Imogenlucie
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2021
- Messages
- 5
Hi everyone,
I'm having a lot of trouble with my Betta fish who has suddenly started tail biting. For the first 3 months I had him, he never did this. Tank is 5 gallon, has several live plants, ornaments and places to hide and has a low flow filter. Shares his tank with one mystery snail. Water parameters are steady at ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm and nitrate approx. 10ppm consistently. I perform a 50% water change once weekly. I haven't changed anything inside the tank.
I've tried to provide enrichment and reduce stress by changing up the diet, reducing the chance he can see his reflected by putting up cardboard around several sides of the tank and changing the decor around.
His tail seemingly gets shorter and shorter every night, and is now basically a tiny stump. Every time is starts to grow back (translucent fin edges seen), he starts to tail bite again. I don't think it's fin rot because it happens suddenly in large chunks, doesn't have dark edges and I occasionally see him circling in the corner of the tank, trying to bite his tail. His dorsal and anal fins aren't effected.
I'm at a loss of what to do. Soon he will literally have no tail left to bite.
Thank you in advance for any advice!
I'm having a lot of trouble with my Betta fish who has suddenly started tail biting. For the first 3 months I had him, he never did this. Tank is 5 gallon, has several live plants, ornaments and places to hide and has a low flow filter. Shares his tank with one mystery snail. Water parameters are steady at ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm and nitrate approx. 10ppm consistently. I perform a 50% water change once weekly. I haven't changed anything inside the tank.
I've tried to provide enrichment and reduce stress by changing up the diet, reducing the chance he can see his reflected by putting up cardboard around several sides of the tank and changing the decor around.
His tail seemingly gets shorter and shorter every night, and is now basically a tiny stump. Every time is starts to grow back (translucent fin edges seen), he starts to tail bite again. I don't think it's fin rot because it happens suddenly in large chunks, doesn't have dark edges and I occasionally see him circling in the corner of the tank, trying to bite his tail. His dorsal and anal fins aren't effected.
I'm at a loss of what to do. Soon he will literally have no tail left to bite.
Thank you in advance for any advice!
