# Help!!! Tail biting !!!



## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

so I got this male betta, he's been blowing bubble nests, the whole shbeil. well lately his tail is a COMPLETE TRAIN WRECK. He is biting it and destroying it. He's an over halfmoon, and ever since he was shipped to me, he is my one and only tail biter. I took him out of his section in my 10 gal divided (between 3 males, he was on the end) he is now alone, in my bathroom tank, heated and filtered. And its only gotten worse! :-( please please PLEASE hit me with any and ALL possible fixes, he's a beautiful male but no one can see that simply because, HE BITES THE WHOLE THING OFF! :shock:
wellp yeah I'm frustrated, BTW 

He is currently housed in a 2.5 gal, heated, filtered, with 1 gal /1tsp aq salt (started saturday) 
he is fed 4 pellets every morning
his substrate is white sand.
he gets 50 % water changes once a week
no fin rot
just severe tail biting


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## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

Does he have good hiding places? Sometimes they can just get stressed out! Give him a lot of plants to hide in!


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

hmm I could do a better job with that, thanks!


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## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

Also, make sure the filter isn't too strong. Does it look like your fish gets knocked around by the filter? Sometimes bettas will bite if they feel their big fins are making them unable to swim properly.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Half moons and over half moons are notorious for fin biting due to the size of their fins and how they drag. 
You should be doing daily 100% water change if you have him in salt.. but if he has no rot, then don't use salt. Salt can harm a fish if a fish is in it for prolonged use.. as well as the bacteria and the fish itself could easily become immune to the beneficial properties of the salt treatment when it is used too much/unnecessarily so when it is needed, it won't work nearly as well, if at all.
AQ salt won't stop him from biting his fins. It can actually hamper the growth.

Best to just up the water changes a bit each week to keep it clean, stress coat to promote fin regrowth and to keep the filter on the lowest setting/baffled so there is no current, which is worse for the larger fin types.

And all that purple mentioned =)


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

I did the aq salt just to help keep him from getting fin rot, I am going to change the water out and the filter doesnt run all day. It is a really soft current as it is. Thanks guys for the advice  hopefully I see improvements!


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Just doing water changes is the best preventative without putting your fish into potential harm with the salt. 
Another thing.. don't turn your filter on and off.. that will cause more then just rot. Whenever you turn your filter off, all the good bacteria needed dies... and when you turn it back on, it's pushed into the tank making the chemistry harmful. And then it will have to cycle to reestablish itself which in turn can cause deadly spikes in ammonia and such.. I would suggest either keeping it on, or off, but not both.

With salt you will always want to do daily 100% water changes if you do wish to continue.. and don't continue for longer then 10 days. Good luck!


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

Thanks I did not know that! Good thing I left it on today lol. Well I have a live plant in there I think anubias or something I just know it's a plant that floats and I was told needs little light and fertilizer isn't necessary. I just have class today so after I'll be doing another water change and the good thing is he's eating and has colored up more since I pit the plant in, it has big leaves and makes a great hiding place ! Thanks for letting me know all of this! I hope his tail gets better!


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

You're welcome, and it will =)


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## HarlequinBBRM (Jun 17, 2011)

I float a ping pong ball to help keep my tail biter entertained. Mine only started doing it when I came to school and he is in a smaller (2 gallon) tank compared to his 5 gallon at home. If you can find what triggers it (light, high traffic, noise etc.) and eliminate it or reduce it, it will help. However you may just be stuck with a chronic biter and it will just have to be something you will have to live with.

As long as you keep him healthy otherwise, he will be fine, just looking a little weird.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

hey there! sorry you're having issues with tail biting. it can cause so much stress for us, to see our beautiful boys shred their tail! for me, i give up on making it stop. i've had two tail biters, both Deltas, and just gave up on making them stop. Ichi, my current tail biter, seems HAPPIER with his shorter, CT-looking tail, so as long as he's happy and healthy, i'm happy. but, if you want to get your boy to stop, follow these steps i use:



> is he an Halfmoon? they sometimes bite because their tails are too big.
> 
> can he see his reflection all the time, or another betta all the time? the stress from that, can cause them to bite their own tails out of frustration.
> 
> ...


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## missm83 (Aug 23, 2011)

my boy is having this problem 2... i think cuz hes lonely...i been away most days at my bf place..normally i spend most of my day in my room with him... i have to find things to put in his tank he can occupy him self when im not here


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

Yeah he was never this bad, I put him in my tank in the bathroom, he's healthy and blows bubble nests, so he isnt sick, and no rot either. Hmm I'll try the ping pong ball. That sounds funny lol. Well thanks so much guys! I just hope he isn't a chronic tail biter lol!


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

I'm also gonna try adding more plants and stuff for him to entertain himself with, I'm really thankful for all the help!


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## choojoo (Jan 21, 2013)

After experimenting with environmental changes and whatnot, my betta fish, Burt, continued to bite his tail. I decided it was time to get something else that may distract his attention from destroying his tail like a dog chasing his tail.... I got a mystery snail (Kurt) and an African Dwarf Frog (Schmerdt). Surprisingly, Burt's stopped messing with his tail; it's been a week and a half and his fin is nearly 2/3 grown back! Now he finds entertainment in looking at Kurt occasionally, and Schmerdt sometimes. I think sometimes bettas just want a companion that wouldn't outshine his beauty.  Now, at the corner of my eye while I'm studying, I can see Burt following the frog or snail around, when he's not busy trying to get my attention (he's super hyperactive and keeps swimming from side to side along the tank).


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## RoMay (Nov 28, 2012)

YAY I am glad your betta stopped. Hopefully it stopped for good. To bad they didn't make cones to prevent chewing for bettas... ...










YEAH that would look pretty silly.


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