers, so hopefully he will get some interest out of those. Everythings completely moved around, plants included (dug them up adding the bubblers), so hopefully he stops, at least long enough to let his little stump grow back.

 

Keep us posted! You should start seeing cellophane like growth at the very very edges of his tail within a week or so. Remember to feed him lots of protein as that helps speed things along. Sounds like one very lucky, very spoiled betta!

 

Sorry to hear about your betta! Mine started biting his when I moved another male away from him (they could see each other through the glass). I put a tank divider in, added my other male and no more tail biting hope your solution works out!

 

Thanks guys! So far, it seems to be working. I'm still considering adding some tankmates, and would like something similar to a school of tetra. Thoughts or ideas?





Just did another water change (hence all the particles in the water) and heres his little abode and my buddy there. Looks okay?

 

View attachment 308330 View attachment 308331

Just did another water change (hence all the particles in the water) and heres his little abode and my buddy there. Looks okay?

He's pretty and looks a lot like mine!

 

one of my betta used to bite his tail till I changed his tank. Initially he was in a 5 g and than I moved him in a 10 g. Once I put him in his new home he stopped bitting his tail which grew back.

 

I
Have pretty much no idea how to use this site, and I've been trying to make a post to ask about my betta. He's obviously a crow tail betta, but I'm not sure if he just has stringy fins naturally or if I bought him with fin rot. Granted his fins kind of curled a bit from some mild stress, but I just can't tell if he's supposed to be the way he is?

Yes, that is a crowntail and he is gorgeous!!

Thanks, ill try some rearranging. My betta is a delta so he does have a lot of finnage. Salt baths do help with healing correct? I have been water!changing every other day and giving him a salt bath on the days in between when he first had fin rot as I bought him.

Any recommendations on tankmates? He is extremely passive, he actually doesn't even flare at his reflection very much, I have tried that.

Melafix can help with healing fins. As for tank mates, my betta is in with my mollies and platies and has done great with them. Id avoid any tetras though as they tend to nip fins.

 

one of my betta used to bite his tail till I changed his tank. Initially he was in a 5 g and than I moved him in a 10 g. Once I put him in his new home he stopped bitting his tail which grew back.

View attachment 308517

I want your fish!

 

So I have another update and a few questions.

I redid the tank again, and I'm now really, really happy with this asthetic. There are many more plants in the tank as well, all super low light, as the tank is now blackwater and lit only by an LED bar.


Please don't criticize the two penguin tetra now in the tank, there is a story. Short version, have a friend who was dismantling their very old and mostly uncared for fish tank and didnt quite have the heart to kill the fish, and so asked me to take them. Figured with how stunted the poor 2 are (one has pretty severe scoliosis too) itd be better to have them live out their days with the betta as compared to being eaten in my 53 gal. So theyre there, to live out the rest of their days with Duke. Yes I know its too small, yes I know there's temperature incompatablilities, but it was either this or becoming food. I doubt they will last too much longer, considering theyre 6 years old...

Anyways, I am hoping to add even more small plant life. Apart from the anubias nana, of which there are already 3, what might be some other good plants? Also, can anyone possibly ID this plant? I feel it could be a sword of some sort, but hasnt really grown at all since ive had it. Probably not enough light.


Fin healing is going very well, its healing quickly and he is as active as ever. I think the tetras helped with that honestly. Thanks guys for the help, its much appreciated. Have no trouble with raising an EBJD, which ive heard some rough stories about, yet just a little betta gives me a ton of trouble haha!

 

Such a beautiful tank!!!
I never heard of penguin tetras, but you situation sounds very undesirable to be in, good luck!

 

Thanks, I figured it isn't great for them but better than death, and the store definitely won't take them, the one is really bent, doesn't look like he is in pain at all.

Tough to get a photo but you can see how badly warped his spine is. According to liveaquaria, penguin tetras can reach 3 inches and prefer 30 gals or more. These two are about one inch, theve been in 3 gallons their whole life... (criticized said friend on this endlessly)